Photo: A scene from the movie “Here.” The image came from IMDB.com.
I went to see Tom Hanks’ latest movie, “Here,” primarily because of his reputation as my all-time favorite actor, but I thoroughly enjoyed the film, too.
The premise of “Here” is very touching as it relays stories surrounding a small piece of land somewhere in Pennsylvania. Countless people lived on that land, as well as in the home which was eventually built on it.
The families depicted the same stories of love, joy, hope and loss that all of us experience as we navigate through life. It was interesting how people may have changed over the years, but their wishes, desires and experiences were quite similar.
All of the movie’s scenes were filmed from the same vantage point facing a living room which changed interior designs as cultural tastes evolved. Nearly a dozen families lived in the home over the course of time.
I enjoyed “Here” because it ties in very well with my mission for Life Story School. The movie proves everyone has a story, and it is those stories that connect us to each other as well as the past and future.
“Here” follows the lives of Richard and Margaret Young, two main characters played by Tom Hanks and Robin Wright, who starred together in the 1994 blockbuster “Forest Gump.” However, interspersed between the scenes, we witness interactions between people who lived in the home before the Young family and immediately after they moved on.
Scenes feature joyous occasions, such as the end of war, births of children, a wedding and warm holiday gatherings. Yet, the joy is also interrupted by life upon occasion, as people die, lose jobs, get divorced and succumb to a stroke or other illnesses.
One of the more poignant reoccurring themes involved Richard’s character, who was always paralyzed by fear or needing conditions to be perfect before he could live the life he desired. There were always excuses and the need to pay taxes that seemed to keep him trapped in a life he really didn’t want.
As I watched the movie, I wondered how the trajectories of the families may have changed had the others known the stories of individuals who had lived in the home before them.
For example, would Richard Young still have been so reluctant to embrace his natural talent as a gifted artist if he had known the inventor of the La-Z-Boy recliner had developed the idea in the same room Richard abandoned his dream? Yet, Richard and Margaret’s daughter became a super-successful lawyer, perhaps after watching the impact abandoning a dream had on their parents’ relationship.
As the movie nears its conclusion, we see early warning signs signaling Margaret may have dementia, which is causing memory problems for her. If their story was preserved for future generations, perhaps others would be quicker to pursue treatment.
The movie is a reminder of how fragile life really is for all of us. It can be over in an instant or linger for years trapping people in unproductive routines of just going through the motions of life. “Here” shows how important it is to embrace life now rather than “someday.” It’s about the dangers of putting your dreams on hold or killing them with alcohol or fear.
Eventually, after the Youngs are divorced, it is implied Margaret winds up institutionalized. But, in the final scene, Richard brings her back to visit the empty house, which is up for sale and awaiting new occupants as the story of the home continues unabated.
Once together in the house Margaret really didn’t like while living there, Richard tells her stories of the good times and special memories they enjoyed in the home. That was enough to spark her memory to recall the fond moments that are too easily forgotten when our stories are not captured and preserved for others to enjoy and learn from.
Every one of the people depicted in the film contributed to the story about the home with stories of their own. In the end, it was recalling stories that enabled Margaret to proclaim how much she loved it “here.”
More importantly, “Here” shows why it is so important to capture and retain your life story. It’s that story that sustains you through tough times, gives you hope for a brighter tomorrow, and enables others to learn lessons you learned along the way.