Sometimes, it's tough not to cry, even when you know the film is little more than a tearjerker.
Hope Springs sees Meryl Streep's character, Kay, married to Arnold (Tommy Lee Jones) and living in the Midwest. They've been married for 31 years and have two children, with a grandchild on the way. Every morning, Kay is in front of the stove to prepare her husband's bacon and egg. Every morning, he sits at the breakfast table to read his newspaper – whose front page informs us this is Omaha, Nebraska – before rushing out with his briefcase to his office in a downtown high-rise. Every night, the two of them sleep in separate bedrooms.
The film has universal appeal, with the frustrations of the central character very easy to understand and perhaps sympathize with. She has been stuck in a rut for a very long time, first taking care of her children and now taking care of her husband and the household chores. Their recent wedding anniversary gift to each other was a wider range of television channels on their cable subscription.