In an age like ours, when people are so hungry for meaning in their lives that they strain to see it in everything from building structures to snack foods, it’s refreshing to see films come along that help viewers to address that question. One such picture that does so is the gentle comedy-drama “Henry Poole Is Here.”
When the film’s title character, a soft-spoken young atheist (Luke Wilson), receives a diagnosis that he’s dying, he chooses to slip away by quietly drinking himself to death. He seeks sanctuary for this undertaking by buying a run-down bungalow and moving into the house as-is. However, his well-meaning real estate agent (Cheryl Hines) feels guilty about the home’s condition and has the structure’s exterior rehabbed with new coats of paint and stucco. The plastering leaves much to be desired, as evidenced by a big ugly water stain along one of the outside walls. But that stain soon becomes the focus of widespread attention when one of his neighbors, an overzealous Catholic busybody (Adriana Barraza), sees the face of Christ in it and is profoundly moved by this unlikeliest of miracles. This, in turn, sets in motion a host of vignettes involving Henry and a cast of colorful characters, all of whom have different, yet profoundly moving experiences at the wall. And in the end, they all come away from it with something to believe in.
To be sure, this film has received its share of criticism, largely for its predictability and sentimentality, which at times verges on being manipulative, and I wouldn’t entirely disagree with those complaints. However, the picture is so well written – far better than the story it covers – that it’s worth seeing for that alone. Some have also been critical of the film’s religious proselytizing, but it’s never heavy-handed in my view. Its overarching emphasis on notions like faith, trust, and hope – concepts that transcend religion – are more important, even if they’re couched in somewhat conventional imagery. In my opinion, those ideas can help to provide meaning in anyone’s life. And that’s something to believe in.
(“Henry Poole Is Here” – 2008; Luke Wilson, Radha Mitchell, Adriana Barraza, George Lopez, Cheryl Hines, Morgan Lily, Rachel Seiferth, Richard Benjamin; Mark Pellington, director; Albert Torres, screenplay)
