Henry Poole is Here

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  • Opened August 15, 2008 
  • 1 hr 40 min
  • PG | thematic elements and some language
  • Parents: Common Sense Media says Iffy for 12+. More on child suitability

  • Henry Poole just wants to disappear. Shattered by circumstances beyond his control, he offers full price on a cookie cutter house in a drab, middle-class, L.A. neighborhood through his perky realtor Meg. But, just as he settles in to his indulgent isolation with a case of vodka and all the junk food he can eat, his neighbor, a well-meaning busybody named Esperanza, drops by with a plate of homemade tamales and a whole lot of questions. Despite his desire for solitude, Henry can't help noticing Dawn, the beautiful young divorcĂ©e next door and her daughter Millie, an eight-year-old amateur spy who hasn't spoken a word since her parents' break-up. Henry's self-imposed exile is shattered when Esperanza discovers a mysterious stain on Henry's stucco wall that is seen to have miraculous powers. Although Henry remains skeptical, he finds himself gradually drawn back towards life, especially after his silent friendship with Millie brings him closer to Dawn. Full synopsis

  • Cast: Luke Wilson, Radha Mitchell, Adriana Barraza, George Lopez, Cheryl Hines
  • Director: Mark Pellington
  • Genres: Art House/Foreign, Comedy

What's the Buzz?

So-so
Critics say So-So
44 out of 100
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Critic Reviews

88
Chicago Sun-Times
| Roger Ebert

Achieves something that is uncommonly difficult. It is a spiritual movie with the power to emotionally touch believers, agnostics and atheists -- in that descending order, I suspect. Read full review

70
The Hollywood Reporter
| Kirk Honeycutt

The biggest hole in this picture is not so much whether an audience will buy its miracles but whether an audience will care about Henry Poole. Wilson hits the same notes in virtually every scene without any change to his physical rhythms or moods. Read full review

63
New York Post
|

Sappy and corny, but there are a few lovely moments. Read full review

63
Miami Herald
| Connie Ogle

A large part of the movie's appeal can be attributed to Wilson, more dour than he's been in ages and yet more interesting, too. Read full review

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Luke Wilson in "Henry Poole is Here."