Here (#613)


As you may recall from comments I have made previously that I was predisposed to dislike the latest Tom Hanks movie despite the fact that it starred the flawed icon and was directed by a highly praised, imaginative and successful Robert Zemekis whose credits include such hits as Back to the Future, Forest Gump and Cast Away.  Actually HERE was even worse than I expected when I drove to Virginia for a visit and a movie with my daughter there.  The director's imagination took a turn for the bizarre as he introduced some cinematic effects that were more distracting than effective such as silhouetted rectangles that materialized into characters or new scenes.  This is the story of a home, located somewhere in the northeastern U.S., which is historically notable and was the home of multiple families over the years, mostly a family of young and aging Tom Hanks and Robin Wright, their offspring and others.  The film jumped back and forth repeatedly from when the land was occupied by Indians (oops, indigenous peoples) and subsequently by colonial Americans, most notably Benjamin Franklin with no rhyme or reason.  The occupants of the home were usually beset by problems big and small, and the one hour and 44 minute movie felt as though we had been in the theater for a week or more.  The film was a disaster, and critics agreed, for only 35% gave it a thumbs up along with 57% of audiences.  Perhaps it's time for Tom to quit and take Robert with him.

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