Does a person deserve praise for doing something hard if they're bad at it? That's the question in Florence Foster Jenkins, a fine, sunny movie based on the true story of a 1940s Manhattan socialite (Meryl Streep) who wanted to be an opera singer despite having an awful voice. Coddled by her manager and platonic husband (Hugh Grant), who lovingly hides unhappy truths from her, Madame Florence is genuinely oblivious to her ineptitude, a pitiable figure so endearing we can't bear to see her feelings hurt. Simon Helberg is funny as her wee, pixie-eyed pianist, and director Stephen Frears glosses over the story's sad subtext with cheerful deliberation. Never mind self-awareness, he suggests; self-confidence is admirable, too. by Eric D. Snider