Hope Floats

Soundtrack

Capitol Records, 1998

REVIEW BY: Tammy Childs

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 07/27/2005

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."my_heart_sings_the_harmony_web_ad_alt_250

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.

Rating: B+

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© 2005 Tammy Childs and The Daily Vault. All rights reserved. Review or any portion may not be reproduced without written permission. Cover art is the intellectual property of Capitol Records, and is used for informational purposes only.