Movie Time - "Here"

 

Back in 1994 the creative team of director Robert Zemeckis, screenwriter Eric Roth, and actors Robin Wright and Tom Hanks gave us the multi-Oscar winning (Picture, Director, Screenwriter, and Lead Actor) "Forrest Gump", and this fact has been heavily touted in the publicity for this one, "HERE", wherein that whole creative team has been reunited.

This movie is about one house, one particular room of the house, actually, and the people who have lived there and the events that took place in that room over the course of a hundred years or so, and even many eons ago as well (trust me on that point.).

The cinematic trick that makes this movie unique is that it is filmed with a stationary camera.  People move in and out of the room, but the camera doesn't follow them; it stays on the room. You know that there is a kitchen, a dining room, a back door etc. behind that fourth wall, but you only see the room.  Makes it somewhat like watching a play.

Many families have occupied this house, and one very famous household furniture item was conceived there (per this story), but the focus is on the multi-generational family that lived there from the end of World War II and into the 21st century.  Hanks is the baby-boomer son of the WWII vet and his wife.  People settle in, struggle with jobs, have kids, celebrate marriages, births, birthdays, holidays, illnesses, and deaths.

This movie has not been received well by the critics.  They say the the stationary camera is a cinematic conceit  of Zemeckis, that the CGI "de-aging" of Hanks and Wright is distracting. I thought the single camera angle was different and I liked it.  We all know that Hanks and Wright aren't twenty-somethings  anymore but let Hollywood magic work it's tricks on them.  I found this movie the be warm and human, well acted (I mean, this IS Tom Hanks, amiright?), and it delivers a wonderful message.  That is is not bricks and mortar that should define a house and home.  It is the memories it creates, both good and not so good, and the people with whom we share them is what is important. Corny?  Maybe, but we liked it.

The movie hit both Linda and I in a very visceral and emotional way.  In Linda's case, her daughter and her husband are now living in the same house where Linda and her Mom, Dad, brother, and sister lived.  They moved into the house in 1961. She sees the emotions and memories are what makes this particular room special, even though the room may look very different than it did a generation ago.  In my case, all the memories that can spring up within you when someone special to you dies.  It packed quite a punch for both of us.

Like I say, professional critics haven't loved "Here", and that is too bad in that it will probably keep people away from it, but these two regular movie goers did, and I look forward to watching it again when it hits the streamers. 

Four Stars from The Grandstander.