MovieFreak.com - "Regarding Henry" DVD Review by Dennis Landmann

DVD REVIEW

Regarding Henry (1991)

Starring: Harrison Ford, Annette Bening

Director: Mike Nichols

Rating: PG-13

Distributor: Paramount Home Entertainment

Release Date: September 9, 2003
Review posted: September 22, 2003

Spoilers: Minor

Reviewed by Dennis Landmann

Synopsis

Henry Turner (Harrison Ford) is a successful but ruthless New York lawyer who needs to win at any cost, even at the expense of his wife (Annette Bening) and daughter. But a single gunshot brings Henry's fast-track rise to a dead stop, leaving him incapacitated and with no memory of the life he used to lead. Now, faced with staring over, Henry Turner is about to learn the hard truth about a total stranger... himself.

Critique

Harrison Ford delivers a really good performance in Regarding Henry as Henry Turner, but it’s not enough to elevate the film from being anything more than a decent drama. Written by Jeffrey Abrams (Armageddon, TVs Alias), the film runs on a familiar path. Ford is a typical mean-streak lawyer and to teach him a lesson, and perhaps to others out there as well, buying cigarettes from a convenience store at night turns out to be the worst thing one could possibly do. I’m not giving much away when I say John Leguizamo holds up the store clerk with a gun and shoots Ford in the head, because all this happens within the first fifteen minutes.

Thus, the first act works very well and moves just right, although it’s the second half where the pace slows down. Granted, this is due to the time it takes for Ford’s character to rehabilitate, get to know his family again, and start up his work at the law office. Regarding Henry sees some really good moments, most of which are genuine and very well acted, such as Ford walking the streets of New York alone when he’s still “away in his mind” from the unfortunate accident. Abrams adds some nice touches to Henry Turner during rehabilitation, such as painting boxes of Ritz crackers. At other times, however, Regarding Henry is a bit too familiar despite a heartfelt story. There is human drama and emotion present in the film, but most of it doesn’t translate to the desired effect.

Mike Nichols directs the script nicely. He also gets really good performances out of Ford, Annette Bening (Henry’s wife), Mikki Allen (Henry’s daughter), and Bill Nunn (who motivates and helps Henry to rehabilitate). Hans Zimmer’s score is sometimes under the radar, but during the more dramatic scenes it really stands out. His talent and range is excellent, scoring this film very nicely and to different tones than his writing for actions films, such as The Rock and Gladiator (among so many others). Overall, Regarding Henry is a decent human drama with a familiar story and really good, believable performances.

The Video

Paramount presents Regarding Henry in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen. Colors look very nice and vibrant. Detail is not always sharp, but consistently decent. The print looks clean in almost every occasion. I noticed no artifacts or compression problems. There are some minor specks and grain present. The majority of this transfer looks very adequate. This is certainly the best way to watch this film.

The Audio

Paramount presents Regarding Henry in English 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound. Much of the soundtrack is front-heavy. Case in point, dialog scenes play out in the two front channels. Dialog is clear and easy to understand, however. Some of the ambient sounds penetrate the rear speakers but do so in a pretty quiet way. Hans Zimmer’s score sounds nice here, but not great. Surround usage is pretty limited here, but overall the audio presentation is pretty decent for a film like this.

You can also choose to view the film in English Dolby Surround and French Mono.

The Extras

There are no extras. You can select to view the film with optional English subtitles. The DVD’s menus are not animated but easy to navigate. The 107-minute feature is organized into fifteen chapters. A paper insert lists scene selections.

Overall

Regarding Henry is a familiar story, although it includes some nice moments and touches. Harrison Ford turns in a very good performance, and Annette Bening is notable, too. Video/audio is decent, but no extras. Rent it.

RATINGS SUMMARY