This could very well be Sandra Bullock's most provocative performance yet, her best since Speed. Realistic and down-to-earth, Hope Floats is a subtle film where not much seems to happen but it does. The characters were strong and well scripted, believable and award winning. Mae Whitman (Bernice) did a surprisingly powerful job even though she's just a child. The story was new but the formula wasn't and I've seen similar movies in the past. Still, the greatest complication in the movie is this: It was hard decided whether this should be classified as a romance comedy or drama. Parts of it were funny, others mildly dramatic, but it sort of hovered in the middle. To really hit the spot, it needed to be one or the other, not leaving people wondering what they just watched. Nevertheless, Hope Floats is a good movie worth watching once or twice, especially with a girlfriend. Okay, I admit it. This movie is boring.

Review by Erik Samdahl. Erik is a marketing and technology executive by day, avid movie lover by night. He is a member of the Seattle Film Critics Society.