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The Book of Henry recalls the Amblin suburban dramas of the ‘80s with a super smart child. Throughout the movie, adults are emotionally or physically absent and children are their only hope. It’s “E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial,” but with a boy genius acting as a Christ-like alien. It makes sense because director Colin Trevorrow is a disciple of Steven Spielberg after directing Jurassic World in 2015.
Trevor now returns to the indie roots of his debut, “Safety Not Guaranteed,” with a screenplay that has been in the making for 19 years written by Greg Hurwitz. But don’t let the idyllic and cozy small-town culture with its picket fences and local diners fool you. There is a fully operational gun store in the town and just by saying the name Dominic accompanied by lots of cash, you can buy an assault rifle with ease. The bullies are out there and, according to our 11-year-old hero, they have to be dealt with.
It is a relief and a pleasure to see how much of the emotional burden juveniles in the cast can carry during this heartwarming and greatly disturbing narrative.
Let’s begin with Jaeden Lieberher (“St. Vincent,” “Midnight Special”) as Henry, who possesses an exceptionally high IQ that rivals his Mother Teresa-level empathy and caring nature. A self-assured person with big dreams is often too good to be true, and a little obnoxious. Curiously, Henry lacks in that department and is refreshing in that he chooses to attend a standard school filled with average children. Not a boastful bone in his body. Not even while on a call with a stock-market trader can he bob his skinny chest with pride, while he is busy setting up his family’s portfolio to maximize profit.
According to the production design, this exceptional boy is a “steampunk,” and so he is slotted with a particular style that carries on to the bedroom he shares with his doting eight-year-old sibling Peter (Jacob Tremblay, confirming he was indeed great in “Room.”) and to the tree-house that acts as a laboratory. The walls bear a collage of documents in the form of plastered scribbles and writings and alongside them are Rube Goldberg-style inventions. Dim Lieberher and sweet Tremblay set the mood as believable siblings who reliably are there for one another and utilize walkie-talkies to keep in contact, even when they are a few feet apart.
Dad does not exist in the picture. Divorced mother Susan (portrayed by Naomi Watts who takes on more matriarchal roles as time goes on) is indeed loving, but self-doubt does not allow her to blossom into the storybook writer and illustrator she dreams of becoming. She is a waitress, drives around in an old Volvo station wagon, and vents her frustrations by playing violent video games and drinking excessively with her co-worker, Sheila (a brutally honest Sarah Silverman who wears fashion described by Henry as “roadkill”).
It becomes evident that there is more than one thing occupying Henry’s thoughts aside from nudging his mother towards opening the bills. For one, he has a clear view into the bedroom of Christina, the beautiful but increasingly withdrawn, mother-less ballerina who lives next door. He pays attention to her so-called father (who is actually her stepfather along with being the police commissioner), and begins to suspect that she is being abused after noticing his nightly visits. Despite his attempts to appeal to law enforcement, no one seems concerned about checking these things out.
Then there are Henry’s ever-present headaches, a concern that he has kept to himself for the most part. Now that’s a dead giveaway that someone won’t be making it to the end credits. But Henry, as is his way, has thoughtfully left instructions in a notebook and on tape for his mother to track down Christina’s stepfather, should the need arise. And just like that, “The Book of Henry” becomes a rather unbelievable, thriller-type story, with a countdown and a talent show. Inexplicably, what ends up being, through a series of unfortunate events, an astonishingly enlightening experience causes Susan to actively take charge of her life, and face obstacles head-on. Also, there’s her son’s handsome doctor (Lee Pace). He has a crush on her now. Perfectly fine.
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