Hope Springs

Jilted British artist Colin (Firth) has picked the right place to mend his broken heart: Hope, Vermont, where doe-eyed nurse and would-be naturist Mandy (Graham) is waiting to be charmed by his dry one-liners and self-deprecating stammer. But just as Colin is beginning to forget his ex-fiancée Vera (Driver), she pops up again and hangs around purposefully. As an obstacle to true love, however, the cartoon-like Vera is never much of a threat. Colin and Mandy's romance isn't very plausible either, being rushed through without pause for emotional connection or character development. Firth does his best with the fitfully amusing dialogue, but he's largely eclipsed by the supporting cast. (From the novel New Cardiff by Charles Webb.) ASm.