Jesus Henry Christ (2012)
Average Rating: 4.2/10
Reviews Counted: 20
Fresh: 5 | Rotten: 15
No consensus yet.
Average Rating: 3.9/10
Critic Reviews: 12
Fresh: 3 | Rotten: 9
No consensus yet.
liked it
Average Rating: 3.2/5
User Ratings: 3,808
My Rating
Movie Info
This colorful, modern family comedy revolves around 10-year-old boy genius Henry James Herman (Jason Spevack) and his fervently left-wing single mother Patricia (Toni Collette), who works at the local university's cafeteria. A misfit from birth, Henry's precocious, rabble-rousing ways catch up with him when he gets kicked out of school for writing "Manifestos on the Nature of Truth." Meanwhile, 12-year-old Audrey (Samantha Weinstein) has her own problems because of her single father, university
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Cast
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Toni Collette
Patricia, Patricia Herm... -
Michael Sheen
Dr. Slavkin O'Hara, Sla... -
Jason Spevack
Henry, Henry James Herm... -
Samantha Weinstein
Audrey, Audrey O'Hara -
Frank Moore
Stan
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Jesus Henry Christ Trailer & Photos
All Critics (21) | Top Critics (12) | Fresh (5) | Rotten (15) | DVD (2)
Watching Jesus Henry Christ sometimes feels like being trapped in a building with a faulty fire alarm.
Top CriticIf it all seems a tad to quirky and twee, that's the overwhelming flaw in director Lee's obvious and lightweight homage to director Wes Anderson.
Lee scratches the skin of family bonds until it bleeds.
Even for a surreal black comedy, "Jesus Henry Christ" requires massive suspension of disbelief.
So what is "Jesus Henry Christ" about?
It winds up just being annoying
Stylized comedy explores identity; adults drink and smoke.
Like "Little Miss Sunshine," this quirky indie comedy chugs along at an amiable pace, and with the same sort of dysfunctional family humor. It's not as successful as that film, but only because it's not as complex.
The film is an uneven mix of forced eccentricities and gradually annoying visual gimmicks that leave the characters almost completely detached from reality.
The title alone invites you to cuss at this smug film about family tites, and you may do so the second you catch a whiff of the portentous first shot: a Wes Anderson put-on.
The cast is the spine of this film. Toni Collette and Michael Sheen give masterful performances as the hapless parents, and young Jason Spevack and Samantha Weinstein do the same as the brilliant, awkward children.
Its casually whimsical tone and esoteric asides come across less as emblematic of a genuinely original voice, and more like an amalgamation of Little Man Tate, Rocket Science, Running With Scissors and, of course, Rushmore.
Boldly colored and sharply designed, but there's little to take away from the movie besides a surface appreciation for certain production accomplishments.
Audience Reviews for Jesus Henry Christ
Super Reviewer
Wes Anderson has a lot to answer for. His has become the go to style for American indie film-makers, possibly because it's such a simple formula and so easily imitated. Plot wise you just need a bunch of dysfunctional characters, usually related, who come together at the end in acceptance of each other. Visually anyone with a basic understanding of the rule of thirds can make their movie look like an Anderson piece, simply frame all your characters dead center so it appears they're looking straight at the audience. Top it off with a hip folky soundtrack and you've got yourself an indie smash.
Lee has followed this recipe down to the most minute ingredients. Sheen's depressed professor who is estranged from his daughter is probably the most Anderson character not written by himself (or Noah Baumbach). There isn't one character in this who feels real, not necessarily a bad thing, but it would help if they were at least likable. I suspect Lee thinks they all just need a hug, but in my opinion a slap would do more good.
There's no denying the photography isn't impressive but it's just too damn rigid, every frame feeling overly composed. Don't get me wrong, I'll take this over shaky cam anyday but truly great cinematography lives somewhere in between, a natural beauty unlike the mechanical framing of Anderson and his clones.
Lee does seem to have talent as a director but as a writer he needs to find his own voice and stop imitating a film-maker who himself has little to contribute.
Super Reviewer
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- Henry James Herman: Mom you're smothering me Patricia.
- Patricia: I know, that's what mothers do.
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- Henry James Herman: Why are any of us here? What is the purpose of our being?
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Although the film was short and enjoyable, I still found myself a bit bored at times. I think there needed to be more going on. Great cast and a decent story. But it's not something I would see again."