'The Book of Henry' Review

The Book of Henry chronicles the everyday life of single mother Susan Carpenter, her brilliant son Henry, and Henry's benevolent brother Peter. Susan soon learns that not everything is as it seems with their neighbor and that Henry's formulated a plan to help the young daughter.

Colin Trevorrow directs The Book of Henry, stepping down the rungs of the blockbuster ladder to get in touch with his filmmaking roots and tell a smaller scaled story. Following the smashing success of box office behemoth Jurassic World, Trevorrow was quickly announced to write and direct Star Wars Episode IX to my displeasure. While I certainly enjoy Jurassic World, I found the spectacle constantly outweighed the story and the film never lived up to the luster of Jurassic Park. I thought Trevorrow wasn't the right choice to tackle an entry in the Star Wars Saga because I was simply afraid he wouldn't deliver in the areas I felt J.J. Abrams did with Star Wars: The Force Awakens and am confident Rian Johnson will in Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

Thankfully, The Book of Henry has dissuaded my fears as it's a stirring standalone story worth telling. The film has a nice look and sound to it thanks to capable cinematographer John Schwartzman, an adept editor in Kevin Stitt, and another serviceable score from Michael Giacchino. These elements keep with The Book of Henry's charted course throughout even when Trevorrow and screenwriter Gregg Hurwitz pull off a daunting task in implementing a drastic tonal shift. The sudden change is unexpected, in large part because those moments were kept out of the film's trailers, but sticks the landing thanks to the talented hands at work.

However, Hurwitz handles the tonal inconsistencies in a tasteful manner, inserting moments of levity to counteract all the heavy clout surrounding the second act. The script is both uplifting and disheartening, mimicking the natural paradigm of life appropriately. The Book of Henry reads like a chapter of a family's life, albeit an uncommon occurrence but a plausible one. Something that's only further accentuated by the remarkable performances on display. 

Remember recently when the gates opened up with a flurry of commendable child actors? Well, they're back as the breakout performer from Room and Midnight Special's shining star are teaming up. Jaeden Lieberher wields a childlike demeanor and maturity about him that's absolutely fitting of Henry's character and a tricky act to balance. Lieberher handles it well though and Jacob Tremblay's adorable as ever playing the cordial child Peter. 

Aside from these two proven child commodities, Maddie Ziegler particularly impressed me with her powerful physical performance. Ziegler expresses a lot of emotion through subtle facial expressions and turns in some work that's well above what you'd expect from an actress her age. If one thing remains clear, it's that all three of these young actors have an outstanding career ahead of them.

Rounding out the capable cast, Naomi Watts wrings out everything she can playing Susan. Susan's simply an unconventional single mother. She relies on her sensationally smart son Henry for just about everything. Henry handles her finances, her legal matters, and helps take care of his younger brother. While this may seem a tad unrealistic, Watts manages to sell it with sincere effort. Sarah Silverman, Dean Norris, and Lee Pace can also be found scattered amongst the supporting cast in various key roles. None of them have are afforded much to do by the script but they make the most of their screen time.

If you need to get out of the house this weekend and don't feel up to watching Wonder Woman again or want to see something scaled back from the summer blockbuster fare, this is a solid choice for a family-friendly outing. On that note, it's important to know there's some slightly more adult elements at play which you may have to discuss with your children (namely child abuse and the appropriate means to handle said situation). Regardless of whether you take a trip to the theater, The Book of Henry is certainly worth seeing sometime down the line based on performances alone.

Film Assessment: B