The "Blank Check" Approach to "The Book of Henry"

• 🎙️ Griffin and David dedicate an "emergency episode" to discussing Colin Trevorrow's 2017 film, "The Book of Henry," a movie they found to be a significant departure from their usual "blank check" analysis of directors' works.
• ⚠️ They express a reluctance to engage in "bad movie" podcasting but acknowledge the film's unique and baffling nature, which compelled them to discuss it.
• 🎬 Trevorrow, fresh off the success of "Jurassic World," chose "The Book of Henry" as his next project, a script that had been in development for years.

Plot and Character Introduction

• 🏠 The film centers on Susan Carpenter (Naomi Watts), a single mother, and her two sons, Henry (Jaeden Martell) and Peter. Henry is portrayed as an 11-year-old savant who runs the household and has a precocious understanding of complex topics like the stock market and existentialism.
• 🎮 Susan is characterized as an immature, video-game-playing mother, relying heavily on Henry for adult responsibilities, a dynamic the hosts found "edible" and unsettling.
• 🌳 Henry, a creative genius, builds elaborate Rube Goldberg machines and designs fantastical spaces, like a steampunk treehouse, though the hosts found these creations lacked a sense of wonder.

The Shift to Thriller and Abuse Allegations

• 🚨 The narrative takes a sharp turn when Henry observes his neighbor, Glen Sickleman (Dean Norris), abusing his stepdaughter, Christina (Maddie Ziegler).
• 🏫 Henry attempts to report the abuse to the principal and Child Protective Services, but his efforts are dismissed due to lack of concrete evidence and Glen's position as police commissioner.
• 💔 Henry is then diagnosed with a brain tumor and dies, leaving behind a detailed plan in a book for his mother to murder Glen.

The Murder Plot and Execution

• 📖 Susan, initially hesitant, decides to follow Henry's plan, which involves luring Glen into the woods and shooting him.
• 🔫 The film details Susan's acquisition of a gun, learning to shoot via Henry's tape recordings, and executing the plan, all while a Rube Goldberg machine operates in the background.
• 🎭 The climax involves a talent show where Christina performs a ballet routine intended to externalize her abuse, which convinces the principal to act, while concurrently, Susan confronts Glen.

Resolution and Critical Reception

• 🚔 The police arrive at Glen's house, and he is reported to have died by suicide.
• 🏡 Susan gains custody of Christina, and the film concludes with her reading a story she wrote to her children, seemingly having embraced her maternal role.
• 📉 "The Book of Henry" was a box office disappointment and received largely negative reviews, with critics and the hosts alike criticizing its tonal shifts, manipulative storytelling, and perceived arrogance in its unconventional approach.