Handsome Harry (2009)

An ex-Navy man carrying out the last wish of a dying shipmate renews contact with old friends to break the code of silence around a mysterious, long-buried crime.

Director:

Bette Gordon

Writer:

Nicholas T. Proferes

Stars:

Jamey Sheridan, Steve Buscemi, Mariann Mayberry

1 win & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jamey Sheridan	...	Harry Sweeney
Steve Buscemi	...	Thomas Kelley
Mariann Mayberry	...	Judy Rheems
Aidan Quinn	...	Prof. Porter
John Savage	...	Peter Rheems
Campbell Scott	...	David Kagan
Titus Welliver	...	Gebhardt
Karen Young	...	Muriel
Jayne Atkinson	...	Kelly's Wife
Bill Sage	...	Pauley
Emily Donahoe	...	Kelly's Daughter
Asher Grodman	...	Bobby Sweeney
Andrew Dolan	...	Sam
Rutanya Alda	...	Mrs. Schroeder
Kevin Reed	...	Young Kagan

Storyline

They call him "Handsome" Harry Sweeney. At 52, the Vietnam veteran has kept his rugged good looks. Everyone likes Harry, an electrician by trade who loves to sing but for some reason he never lets anyone get too close. He's been divorced for a long time, has a son whom he rarely sees, and, although he's engaged in a long-term flirtation with the waitress at the diner, seems destined to remain alone. One day, Harry gets a call from a former Navy buddy, Tom Kelly, whom he hasn't seen in some thirty years. On his deathbed and terrified of going to Hell, Kelly convinces Harry to seek forgiveness on his behalf from a comrade they betrayed long ago, David Kagan. At first, Harry wants nothing to do with Kelly, Kagan or the remnants of his murky past. But guilt and memories have a mysterious grasp on Harry, and he finally relents, driving down the East Coast to call on his old comrades. As he confronts the three other men involved in a long-ago crime, he observes how each man has dealt with ...

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Plot Keywords:

guilt | forgiveness | military | vietnam veteran | deathbed | 

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Taglines:

Can we ever change the past?

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and some sexual content

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 April 2009 (USA)

Also Known As:

Sármos Harry

Filming Locations:

Cornwall, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$12,562 (USA) (16 April 2010)

Gross:

$22,878 (USA) (23 April 2010)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Worldview Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

William Porter, a university professor of philosophy, mispronounces the name of Anaxagoras, a major early Greek philosopher and astronomer.

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Crazy Credits

Thanks to "Lewis Cole May 25, 1946 - October 10, 2008." Dr. Cole was professor and chair at Columbia University School of the Arts Film Program. He died of ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonly called, "Lou Gehrig's disease") at age 62. He was highly influential in film and made a profound impact on his students. He was survived by his wife, Valerie, children, and grandchildren.

User Reviews

Excellent movie about the crime and its possible forgiveness

I just saw this movie and not knowing much about it, I didn't know what to expect. Whatever my expectations, the movie had surpassed them. The cast is brilliant, the dialog tight, the building of the story towards the climax careful, sensitive and moving.

It's the story of a man, "Handsome" Harry (Jamie Sheridan) who didn't know his own life was a failure until he gets a call from an old navy friend (Steve Buscemi), forcing him to examine his life. It leads him on a road trip during which he seeks absolution - officially on his friend's behalf or maybe it's for himself - and has to come to grips with the decisions that he's made, the people that he's hurt and the crime he has committed. At the end of this journey, will he have the courage and strength to overcome the fear that drove him in the past?

I suspect the people who gave the movie poor grades were expecting something else entirely, a suspense thriller, and that's why they were disappointed. While there is some suspense here, it is first and foremost a soul-searching, heart-wrenching drama. And I for one feel richer for having seen it. Much like the jazz music that makes the beautiful soundtrack, there is not one note in it that's out of tune.