Directed by: Robert Zemeckis
Starring: Tom Hanks, Paul Bettany, Robin Wright, Kelly Reilly
Robert Zemeckis' Here is an experiment in which a camera is planted in a spot and documents what happened in that spot throughout history. The movie starts with the dinosaurs up to the present day, with multiple stories zig-zagging through time. The bulk of Here takes place in a living room in a suburban Pennsylvania house. Across the street is an old colonial home once owned by Benjamin Franklin, and the land on which these homes are built are ancient Native American tribal lands. We meet the owners from the 1910's through the 2020 COVID pandemic. My girlfriend told me that the movie reminded her of Disney World's Carousel of Progress only with sad parts. It is an astute observation, and Here manages to be more than that. Some parts are hokey, but others earn the audience's emotional response.
Here's main storyline focuses on the Young family, with WWII veteran Al Young (Bettany) and his wife Rose (Reilly) buying the home shortly after the end of the Second World War. They settle into suburban life, raising three children with the oldest being Richard, who will grow up to be played by Tom Hanks. Hanks is a gifted artist, but at eighteen knocks up his high-school sweetheart Margaret (Wright) and marries her. Richard abandons his plans at an art career to raise his daughter in his father's home. Meanwhile, Margaret laments the sacrifices she made for her family and verbalizes them at her 50th surprise birthday party.
After a shaky start, I began to appreciate Here's sweep through time. Zemeckis' style doesn't dominate the story and the characters. Hanks and Wright, even de-aged, are still effective while harkening back to their pairing in Forrest Gump. Could I have done without the time-jumping aspect? Yes, a linear story framing would've worked well, but I was still moved by what's presented in the film.
