Published on Jul 27, 2005
Directed by Forest Whitaker, the movie
Hope Floats is a story of lost love and found love, starring
Sandra Bullock, Harry Connick Jr., and Gena Rowlands. Sandra
Bullock plays Birdee Pruitt, a dumped housewife who moves home with
her mother Gena Rowlands (Ramona) in Smithville, Texas, in an
attempt to find herself, and eventually finds love. Harry Connick
Jr. plays the love interest, Justin Matisse. As the promotional
materials tell it, “There aren’t any car crashes, explosions or
special effects.
Hope Floats is a piece about human emotion, love, family
relations and the healing power of a family. It’s also about
starting over again and what happens when the perfect picture you
thought defined your life crumbles before your eyes. In the end, we
learn that even the most emotionally troubling events can help us
find our destiny.”
Garth Brooks opens the soundtrack album with “To Make You Feel
My Love,” a deeply romantic love song. Brooks’ vocals are sweet and
emotionally provocative and the song is done in the country style:
“I’d go hungry, I’d go black and blue, I’d go crawling down the
avenue, there’s nothing I wouldn’t do to make you feel my love.”
Just what every woman wants — a beat up, dirty-from-crawlin’ man
who’s willing to fulfill her every need. Brooks continues to
respond to the needs of his listeners, providing them with earnest
and full-bodied music.
Although not a Sheryl Crow fan, I still enjoyed her offering of
“In Need.” It’s a song of inspiration and used to encourage a
person by friendly support. Her vocals are sweet and soft and the
song is one of the best of the soundtrack.
The Rolling Stones perform the funny and rhythmic “Honest I Do.”
Bass adds to the bluesy/soft rock nature of the song, and it blends
well with the country flavor of the album. As usual, the Stones
have their own perspective on things and their contribution is
amusing and playful.
“Chances Are” is my favorite, a sad, wistful piece of music that
is beautifully written and combines the vocals of gruff Bob Seger
and seductive Martina McBride. It was written by Seger as a message
of hope, and it would make a wonderful wedding-dance song.
Hitting hard in the country genre again, Deana Carter performs
“What Makes You Stay.” Her dove-like vocals are sensitive and carry
a sad, bittersweet feeling of lost love and learning to let go.
Lila McCann gives us “To Get Me to You,” again with expressive,
soulful country: “Every road I had to take / Every time my heart
would break / It was just something that I had to get through / To
get me to you.”
Although this compilation is primarily in the country genre, I
wouldn’t designate it specifically as such. There is enough variety
here to make almost any listener sing along. The music was
logically created for the film, and I appreciate how the music sets
the mood and arranges the characters in their proper place. Music
is a moving force and without it a movie would be less interesting
and not nearly as palatable.
Although definitely a chick flick, this is a great date movie,
and the soundtrack is one that you could listen to any time. The
music is worthwhile even if you never watch the movie.