Henry Poole is Here

Vocatus atque non vocatus, Deus aderit.
Bidden or not bidden, God is present
--Carl Jung

I loved it--a quiet little movie about faith, miracles, and my favorite theme, redemption. Henry Poole moves to a slightly rundown suburban neighborhood, running away from life, a fatal diagnosis, and God. Soon after he settles into a lonely life of donuts and alcohol, the face of Christ appears in a water stain on the stucco on the side of his house. It quickly becomes a makeshift shrine in the neighborhood, much to the already bitter and disgruntled Henry's vexation. And then come the miracles....

The film-makers handle this topic with respect for the faithful and for faith itself. The priest, played by George Lopez, is intelligent and compassionate--how refreshing! I loved Esperanza's unshakable faith and great big heart. The scene when little Millie receives her miracle had tears sliding down my cheeks faster than I could wipe them away.

This is the kind of thoughtful, positive film that we need to see more of in theaters.--perfect for a date, but take your teens, too. I have to say, the ending surprised this jaded movie-goer in a positive way. Go see it--you may just walk away believing in hope, and perhaps even miracles.

(And for those of you in So Cal, you may recognize its La Mirada film location.)

P.S. Ebert loved it, too. :)