THE BOOK OF HENRY
An amazingly brave film opens the LA Film Festival
The 2017 LA Film Festival running from June 14-22 at ArcLight cinemas, has plenty of indie cred given that it’s run by Film Independent, producer of the best alterna-Oscar ceremony/bash, otherwise known as the Independent Spirit Awards. This year the festival (marking its 22nd edition) will feature 37 world premieres including its opening night film The Book of Henry.
In this family-focused drama—directed by Colin Trevorrow (Jurassic World) and starring the incomparable Naomi Watts—a super smart 11 year old (Henry) is the glue that keeps his family (younger brother, single mom) together. His crush, Christina, lives next door with her sketchy stepfather, so it is only a matter of time before Henry discovers all is not right in Christina’s world. He maps out a scheme to save her and writes it all down. When his mother finds it, she and Henry’s brother take the steps necessary to help with his plan.
Festival bonus: its LA Muse section, highlighting films set in Los Angeles.
Festival Trivia: 42% of this year’s competition films are directed by women and 40% by people of color. And when you include the short films and web series, 32 countries are represented.