There is a lot of forms that bad news comes into our
lives. We can be told we are fired or our spouse is leaving us. In the current
economic climate many are losing their income, cars and home. While all of this
is terrible and will adversely affect your life there is one piece of bad news
that is the most devastating; a doctor telling you that you have a terminal
disease. We all know that death is inevitable but for most of us we at least
hope it is some time in the very distant future. Since this is the ultimate in
personal tragedy the theme has been used in literature and film for ages. ‘Henry
Poole is Here’ is one of the latest to take on the reaction a man might have
after being told this dire news. It might not seem like it but this topic can be
rather versatile in how it is treated in films. If the person is shown embracing
the freedom of not having to face repercussions the movie will slant towards a
comedy. It can also be taken in a more serious tack with a human being coming to
grips with their own impending mortality. The film under consideration here uses
the later to guide it. It is a deeply spiritual film that is targeted towards
the growing Christian demographic. An increasing number of people are become
more out spoken with their faith and have embraced their religion as a means to
get through these most turbulent of times. This movie shows a man who is forced
to consider what lies in wait for us after our death. Many people may have the
opinion that such a treatment of a story would be sappy and overly proselytize
the story. While there is a very clear Christian message here the movie also
holds together as a compelling and realistic drama. No matter what your faith or
religious beliefs may be you can get a lot out of this film. This is also the
kind of movie that typically does better with the public than critics. There are
more than a few technical areas where there could have been some improvements
and many people seem to deride a movie if it attempts to make a point based on a
certain point of faith. In contrast people who share that faith will be more
accepting of it. In any case this is a film that is well worth watching.
This is the first script for writer Albert Torres. A
lot of credit has to be given to the man for taking on such a difficult and
sensitive subject matter. It takes a gentle hand to craft a story so that it
does not degrade into a morbid quagmire. In this story the titular character of
Henry Poole, well played by Luke Wilson, is drawn extremely well. He is shown to
be a man who never really had much in the way of faith. When he is told that he
is dying that is one major blow to his world view. Then something completely
unexpected happens. A neighbor states that she sees the image of Jesus Christ on
the wall of Henry’s home. This takes the story into a different direction that
you might have originally expected. Brining a miracle into the mix is often
something that will drag a movie down fast. In this case Torres manages the
balancing act amazingly well. It does bring the film out of the venue of a pure
drama and mixes in a touch of comedy. The affect on the direction of the plot is
something that livens up the proceedings. It also brings in another touchy and
highly debated topic of miracles. Many people do believe in them and see then as
a direct proof of God. Others would wonder why Jesus would bother to create an
image of his faith on a dying man’s wall. In the Bible it is stated that faith
is the expectation of things unseen. For many people a little concrete evidence
is just what is needed to reinforce that belief. Poole is now stuck between the
living the remainder of his life and finding a reason to believe in something
afterwards.
Mark Pellington has a long list of directorial credits
in both television and films. Among his movie offerings is ‘Arlington Road’, a
crisp little thriller. For the small screen he has directed episodes of
‘Homicide: Life on the Street’ and ‘Cold Case’. He also has some work in MTV
style music videos. It may not seem like a track record conducive for a film of
this nature but Pellington made it work out at least for the most part. While he
avoids going too heavy handed he does stumble a bit in holding the story
together. Part of this may be the fact that he is trying to show all the
conflicting feelings and opinions that the protagonist is going through. It has
to be difficult to try to provide a consistent and coherent film from such a
turbulent mindset for your main character. While it works as a drama, aside from
the religious overtones, it could have been closer to reaching its potential. At
times Pellington tugs too hard on the heart strings but considering the subject
matter it is almost impossible to not be affected by the movie.
Life wasn’t actually going as Henry Poole had planed.
When he is told that he has only a short time to live he reacts by pushing away
everything in his life. He quits his job and leaves his fiancée. He also manages
to escape the influence of his domineering mother. Wanting to make a clean break
Henry moves to the suburbs hoping the peace and quite there will allow him a
chance to sort out and process his dilemma. The means he has chosen to do this
is to drink into oblivion. Once there the direction of his life takes an
unexpected twist. His neighbor, Esperanza (Adriana Barraza) sees the face of
Jesus Christ on the stucco wall of Henry’s new home. He wants to dismiss it and
be by himself but soon the word has spread. It doesn’t take long before the
faithful are descending on Henry’s home hoping to get a glimpse of the miracle.
More than just being there on his wall it is now purportedly the source of
miraculous healings. Henry is in a crisis with his life and all around him are
people with an unshakable resolute in their faith. The public involvement starts
out slowly. At first Esperanza just wants a local priest, Father Salazar (George
Lopez) to be allowed on Henry’s property to examine the stain and pray. Then
henry gets to meet his next door neighbor, Dawn (Radha Mitchell), and her
daughter, Millie (Morgan Lily). Millie seems to be cured and of course everyone
looks to the image as a source of the miracle.
The cast does well here. Wilson is more typically
known for wackier roles but here shows he has the talent to pull off something
with a little more depth. Mitchell is one of those actresses that have the
tendency to pop up in unlikely films. She is one of the reigning queens of Indy
cinema and for good reason. She is adaptable, able to fit in to any role. One of
the best surprises is the performance of Lopez. While his role here is mostly
comic relief he has grown into to a fine actor.
The film is bound to invoke discussion and for this
type of film that is one of the intended goals. It is heartfelt and honest in
its approach and worth watching.