Regarding Henry (B or 3/4 stars)
Harrison Ford reunites with his Working Girl director, Mike Nichols, for this 1991 drama, 'Regarding Henry'. Ford stars as Henry Turner, the cold, calculating, superstar corporate attorney of a high-powered NY law firm, where his ruthless, win-at-all costs M.O. and intense work ethic has earned him both filthy-rich wealth & much acclaim. But it has also alienated him from his lovely, but seemingly aloof wife, Sarah (Annette Bening) & downtrodden pre-teen daughter, Rachel (Kamian Allen), who he barely seems to know. Fate steps in one wintry night when he heads to a shop to buy cigarettes.
Henry is shot in the chest & skull in a hold-up {John Leguizamo plays the culprit}. Though he has grievous wounds, he somehow survives, & wakes up weeks later in a hospital ... unable to move, speak, or recall anything in his life. On the long, slow road to recovery {thanks to his therapists, including one played by a great Bill Nunn} Henry starts to put the splintered pieces of his old life back together again. Much to the shock of his family & colleagues, Henry now has a much kinder, thoughtful personality. But to that, he does not like what he learns about that life ... at all. But if he doesn't want to pick-up where he left off {heartless relationships in his life, corrupt work dealings}, where does that leave him career-wise, financially, & with his family?
Great director, great cast, great crew, interesting premise, easy to watch, uplifting ending ... I only ding the film for its too simplistic, too sentimental screenplay by a young J.J. Abrams {who would go on to be a better writer & eventual director}. Cynics might also say that the film glosses over the family's economic insecurity plot points a bit too much, as well {if & when Henry was to lose his job, whatever would they do?}. And it can be argued that Henry would end up, perhaps, a WORSE person who'd be deeply troubled & never fully recover. But enough nit-picking.
Ford admirably portrays Henry with very different characteristics pre & post brain injury. I like how Mike Nichols keeps us at arm's length with all the characters at 1st, because that's exactly what Ford's Henry does with those people, as well. We loathe the snake-like, uncaring husband/father/career man, and then pull for him during his humbling recovery. Annette Bening shines as Sarah -- when doesn't Bening shine? Funny enough, I'd have given her an Academy Award nod this year (1991), but for husband Warren Beatty's Bugsy, instead; she's brilliant in both films. Others in the talented cast include: Donald Moffat, Nancy Marchand, Rebecca Miller, Elizabeth Wilson, & Aida Linares. The film's music is composed by the great Hans Zimmer.
This movie is essentially about how Henry becomes more human as a result of his injuries, and how his family is also saved by this torturous experience -- sometimes a catastrophe can reshape a life for the better. Despite the movie's faults - maybe not as involving as one would like, the unbelievability of some of it, sappy character arcs - 'Regarding Henry' is a well-meaning film well-worth watching for many a reason. I was engrossed by the film's tactile look {credit cinematographer, Giuseppe Rotunno}, its performances, and in Henry's journey. Sometimes it's really as simple as: gee, I really liked that.
Henry is shot in the chest & skull in a hold-up {John Leguizamo plays the culprit}. Though he has grievous wounds, he somehow survives, & wakes up weeks later in a hospital ... unable to move, speak, or recall anything in his life. On the long, slow road to recovery {thanks to his therapists, including one played by a great Bill Nunn} Henry starts to put the splintered pieces of his old life back together again. Much to the shock of his family & colleagues, Henry now has a much kinder, thoughtful personality. But to that, he does not like what he learns about that life ... at all. But if he doesn't want to pick-up where he left off {heartless relationships in his life, corrupt work dealings}, where does that leave him career-wise, financially, & with his family?
Great director, great cast, great crew, interesting premise, easy to watch, uplifting ending ... I only ding the film for its too simplistic, too sentimental screenplay by a young J.J. Abrams {who would go on to be a better writer & eventual director}. Cynics might also say that the film glosses over the family's economic insecurity plot points a bit too much, as well {if & when Henry was to lose his job, whatever would they do?}. And it can be argued that Henry would end up, perhaps, a WORSE person who'd be deeply troubled & never fully recover. But enough nit-picking.
Ford admirably portrays Henry with very different characteristics pre & post brain injury. I like how Mike Nichols keeps us at arm's length with all the characters at 1st, because that's exactly what Ford's Henry does with those people, as well. We loathe the snake-like, uncaring husband/father/career man, and then pull for him during his humbling recovery. Annette Bening shines as Sarah -- when doesn't Bening shine? Funny enough, I'd have given her an Academy Award nod this year (1991), but for husband Warren Beatty's Bugsy, instead; she's brilliant in both films. Others in the talented cast include: Donald Moffat, Nancy Marchand, Rebecca Miller, Elizabeth Wilson, & Aida Linares. The film's music is composed by the great Hans Zimmer.
This movie is essentially about how Henry becomes more human as a result of his injuries, and how his family is also saved by this torturous experience -- sometimes a catastrophe can reshape a life for the better. Despite the movie's faults - maybe not as involving as one would like, the unbelievability of some of it, sappy character arcs - 'Regarding Henry' is a well-meaning film well-worth watching for many a reason. I was engrossed by the film's tactile look {credit cinematographer, Giuseppe Rotunno}, its performances, and in Henry's journey. Sometimes it's really as simple as: gee, I really liked that.