Henry Fool Movie Review 1998

Simon Grim (Urbaniak) is a socially inept garbage man treated with contempt by his depressed mother (Porter) and caustic sister (Posey). Henry Fool (Ryan), an alcoholic homeless man, claims to be a great writer and sees a bit of poet in Simon as well. After he moves Henry into the family's basement, Simon takes his first steps as a poet and Henry takes liberties with both of the women. Simon turns out to be a natural artist, and writes a poem that profoundly moves and/or shocks the public and creates a controversy on the Internet. As Simon is courted by publishers, he champions Henry's unread work as well. Their respective fortunes rise and fall as Henry's work is unveiled and the price of fame affects their lives. Director Hartley pulls very different elements such as the artistry of Samuel Beckett and the myth of Faust together to create a bizarre urban fable.

Distribution

Sony Pictures Home Video, Sony Pictures Plz., 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, CA 90232, Phone: (310)244-7306, Fax: (310)280-2485, URL: http://www.spe.sony.com, Remarks: Formerly Columbia Tristar Home Entertainment

Available on VHS
Running time 138 minutes.

Cast and Crew

Genres

Black Comedy, New York, New York, Poetry, Family Ties

Screenplay

Hal Hartley

Cast

Thomas Jay Ryan, James Urbaniak, Parker Posey, Maria Porter, Kevin Corrigan, James Saito

Cinematography

Michael Spiller

Director

Hal Hartley

Music

Hal Hartley

Producer

Hal Hartley, Larry Meistrich, Daniel J. Victor, Keith Abell, True Fiction Pictures, Shooting Gallery, Sony Pictures Classics