Movie 'Hope Springs' Hits Close To Home

A few days ago my wife, Robyn, and I saw the movie "Hope Springs," a movie which depicts the story of Kay and Arnold, a couple who have been married for 31 years and have lost the intimacy they once had.  Day after day, Kay, played by Meryl Streep, makes an egg and strip of bacon for breakfast for her husband Arnold, played by Tommy Lee Jones.  Arnold eats his breakfast, reads the paper, kisses Kay on the cheek and heads off to work.  Night after night, Kay does the dishes while Arnold falls asleep in his chair watching golf tutorials and at 9:30, she taps him on the shoulder to wake him up and they both trudge up the stairs where they retire-to separate bedrooms, of course.

Ultimately Kay decides that this life of hers is not what she signed up for, and decides to do something about it.  She loves Arnold and wants to bring back the gusto and intimacy they once had in their marriage.  She decides to go to a marriage/sex counselor- with or without Arnold!  Arnold grudgingly follows Kay to the airport.  After all, Kay just spent $4000 on the therapy and Arnold realizes that if he doesn't go with her, not only would the money be totally wasted, but he might lose Kay, whom he really does love, in the process. 

As we expect from actors as wonderful as Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee Jones, the movie delivers warmth, considerable humor, and tears as Kay and Arnold go through the exercises assigned to them by the therapist ( played by Steve Carell) which ultimately lead them back to the marriage and intimacy they once shared.

Following the movie, I told Robyn that many times I feel like Steve Carell's character, in my audiology practice.  Wives (and yes, sometimes even husbands) bring their spouses to me (sometimes kicking and screaming) so I can fix their hearing issues.  Typically, they feel that their spouse has a hearing problem and that he or she is missing what they are saying, or in some cases they feel like they are being completely ignored.  Ultimately, the lack of hearing causes a rift between the couple, which leads to arguments, and in its worse case, isolation.

There are many things we can learn from Hope Springs, but the best lesson is pay attention to our husband's or wife's needs, listen to what they tell us, and try not to forget why we fell in love with them in the first place.  If we do these things, our lives will be richer, our marriages will stay healthier, and we will live longer and happier lives!

Steve Chargo is an audiologist and owns Affinity Hearing, 3025 Harbor Lane N., Suite 105, Plymouth MN 55447.  He can be emailed at s.chargo@affinityhearing.com.  Affinity Hearing's website is www.affinityhearing.com