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Cast: Sandra Bullock, Harry Connick Jr., Gena Rowlands, Mae Whitman, Michael Pare, Cameron Finley

Director: Forest Whitaker

As hard as I try, it is difficult to go into movie sans any preconceived notions. That way, I can objectively judge a movie. But with the Internet, the flood of promotional commercial (which is the best part of the Godzilla phenomenon, I'm afraid), and various reviewers available, it's difficult to enter the theater with a clean slated brain. But for the first time in a long while, I did it for the new Sandra Bullock film (star, and produced) Hope Floats.

Basically, the story revolves around Bullock, as a suddenly dumped wife, who returns to her small town roots, and source of her young fame, in order to find herself, and her comfort zone again. She finds the going rough, with a rebellious daughter (obnoxiously effective Whitman, who would've been reprimanded into next week, in my generation) eccentric mother (a perfect Rowlands, who is both comic, loving, and sympathetic), a lovestruck HS suitor (Connick Jr, in perfect slow simmering desire mode)

The story is nothing new, your basic love story, with a path as clear as the Texas plains it's set in, but this is one of the movies where the fun is in the journey. The plot drags, lags, and never really clearly forms. This movie is more a series of situations, both funny, and serious, that are pulled off by some effective performances. The dialogue is good, cheesy at times, overbearing at others..but all in all, the movie works on the level that it's at, and Bullock gives her most real and entertaining performance since While You Were Sleeping, only this is the serious side of that character. The charm in this movie is it's humor. I laughed, genuinely, at least 3 or 4 times..and chuckled or smiled several others (my favorite scenes being an always costumed cousin and his joy at getting into his characters, and a musical scene involving The Temptations "I Can't Get Next To You" that is truly a joy)

Overall, I recommend this movie, it is good for dates, and showcases some strong character perfromances. If you can overcome a dragging, unfocused plot and a few cheesy lines, and cliches, Hope Floats can be quite an enjoyable experience