I was going to take a break from posting on the blog. That was until I saw this movie. Henry Poole is Here was soooooooo good that I had to post about it.
Henry Poole is Here was written by Albert Torres and directed by Mark Pellington. The cast includes Luke Wilson, Radha Mitchell, George Lopez, Adriana Barraza, Morgan Lily, and Cheryl Hines. It is a comedic drama. More drama than comedy though.
This movie is amazing! The director was phenomenal. The picture and music they used to support the various moods of Henry Poole was unbelievable. The movie was moving and uplifting. It took two of the hardest human emotions, death and abandonment, and brought them to life in a special way. I have never felt so good about the often unfair journey that life takes as I did while watching this film. Luke Wilson did an awesome job (he does this role so perfectly, I don't know anyone better than him in roles like this). Morgan Lily stole the show. Adriana Barraza is that neighbor/friend you always hope you have when things are good but especially when things are bad. Radha Mitchell was stunningly beautiful and full of this energy that she seamlessly conveys onscreen. You really believe what she is acting. George Lopez was the wild card for me. His role was quiet and subtle, but he did a great job of showing compassion with limits (I meant to type it like that...with limits).
Henry Poole (Luke Wilson) buys a home in the neighborhood where he grew up. He is an extremely sad and angry person. Everyone around him knows it. They just don't know why. Henry spends all of his time laying around his house and yard while drinking and eating junk food. One day Henry's neighbor, Esperanza (Hope in Spanish, Adriana Barraza) comes over to welcome him to the neighborhood. She is a nosy neighbor. One day she is snooping around Henry's backyard to see if she can figure out why Henry is so sad and angry. As she snoops around she sees a water stain on Henry's house that she believes is the face of god. Meanwhile, Henry's neighbor Millie (Morgan Lily) is a young girl who doesn't speak but tape records everyone's conversations and then plays them back. Henry can tell Millie is sad too and tries to form a bond with her. She lets him come close but not all the way behind her defenses. Millie's mom is a divorcee named Dawn (Radha Mitchell). She just wants her little girl to speak again. Come to find out Millie has uttered a word since her father left over a year ago. Henry comes home one day to find Esperanza and three of her friends lighting candles and praying to the face of god stain. Henry is beyond annoyed that these people see more than just a stain. Henry chases them off. He then looks at the stain again and sees some red paint on it. He runs around the house to confront the ladies and asks them who painted his house. They don't know what he is talking about. They all look at the evidence and Esperanza tells Henry that it isn't paint it is blood. After a ton of convincing she gets Henry to agree to let Esperanza's priest/church come over and test the face "miracle". Esperanza's priest, Father Salazar (George Lopez), doesn't want to commit that it is a miracle without further examination. Henry keeps trying to get Millie to talk to him. One night Dawn wakes up around 3 AM and discovers that Millie isn't in her bed or in the house. She runs outside to find her and comes across her at Henry's house. She is staring at the face of god stain. She touches the face and begins to cry. Dawn asks Millie what's wrong. Millie just says Mama. It is the first word she has said in over a year. Millie begins to speak. After this miracle (which Henry refuses to recognize) Millie wants to play with Henry. Henry agrees and Dawn starts to fall for Henry. Henry can't help himself and starts to fall for Dawn. Before anything goes any further, Henry has to tell Dawn why he is so sad and angry. 6 weeks before Henry purchased the house his doctor informed him that he had a fatal disease. Not only was the disease fatal but rapid and sudden. Henry has been living each day not knowing whether it was his last or not. Dawn doesn't care that Henry could die any second and they pursue a relationship. After a romantic dinner with Dawn, Henry has second doubts about whether he can continue in the relationship or not. Millie overhears his conversation with her mother where Henry says it isn't fair for him to date her because he is going to die. Millie plays the conversation back and refuses to speak again. Esperanza has found out that the blood on the face is indeed real blood and the stain was investigated and found out to not be man made. Even though she promised not to bring anyone over in exchange for testing the face, she spreads the word. Everyone that touches the wall is healed or made whole. Henry can't believe it and won't touch the wall himself. Even though he has seen it help Millie and some others. When Millie stops talking Henry and Dawn take her to a doctor. The doctor's can only suggest that she is speaking because of a traumatic event (finding out that Henry was going to die and leave her alone again). Henry is upset and blames the stain for Millie's false hope when she recovered and spoke again. As Henry pulls into his driveway upon returning from taking Dawn and Millie to the doctor he sees a hundred people lined up around his house. Henry loses it and takes an axe to the stain while everyone watches in disbelief. He destroys the entire stain. He grabs what is left of the wall because of his exertion in destroying the wall. In doing so he grabs a small part of the face. Because of the destruction part of the house collapses on top of Henry. He is taken to the hospital where Dawn tells his doctor about his disease. His doctor tests him again as he is recovering and finds that Henry doesn't have the deadly disease anymore. It looks as if the wall healed Henry too. Millie is so excited to find out that Henry is going to live that she speaks again. Dawn is beside herself because she can continue her relationship with Henry. Esperanza is there at the hospital to witness yet another miracle in Henry's healing. Henry finally believes and is distraught that he destroyed the stain. Esperanza tells him that the miracle, like everyone on the planet, was there for as long as it was necessary.
I am sure all of us have felt the anger and sadness that comes with feeling like life has dealt you a bum hand. One you can do nothing about. One you don't deserve. Some of us are lucky enough to feel the healing that religion or an external power greater than us can feel as we accept or overcome our bum hand. However, some of us are never healed or have the opportunity to overcome. That is why I like this movie. Skepticism can only take you so far. After that you have to chose to believe or become down trodden. If there truly is nothing we can do about our situation then we are only left with the ability to believe and hope or doubt and wallow. If those are your only two options, you would be better served by believing and hoping. I love messages like that because I have a tendency to doubt and wallow. Life is a bum wrap sometimes. But even when all seems lost, it is better to hope than wallow. I am glad that I am reminded of that. I am extremely pleased that this film reminded me in such a moving and compelling way.
If you haven't seen this movie go rent it. I would even say just buy it. You won't be disappointed. I think everyone needs to see this movie and I 100% recommend it. Every person faces challenges in their life. Not all of them are death but sometimes feel just as bad. We all can learn something from making the best of your situation and choosing to believe as this movie depicts. Watch the movie, I think you'll learn something. I also think you too will be moved and uplifted by the message. What a great film!!!!
