Uma Segunda Chance

One of my all time favorite movies. Regarding Henry is an absolutely wonderful movie. The storyline is so well thought out and the acting is amazing from both Ford and Bening. The characters drawn you in and make you feel such compassion, both for Sarah and Henry; what would you do if you had to deal with the rehabilitation of your loved one? What would you do if you had to start from scratch? What if you woke up in your life and didn't like who you were?

I keep reading about how "sappy" and "predictable" this film is. This is true, so I will tell you now, if you hate those types of films then this is not the film for you.

But if you miss seeing movies that you waited for the happy ending you knew was coming, then you will not be disappointed. There are so many movies that don't end so happily nowadays, but remembering the times with movies that had a character who had to learn a lesson but got something more in the end (eg. "It's a Wonderful Life") I couldn't help but enjoy this movie.

I highly recommend it, the acting is fantastic, the story is touching, and knowing what it's like to go through hard times (my own dad had to go through some rehabilitation) then this movie hits it home. I suggest it if you agree with the points above, but it's not for everyone.

Henry Turner (Harrison Ford) is a ruthless successful lawyer in New York City. Who lives with an beautiful wife (Annette Bening) and his smart but sad young daughter (Mikki Allen). When Henry simply wanted to buy a pack of cigarettes but he gets shot in the head, which brings Henry's high profile life to a stop. Henry lives from his gun shot wound but he has to start all over again. Since he has no memory at all. Henry finds help from a male nurse (Bill Nunn), which makes life fun for Henry by making him walk and talk. When Herny goes home with his family, the friends Henry once knew turns their backs on him. Henry learns the hard truth from his previous life and starting all over again as a complete stranger.

Directed by Mike Nichols (Closer, Wolf, Working Girl) made this dramatic often funny and touching film. Ford brings one of his best roles and it is also quite moving in this. Bening is equally good as his understanding wife. This wasn't quite success, they were expecting at the box office. But it did played well on video. "Regarding Henry" is one of those films, who always find yourself enjoying over and over again. John Leguizamo and James Rebhorn appears in cameos. Screenwriter:Jeffery Abrams (Now credited as J.J. Abrams), who wrote this film appears in a cameo as a delivery boy. Which Abrams is best known for being the creator as such television shows like "Alias" and "Lost". (****/*****).

This film is about a guy who is a bit of a prick, he does not seem to get along all that well with his wife and he is not exactly all that warm and cuddly to his daughter. He goes out one night to buy some cigarettes and ends up in the middle of a hold up and ends up getting shot in the head and I think shoulder. He ends up with brain damage and must now learn how to do simple things all over again. He gets some help from a very charismatic health care worker who helps him walk and talk once again. Henry (the name of Harrison Ford's character) is a bit hesitant in going home and living with a wife and daughter he has very little recollection in, however, he does so and they are in for a treat as Henry is now seemingly a more loving and caring person than he was before. Nice story, not all drama as there is quite a lot of humor in this one too. I like it when he somehow finds his way into an adult movie theater. He also has troubles adjusting back to his old job where he was a rather ruthless attorney, as he keeps finding things that he left out that could have helped the other side. I enjoyed the story and I enjoyed the transformation of old Henry to new Henry. He learns about the old him throughout the movie and he finds he does not really care for who he was either. A nice trip of self-discovery.

In a change of pace from his usual "action" type movies, Harrison Ford does a pretty good job here as Henry Turner - a high powered, selfish, self-absorbed, heartless, cold as ice (enough adjectives?) lawyer whose life revolves around work and who ignores both his wife and his young daughter for most of the time. Henry's life undergoes a major change as the result of a shooting, which resulted in massive brain damage. Coming out of his coma, Henry can't talk or walk and has no memory of anything or anyone. He really does start from scratch; a child in a man's body. Much of the movie is then taken up with watching Henry struggle to recover from his trauma.

OK - it's pretty predictable. Point given. (Having said that, I thought the movie might take an unexpected direction when Henry discovered the letters in his wife's dresser.) Predictable though it may be, however, it was still pretty well done I thought, and offers several tug at your heartstring sort of moments that are pretty good. Annette Bening was believable as Henry's wife Sarah, and I thought Mikki Allen did a pretty good job of capturing the essence of their young daughter Rachel - her fear, her confusion. It came across. In my opinion, though, stealing the show was Bill Nunn as Bradley, Henry's physiotherapist who helps him to rebuild a life that's very different from what he had, but is also far more fulfilling.

Ford, I thought, was better as the "new" Henry Turner - recovering from his trauma and turning into a new man. As the cold Henry at the beginning of the movie, he came across to me as almost too cold - a caricature of the heartless lawyer but not quite a believable character. That aside, I found this to be an enjoyable and interesting movie to watch, and the last scene at the school really did touch me. It's certainly not good enough to attain the level of a classic, but it is pretty good. 7/10