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# MOVIE REVIEW ‘Henry Poole’ is a gift
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/movie-review-henry-poole-is-a-gift/
- Published: 2008-08-14T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-24T20:43:11.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Entertainment, Santa Monica, #archive-import

*By TAYLOR VAN ARSDALE*

There comes a time in everyone’s life when we want to make sure there’s a record of our existence, something we’ve left behind, something that proves we’ve mattered.

This sentiment is often hastened upon the discovery that our time on earth has been cut short. Such is the case with Henry Poole (Luke Wilson) who after learning he’s contracted a rare, incurable disease, retreats to the neighborhood of his youth, buys a rundown home and attempts to wait for the end … undisturbed, and in relative anonymity.

In “Henry Poole is Here” his plans are thwarted when a nosy neighbor, Esperanza (Adriana Barraza), shows up with a plateful of tamales and a barrage of unwanted questions. Shortly after he turns her away, the deeply religious Esperanza interprets a stain on Poole’s new stucco job to be the face of Christ — a modern day “sign.”

Soon she’s hustling the faithful to Poole’s backyard, creating a circus of spectators intruding on Poole’s solitude. Meanwhile Poole, against his better judgment, is bonding with his neighbor, pretty divorcée, Dawn (Radha Mitchell), whose daughter, Millie (Morgan Lily) hasn’t uttered a word since her parent’s breakup.

Then... the miracles begin. An inquisitive grocery clerk saddled with coke-bottle glasses touches the wall and can suddenly see. Even Millie’s “selective autism” is cured. Still Poole, wallowing in his own despair, cannot muster the faith to believe.

Thankfully “Poole” does not present a stereotypical take on Catholic mysticism nor does it take jabs at Christianity but rather conveys what “belief” can do for the human condition and how faith has the ability to transform our lives. Screenwriter, Albert Torres creates natural reveals, tying all the points together, without ever becoming overly didactic.

And Pellington, known for his music videos, along with music editor John Frizell, put together one heck of a great score. Blur’s “Song 2” plays over Henry’s anguished moments, which said Pellington, “Underscores the depths of the character’s journey.”

Wilson makes quality acting seem so effortless, “Poole” being his best performance to date; subtle, layered and with just the right amount of vulnerability. Check out the scene where he travels through a dry river basin and stops under a bridge looking for the name he scrawled into the metal many years ago.

The film may not resonate with teens who enjoy summer action flicks or middle-aged “pseudo intellectuals” who believe themselves to be above sentimentality — it will however have a profound effect on just about everyone else.

And unless you fall into one of the two minor categories above, a poignant scene between Wilson and Barraza will bring tears to your eyes.

In “Henry Poole Is Here” director Mark Pellington creates an uplifting, spiritual journey of a man in search of himself and his faith that continually delights and is never laborious, allowing the viewer to draw his or her own conclusions. Is it the work of God or does faith simply make you believe?

A Priest once told me, “You have to pray for faith” (fortunately I have faith in spades) but the comment always seemed a bit incongruous; if you don’t believe in it — how do you pray for something you don’t have; but he likened faith to that of a gift; a gift answered by prayer, which is exactly what this film is — a gift.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/55/9f/559f9abc-8372-4a2e-8c2d-27386da4e363/content/images/2026/10/081408-11_01.jpg)

TAKING A MOMENT: Luke Wilson stars in Overture Films’ “Henry Poole is Here.” (Photo: Photo courtesy Saeed Adyani)

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/55/9f/559f9abc-8372-4a2e-8c2d-27386da4e363/content/images/2026/10/081408-11_02.jpg)

TAKING A MOMENT: Luke Wilson stars in Overture Films’ “Henry Poole is Here.” (Photo: Photo courtesy Saeed Adyani)

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on August 14, 2008.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/081408.pdf?ref=smdp.com)