THE HUMANS

US, 2021, 108 minutes, Colour.

Richard Jenkins, Jayne Houdyshell, Amy Schumer, Benny Feldstein, Stephen Yeun, June Squibb.

Directed by Stephen Karam.

The Humans has a very strong theatrical pedigree, a Broadway play, nominee for the Pulitzer prize, winner of Tony awards, especially for Jane Houdyshell who reprises her role here on screen.

The title invites us all to identify with the characters and their situations – we are all humans. In fact, this particular family is American, a white family with the daughter having an Asian-American partner. And, the background is Irish heritage, and some Catholic themes at times to the fore. The occasion is a daughter moving into a New York apartment, not in the best condition, and inviting her parents, her grandmother and her other sister for a Thanksgiving dinner. As with a number of films where families gather for a meal, tensions and difficulties inevitably arise.

Many audiences will be interested in the characters and their portrayals and want to stay with them for this Thanksgiving meal. And, many audiences will not be interested at all in them, and, after encountering them, want to opt out of their Thanksgiving.

The characters are not particularly likeable, not entirely dislikeable. They are human. Richard Jenkins plays Eric, the father, rather broody, at times on edge, missing out on sensitivity with his wife and daughters. His wife, Deirdre, is Jayne Houdyshell, not a familiar face for many on screen, but has some very powerful moments here. Veteran June Squibb, aged 91 during filming, is the grandmother, more than a touch of dementia (though a wonderfully lucid moment as they pray grace before meals and she joins in, and their delight in saying it again so that she can pray happily). The two daughters Amy Schumer, rather restrained from her comedy shows, and the often exuberant Beanie Feldstein. Steve Yeun (Oscar nominee for his role in Minari) is her partner who is exercising all his culinary skills, practicalities, sensitivity to family.

The setting is the interior of the apartment – with some moments, finally, on the roof. The film is strong on dialogue.

The director is the writer of his play who also directed it on a Broadway. Which means then that we are seeing his different, cinematic interpretation. We would probably be more at ease watching this drama in the theatre, watching the stage, the proscenium, making our choices of which characters to focus on, responding to the direction and how characters are made prominent, spotlit… But, with the film, there is a possibility of close-ups. And, The Humans is very strong on close-ups, some extreme close-ups, the director asking us to focus very directly on a character, active or passive, interacting, contemplating, hurt, puzzled… And this happens for each of the characters so that we get to know them or at least become beware of what they are experiencing. And, with several arches in the apartment, a number of sequences are framed by arches, and sometimes distant, two rooms away. The director is continually altering our points of view on the action and the characters.

One surprising thing is the Catholic background, the singing of a popular Marian hymn to the grandmother, mother giving her daughter a statue of Mary for the apartment, the praying of the traditional grace before meals, and the references to the local priest, Father Paul, and his concern about the poverty of Asian refugees in Scranton, where the parents live, his advice and his marriage counselling.

Many audiences have switched off, not finding the characters interesting – but, for those who stay, the performances bring the characters to life, not always sympathetic, but offering material for reflection.

1. The title, humans in general, humans in particular, human nature, human behaviour?
2. Originally a play, the writer and director, transition from stage to screen? The dialogue, the setting, interactions? Cinematic style, photography, editing? Musical score?
3. New York City, the apartment, interiors, the glimpse of the facade towards the end, the roof? The various rooms, the arches, the staircase, the sounds from upstairs, the sounds from the building? The couple settling in?
4. The introduction to the family, the focus on Eric, looking out the window, blurred, pensive? Disapproving of the building? The introduction to Deirdre, his wife of many decades? His daughters? His mother, wheeling her in, the awkwardness of the doors? The two daughters? Richard and Brigid? Together, moving in, celebration of Thanksgiving?
5. The importance of dialogue, language, word choice, dramatic? Silences?
6. The situation, the parents from Scranton, comments about Scranton, Deirdre and refugees from Asia, the advice of the parish priest? The impact of a visit to New York? The response to their two daughters? To Richard?
7. The action taking place over some hours, Richard and his warmth, relationship to Brigid, response to her parents, practical help, and his preparing the meal, serving it, conversations about his studies and career?
8. Aimee, age, experience, sadness, her girlfriend breaking with her, the phone calls, her responding to her parents, to Brigid, disappointment with her father? Participating in the meal? Bonds with her sister?
9. Bridget, background, studies, needing financial support, disappointed with her father, her musical studies, their playing the piece and the listening, her father not impressed, offering to support her if the music failed? Her bond with her mother? Her mother giving of the statue of Mary for the apartment? Her bond with Richard? Support? The emotional to-ing and fro-ing, her finally going up to the roof?
10. Richard, Asian background, meeting Brigid, together, the apartment, his studies, Brigid and her music, his practical help with the details of the old building, his skill with the meals, serving it, the family enjoying what he prepared?
11. Deirdre, age, the long marriage, the support of the parish priest, her relationship with her daughters, her own life, the blog? The merger of the meal? Her husband’s eventual confession, the repercussions for her?
12. The grandmother, age, dementia, memories of the past, her wandering around the building, in the chair, at the meal, her memory enjoy coming with the grace before meals, the repetition?
13. Eric, the revelation about his job, pension, financial difficulties, his always referring to finance, less expensive payments, his relationship with Deirdre, the confession about his affair, the discussions with Father Paul and the reconciliation? Yet his brooding, sometimes in the dark, the effect of the blackouts? The taxi waiting, Brigid urging him, in Deirdre eventually going?
14. The Catholic themes, the singing of the Marian hymn to the grandmother, the grace before meals and the repetition, the statue of Mary for the apartment, the work with the parish priest, especially marriage counselling?
15. The overall effect of spending these hours with this family, likeable, unlikeable, identifying with them, not?