THE BOOK OF HENRY

US, 2017, 105 minutes, Colour.
Naomi Watts, Jaeden Lieberher, Jacob Tremblay, Sarah Silverman, Dean Norris, Lee Pace, Mandie Ziegler, Tonya Pinkins.
Directed by Colin Trevorrow.

The title sounds somewhat pretentious. However, this is quite a different and interesting film.

The Henry of the title is a young lad, about 12, a very gifted boy. We see his drawings and calculations, physics and maths, and we appreciate that he is able to do collaborative accountancy work as well. However, he also wants to be ordinary in his dealings with his mother, his younger brother, with students at school.

He is played by Jaden Lieberher who appeared in Midnight Special and It. He gives a very persuasive performance. And, he is matched by Jacob Tremblay as his younger brother, who was so effective in Room and Wonder. Naomi Watts plays their mother.

Henry is concerned about the little girl who lives next door and the possibility that she is being abused by her stepfather. He concocts an elaborate plan after he has spoken with the school principal who has rejected his ideas. We see him in process – but he writes down all the steps, buying a gun, training in shooting, getting rid of the gun, all in a book which he bequeathes to his brother to show to their mother when Henry has died. He has seizures, spends some time in hospital, but his condition is fatal.

The second part of the film shows the mother reading the book, challenging the father of the girl, persuaded to follow through the exact plans in Henry’s book and some tapes that he has bequeathed her.

The final drama and the confrontation occurs during a school talent show where her younger son is performing.

The film was directed by Colin Trevorrow who made Safety Not Guaranteed.

1. The title, the focus on Henry? The second part, Henry and his book?

2. The American city, the home, the boys’ rooms reflecting their interests, the house next door, the paths and leaves, classrooms, principal’s office, the concert? Hospitals and rooms? The exterior sequences, the woods, the water? The score?

3. The two boys, the introduction, their ages, the strong bond, the absent father, the devoted mother, her care, their friend, Christina, the hostility towards her father, at school?

4. Henry, his age, his saying he was precocious, yet wanting to be ordinary? His educated language, vocabulary, his drawings, his knowledge of physics? His keeping the accounts, expenditure? The speeches at school about their legacy? His reaction to the boys and their limited objectives? Life at home, in the house, meals, the special house outside for his experiments and work?

5. His brother, his age, small, intelligent but ordinary, at school, bullied, Henry and his defence? Their sharing together, communication with the walkie-talkies, the bonds at home?

6. The portrait of the mother, at home, her loving care, the meals? Her going to work? Her friend at work, Sheila, their talking, drinking? The issue of the leaves, Glenn as the neighbour, his criticisms? The concern about his daughter?

7. Henry, his seizure, in hospital? His mother and concern, his brother? The range of tests? The opinion of the doctors? Henry and his eyes, the prognosis, Henry preparing to die, the plans to rescue Christina, his visits, the tapes for his mother? His preparing all the accounts for the bank, the house, his mother’s reluctance?

8. The sympathetic doctor, reassuring, friendly, later? Sheila and her sympathetic visit to him in hospital?

9. Glenn, Henry watching Christina with his binoculars, the father downstairs, the daughter upstairs, the rooms? The awareness of the abuse? Henry and his phone call to the police? Henry studying the situation, bequeathing it to his mother, going out, buying the gun, his blackmailing of the shop owner, the target practice, in the woods, throwing the gun over the bridge?

10. Henry dying, audience response, the effect on his family?

11. His mother, her grief, his brother, being told to give his mother the book, their reading it, the shock, calling the police about Glenn? The confrontation? His reputation, his brother and the police, the challenge and defines?

12. Henry’s mother listening to the tape, following the steps, buying the gun, the target practice, the intention to kill Glenn?

13. The younger brother, his magic, for the talent show at school, the doctor and his friendship and coming to the performance, Tina, her dance performance? The principal watching her, her grief, remembering the interview with Henry and his accusations? Calling the police?

14. His mother, the tape, following the directions exactly, a kind of dialogue conversation with the tape, confronting Glenn, the gun, the discussion, the effect of the talk with Glenn, going to the river, the exposure, getting rid of the gun, the mother not being able to shoot? Glenn and his suicide?

15. The performance of the talent show, the boy bringing Henry to life in the equivalent of the snow shower and the sense of his presence, the
applause of the audience? His mother returning and greeting him?

16. A different kind of film and story, and the kind of audience involvement in characters and issues?