Henry Fool (1997)

Socially inept garbage man Simon is befriended by Henry Fool, a witty roguish, but talentless novelist. Henry opens a magical world of literature to Simon who turns his hand to writing the ... See full summary »

Director:

Hal Hartley

Stars:

Thomas Jay Ryan, James Urbaniak, Parker Posey

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Thomas Jay Ryan	...	Henry Fool
James Urbaniak	...	Simon Grim
Parker Posey	...	Fay Grim
Maria Porter	...	Mary
James Saito	...	Mr. Deng
Kevin Corrigan	...	Warren
Liam Aiken	...	Ned
Miho Nikaido	...	Gnoc Deng
Gene Ruffini	...	Officer Buñuel
Nicholas Hope	...	Father Hawkes
Diana Ruppe	...	Amy
Veanne Cox	...	Laura
Jan Leslie Harding	...	Vicky
Chaylee Worrall	...	Pearl (age 7)
Christy Carlson Romano	...	Pearl - Age 14 (as Christy Romano)

Storyline

Socially inept garbage man Simon is befriended by Henry Fool, a witty roguish, but talentless novelist. Henry opens a magical world of literature to Simon who turns his hand to writing the 'great American poem'. As Simon begins his controversial ascent to the dizzying heights of Nobel Prize winning poet, Henry sinks to a life of drinking in low-life bars. The two friends fall out and lose touch until Henry's criminal past catches up with him and he needs Simon's help to flee the country.

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Plot Keywords:

risk taking | promiscuity | garbageman | masturbation | strip club | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong sexuality, violence and language

Details

Official Sites:

Sony Pictures Classics

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 June 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

As Confissões de Henry Fool

Filming Locations:

Elmhurst Hospital, Elmhurst, Queens, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$40,939, 21 June 1998, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$1,338,335

Company Credits

Production Co:

Shooting Gallery, True Fiction Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

137 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

Henry Fool: Opportunity will move out of the way to let a man pass it by.

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Crazy Credits

Grip Dog - Edie

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Connections

Referenced in Lonesome Jim (2005)

User Reviews

"Because I … people say that …you know…" "I see."

A seriocomic epic from '97, possibly Hartley's magnum opus, with a running time of over two hours, a cast of dozens and gorgeous sharp-focus cinematography. Fans should be reassured that the familiar Hartley performance style is still at work—oddly inflected line readings with long, pregnant pauses in between and the occasional two-characters scene with the actors circling each other like wary kabuki dancers. The rambling, often preposterous screenplay could have been composed by the titular Fool himself, sprawled out at the kitchen table with a sixer of Bud, but somehow all the indie shenanigans really come together in a way that kept me watching attentively to the last, ambiguous shot (which direction is Henry running in?). At about the two-hour mark, this stylized, shambolic comedy turns serious, bringing out the themes of guilt, atonement and personal responsibility that have been implicit all along. Great performances by the usual expert cast, though, like other reviewers, I missed Martin Donovan, Adrienne Shelly and other regulars from earlier Hartley films.