There’s Always Hope Parent Guide

University student Hope (Hannah Chinn) is worried about her parents. Her mother, Sam (Kate Ashfield), called to tell her that she’s separating from Hope’s dad, Jonathan (Colm Meaney) but provided no additional information. When neither parent is answers their phones, Hope tracks Jonathan down to the family villa in Portugal, where he’s trying to sort everything out in his head.

With Jonathan proving less communicative than Hope would like and Sam barely answering her phone, Hope steps up her efforts to mend the marital relationship. Realizing that she needs reinforcements, Hope calls in her half-sister Amelia (Brenda Meaney). Between the two of them, they manage to start weaseling some details out of their suddenly laconic parents, but figuring out what to do with the situation is another problem entirely.

Honestly, I’m really not sure what to say about this movie. I can hear your stunned muttering that I’ve finally run out of things to say, but please, keep it to a dull roar. I’m still the same mouthy critic I always was. The problem is that the movie is just…quiet. It’s exactly the simple little family drama you expect it to be, adding little to the established formula in terms of irritants or benefits. This movie is slow and easy entertainment, and it knows it.

My ongoing issue with Colm Meaney, much as I love him, is that I’ve watched entirely too much Star Trek, which means that I almost exclusively see him as Chief O’Brien. Impressively, I frequently forgot that fact throughout the film, which is either due to a very different writing style or solid work on Meaney’s part. Either way, I was able to relax and enjoy the little ins and outs of his strange family without wondering whether or not this was some kind of holodeck simulation.

While There’s Always Hope manages to avoid sexual content or violence, it makes up for it in other categories. The profanity isn’t omnipresent but the seven sexual expletives are more than I expected and make no difference to the story. There is a great deal of social drinking – meaning, in this case, that every time people are socializing, someone is drinking. I swear, nearly every conversation in this movie is accompanied by a few glasses of wine. Considering that this film is almost entirely composed of conversations, I have a suspicion that the characters exceeded their recommended monthly alcohol intake within the first few days of their Portugal trip. Sauced or not, the characters tell their simple story well, and while it isn’t big or exciting, it’s quietly intriguing and fun to watch – just maybe not for the kids.