2021 Summer Movie Recommendations:
Henry Poole is Here
We’ve all heard about people seeing Jesus in toast, how about in a stucco wall?
Back in high school my parents took the family to see a movie that I hadn’t really heard about, so I was already suspicious. When we walked into the movie theatre and all the seats were empty I thought I was sure to be subjected to a total flop. But as it turned out Henry Poole Is Here had an off-beat charm all its own.
Luke Wilson, the often overlooked brother of better-known Owen Wilson, stars as Henry Poole. As we come to find out, Poole has been diagnosed with a terminal illness. In response he attempts to purchase his childhood home in an effort to “go back” to where his life went off track, a kind of pilgrimage. Failing in this, he buys another house in the neighborhood, isolates himself, and settles into a daily numbing routine in which Krispy Kreme and alcohol feature prominently.
All this is interrupted however when his devout and rather nosey neighbor, Esperanza, believes that she sees the face of Jesus in a water stain on the side of his house. Henry of course doesn’t want the attention. As he repeatedly pleads, he just wants to be left alone. Yet Esperanza believes and is not content simply with sneaking other “church ladies” into his backyard while he is out—she wants him to believe too. This is merely inconvenient until people start claiming to have experienced miracles from touching the wall.
Throughout the film the question of faith is on display, but it is handled deftly and in a fairly low-key tone. This is a film that takes its time. Is faith merely a human decision as Patience the checkout girl tells Henry? Is faith something that Esperanza wants Henry to have because his unbelief threatens her own faith, as he accuses in an exasperated diatribe?
As Catholics we know that faith is a gift from God; on our own it is something of which we are not capable. God moves our hearts to believe how and when he chooses, though we may not always recognize that he is moving us from our human perspective. Indeed, God can even use our own struggling against him to draw us closer to him. In a way this is even more miraculous than physical healings.
This film is really charming and doesn’t force any answers, so there’s plenty of opportunity for conversation afterwards. It also doesn’t give into easy stereotypes. Henry is not mean because he’s an atheist (the film even pokes fun at this idea) and the priest played by George Lopez (!) is refreshing in his level-headedness. There are only a few curse words and no other objectionable content. If you’re looking for a break from the normal summer fare of action films, I warmly recommend this family friendly, quirky little gem.
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