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Spoiler Points for Henry Poole is Here (2008) [PG] 100 minutes
WIP™ Scale: $13.75
DVD Release Date: Unscheduled (please check back)
Spoiler Points for Henry Poole is Here
• Henry Poole (Luke Wilson) buys a bungalow near his childhood home for the asking price and over the objections of his realtor, Meg (Cheryl Hines). The least she can do is ask the owners to fix up the place a bit, which they do adding new stucco etc.
• Later, we learn that Henry was diagnosed with a terminal illness and this accounts for both his behavior and his desire to return home. Unfortunately, the people in his boyhood home refuse to sell, so he settles nearby.
• His nosey neighbor, Esperanza (Adriana Barraza) arrives with tamales to welcome him to the neighborhood. Turns out her old boyfriend lived and died in the house—unwelcome details from Henry's perspective. On a subsequent visit, she notices a water stain forming on his stucco that looks an awful lot like Jesus. Henry sees nothing and the two battle a bit as to whether it's right for her to bring people to see the miracle. After a while, however, he caves in and permits the church to test out the stain which occasionally bleeds from the eyes. But, as his condition seemingly worsens so does his attitude.
• Meanwhile, his next door neighbors, Millie (Morgan Lily) and her mother Dawn (Radha Mitchell) slowly become aware of Henry. Millie has not spoke since her father moved out worrying her mother no end. One night, though, Henry wakes to find her standing near the water stain and rubbing her hands on the supposed face. The next day, she's talking up a storm. Turns out that Esperanza told her to do it. Esperanza cannot stop believing in this miracle despite Henry's wishes to be just left a lone.
• But even Henry is amazed that Millie is speaking again.
• Dawn is so grateful that she accepts a dinner date invitation. She's falling in love with a dying man (he explains it all to her) and he's falling in love but knows how much his eventual death will hurt them.
• After curing people of their ailments, the news of the miraculous image of the face of God himself travels far. It eventually attracts a huge crowd, and out of anger for his situation and his lack of faith in God, he takes an ax and destroys the water mark. He also knocks out the support structure for the ceiling which then crashes down on him landing him back in the hospital.
• He comes to several days later and is greeted by Esperanza and Dawn. Turns out that he's cured. There's no sign of the ravenous disease in his system. He's unable to accept it? How? Was it his proximity to the water stain? Was it his faith in nothing? Was God trying to reach him? Did his lack of faith cause the cave in? Thiese are all excellent questions left up to your interpretation.
Why the title?
• When Henry comes home disease free, he edits a quotation he'd written on the living room wall that's a copy of one he painted on a viaduct as a kid, "Henry Pool was Here" which he crosses out the "was" and writes in "Is".
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