Henry Poole Is Here | |
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Promotional poster
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Directed by | Mark Pellington |
Produced by |
Gary Gilbert Tom Lassally Tom Rosenberg Gary Lucchesi Richard S. Wright |
Written by | Albert Torres |
Starring |
Luke Wilson Adriana Barraza Radha Mitchell Morgan Lily Cheryl Hines George Lopez |
Music by | John Frizzell |
Cinematography | Eric Schmidt |
Edited by | Lisa Zeno Churgin |
Production
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Distributed by | Overture Films |
Release date
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Running time
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100 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Box office | $1,879,368 (Worldwide) |
Henry Poole Is Here is a 2008 American comedy-drama film directed by Mark Pellington. The screenplay by Albert Torres focuses on a dying man whose religious neighbor insists the water stain on the side wall of his house is an image of Jesus Christ.
The film premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival and was shown at the Berlin International Film Festival before going into limited release in the US on August 15.
Having been diagnosed as terminally ill, Henry Poole purchases a tract house in his hometown, a working class suburb of Los Angeles, and awaits the inevitable, fortified with whiskey and frozen pizza. His peaceful solitude and self-imposed exile are disrupted by his meddling neighbor Esperanza Martinez, who insists she sees the face of Christ embedded in the stucco wall of his home and is convinced the image has miraculous powers when it begins to exude drops of blood. Before long, she is leading pilgrimages to his backyard and inviting Father Salazar from the local parish to bless the supposedly sacrosanct blemish.
In addition to dealing with Esperanza, Henry finds himself interacting with Dawn and her taciturn six-year-old daughter Millie, who hasn't spoken a word since her father abandoned the family a year earlier. Dawn becomes convinced of the image's healing powers when Millie begins to talk after touching it. Another disciple is supermarket cashier Patience, who wears thick glasses and discovers her vision is perfect after she too comes in contact with the stain.
Disbelieving and frustrated by the faithful who have gathered at his home, Henry destroys the image with an axe, but in the process he weakens the structure and a corner of the house collapses on him. At the hospital, he is greeted by Esperanza, Dawn and a talking Millie and is startled to learn the truth about his condition and finds himself ready to accept the possibility of miracles.
The film was shot on location in La Mirada, California.
The soundtrack includes "Not Dark Yet" by Bob Dylan, "Song 2" by Blur, "Promises" by Badly Drawn Boy and "All roads lead home" by Golden State.