HERE

US, 2024, 104 minutes, Colour.

Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Paul Bettany, Kelly Reilly, Michelle Dockery, Gwillym Lee, Ophelia Lovibond, David Fynn, Nikki Amuka Bird, Harry Marcus.

Directed by Robert Zemeckis.

Yes, it is 30 years since Forrest Gump won the Academy award for Best picture. The director was Robert Zemeckis. The writer was Eric Roth. The stars were Tom Hanks and Robin Wright. And – here – we are all again.

One of the striking aspects of Forrest Gump was that it was a piece of Americana, not just a story of the present, but going back into various events of America’s past, Forest Gump himself inserted into so many of the events, meeting so many of the historical characters. It is not exactly the same here with characters but there is a continuity throughout this story, the actual “here” of the main room in an American house.

There is a surprising touch of the cosmic as the film opens, the location, prehistoric, vegetation and creatures. After this brief nod to pre-history, there is a glimpse of Native American characters in the same place. Then the move into more recent times, children looking at workmen digging the foundations for the house, and the glimpse of a mansion being built across the street.

For the rest of the film, the camera will be firmly planted in the main room, looking across the room, out the window towards the mansion, the vehicle traffic passing by. All the action will take place within the frame established by the fixed camera. In fact, when there is a change of time, a change of character to be considered, literal frame lines appear on the screen, the beginning of action in the frame and its widening so that we watch the stories.

One of the difficulties is that the action moves from one period to another, without any immediate reason. At one stage, we are back at the time of the War of Revolution, the 18^th century, the world of Benjamin Franklin. At another time, the period after World War I, the beginnings of aviation, an enthusiastic husband, primly disapproving and fearful wife, glimpses of the 20^th century American eagerness as well as conservative hesitation.

More positively in 1942, husband and wife are really enthusiastic about the husband’s invention of a reclining chair (business executive saying that this would be ideal for the incoming television), the establish of the La-Z-Boy.

At another stage, there is an African-American family in the same house in the 21^st-century, the father instructing his son how to respond when pulled over by the police.

However, the main attention in the film is to the period from 1946 to the present, the story of Al (Paul Bethany) returning from war, shellshocked, marrying Rose (Kelly Reilly), the birth of their children, his travelling for work, her keeping the household. Then, their son, Richard, at 18 (played by Tom Hanks, deaged, as will be Robin Wright as Margaret, but a bit disconcerting seeing Tom Hanks acting as an 18-year-old). It is a complex story of American dreams, some American hopelessness, unfulfilled ambitions, illness and death.

We are used to Tom Hanks in this kind of role. More is demanded of Robin Wright, initially full of verve, but sadness in her later years.

This is a film of emotion, some might find it too much, but the invitation is to share, staying in the same place, some overviews of American history.

1. The title? The place, changes over the millennia, 18th century into the 21^st-century? The focus on American history?
2. The role of the camera, fixed camera, the action within the frame, the variety of times, prehistoric, Native American, War of Independence, aspects of the 20^th century, World War II? The 21^st-century – even up to the Covid pandemic?
3. The variety of sets, prehistoric, early human, costumes and decor, the variety of vehicles over the centuries, the building of the mansion opposite, its always being seen outside the window?
4. The structure of the screenplay, based on a graphic novel, the fixed camera, the device of outlining the frames for each sequence, squares and rectangles…, Sometimes two actions within the one frame? The rationale for the insertions of the flashbacks to the past? The effect on the audience?
5. The building of the house, the children playing, the deep foundation? The changing interiors, the common elements, especially the couch and its replacement?
6. The performance of the actors, within the framework, sufficient for developing characters, drama, interactions? Audience sympathies?
7. The central characters, as young, the ageing techniques, and the impact of seeing Tom Hanks and Robin Wright acting as teenagers? Young adults? Older?
8. The Native American story, the parallels with the 20^th century, young man and woman, courtship, marriage, pregnancy, birth, family, deaths and rituals?
9. The reason for including Benjamin Franklin, the War of Independence, the clashes of points of view of those loyal to England, to the revolutionaries, Franklin as a character, his illegitimate son and his support of him?
10. John and Pauline, tensions in their marriage, Pauline not wishing to live in the house, his enthusiasm about flight on the future, near the aerodrome, her fears, his taking the child on a ride? The funeral, his Spanish flu death, not in a flight? The comment on Americans at the beginning of the 20^th century, enthusiasm for the future, Conservative stances?
11. The early 40s, the couple, her glamorous style, singing and dancing, her husband, large, seemingly lazy, the reclining chair, his inventions, the development, the patent, the company coming to see him, television coming in, the promotion of the La-Z-Boy?
12. The 21^st-century family, African-American, the bonds, the meetings, meals, the father instructing his son if held up by the police?
13. The focus on the main family, Al and Rose, his experience of the war, surviving, shellshocked, unacknowledg PTSD, meeting Rose, the marriage, the passing of the years, her pregnancies, the increasing number of children, Al and his work, the ups and downs, indication of affairs during his travels, Rose and her devotion, patience with her husband? The children, at play, the various stages, tantrums, changes, Richard and his artwork, Jimmy and Elizabeth and their play?
14. The teenagers, Richard and Margaret, meeting, together on the couch, her pregnancy, family reactions, the wedding, the birth of Vanessa? The years passing, Richard and his talent with art, giving it up, earning a living, the years passing, interactions with Al and Rose, Margaret not wanting to live there? Urging Richard to build a house, to move out? It’s not happening?
15. At Rose, the collapse, the stroke, Al and his response, the decision to go to Florida, the treatment? Rose and the effects of the stroke? Her death, her reappearing in Al’s dreams and imagination? Al, his own health, in the house, Margaret and her care, exasperation is? Vanessa as the lively teenager?
16. The years passing, Vanessa and her studies, law career, achievements? Richard, the same, Margaret exasperated, getting a job, the growing tension, her decision to leave? Packing, the kiss for Al, her departure? Her work, messages to Richard, the visit to Paris with Vanessa?
17. The scene of her 50^th birthday, the candle, her reaction, friends, highlighting her regrets?
18. Margaret, indicating memory losses, the gradual transition, the dementia, Richard bringing her back to the house, the memories of their engagement, that she could live there forever, the episode with Vanessa losing the ribbon, finding it, her joy, her reaching back to some glimpses of the past while not remembering so much else?
19. A view of America, family, trials, happiness, sentiment?