Richard McGuire’s graphic novel Here is an ambitious work that tells a big story about life and change. The book presents a beautiful yet jarring view of a small slice of our planet over millions of years.
It focuses on one specific corner of Earth without ever changing its viewpoint. This allows readers to see how our world shifts through time.
The story moves from when dinosaurs roamed the Earth to the building of a modest home. Then, it jumps to a future where students in spacesuits come to study our destroyed planet.
McGuire’s story captures the staggering amount of change that happens over time. It emphasizes that certain moments in our existence are cyclical, and it offers reassurance that everything will eventually die and change.
Here feels like the kind of massive story that would appeal to a filmmaker like Robert Zemeckis, especially the Zemeckis of the 1980s and ’90s. In those decades, Zemeckis was known for his boldness and creativity.
He blended animated and real worlds in Who Framed Roger Rabbit. He pushed the limits of special effects with Forrest Gump. He also creatively moved back and forth through time with the Back to the Future trilogy.
However, the 21st century has not been as kind to Zemeckis. He has had more misses than hits in his recent work. The films The Polar Express, Beowulf, and A Christmas Carol used strange motion-capture animations that many viewers found unsettling.
He also made odd adaptations of existing films like Welcome to Marwen, The Witches, and the poorly received Pinocchio in 2022.
Occasionally, he showed glimmers of his former greatness in films like Flight, The Walk, and Allied, he struggled to capture the magic he once had.
With Here, Zemeckis takes a bold and ambitious swing that we have not seen from him in a long time.
The film is messy and scattershot at times, but it also has moments that remind us of Zemeckis’ talent for creating movie magic. He attempts to bring the grandiosity of life to the screen, even if the execution is not always successful.
What Is ‘Here’ About?
Like McGuire’s graphic novel, the film Here shows us life from one small piece of the world without changing its viewpoint.
The story takes place largely in the living room of a Colonial-style home in New England. It reveals the lives of different families who have lived in this home for over a century.
The screenplay is written by Zemeckis and Eric Roth, who won an Oscar for his work on Forrest Gump. The film introduces us to various characters, including William Franklin (played by Daniel Betts), who is the unacknowledged son of Benjamin Franklin.
We also meet an aspiring pilot (Gwilym Lee) and his wife (Michelle Dockery), who fears that her husband’s passion for flying might lead to his death.
Other characters include an inventor of a reclining chair (David Fynn) and his pin-up model partner (Ophelia Lovibond).
As time moves forward in the story, we see the home’s first new owners in years, the Harris family (Nikki Amuka-Bird and Nicholas Pinnock), who are raising their teenage son (Cache Vanderpuye).
However, the main focus of the story is on the Young family. Al Young (Paul Bettany), a World War II veteran, moves into the home with his wife Rose (Kelly Reilly). Before long, they start a family, including their oldest son, Richard Young (Tom Hanks).
When Richard is still a teenager, he brings home his new girlfriend, Margaret (Robin Wright). Soon, they are preparing to have a child while still very young themselves.
They get married and put their own dreams aside to support their growing family. The couple stays in the family home until they can save enough money to afford a place of their own—a dream that feels like it may never come true.
While the Young family’s story unfolds mostly in chronological order, there are also vignettes of those who lived in the area before and after them. This structure allows the film to reflect on how life changes over time in this one house.
‘Here’ Reunites the Cast and Crew of ‘Forrest Gump’
The film Here brings back some of the magic from the team behind Forrest Gump. McGuire’s graphic novel is largely impersonal, for better or worse.
However, Roth’s other grand tales, like Forrest Gump and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, try to add emotional depth to material that is often indifferent. Here attempts to do the same.
At times, Here feels like a mix of a holiday commercial and a theme park ride, with a hint of Terrence Malick’s The Tree of Life.
What worked well on the page does not always translate effectively to film. The movie often comes across as too obvious, with moments that feel forced.
For example, one scene featuring the song “Our House” feels especially out of place. Other aspects, like a plot that tries to include COVID, do not land as intended, making the film feel silly at times. The one-location setting also gives the film a stagey quality.
‘Here’ Has Some Beautiful, Tender Moments About Life
Despite its flaws, Here manages to capture moments of pure heart. The film lacks cynicism and is earnest in its approach. Its effort to express emotion openly helps to carry it through the more awkward moments.
The smaller stories within the film feel like little shorts that are added to the narrative but do not significantly contribute to the main plot.
However, when the film focuses on the Young family’s history, Zemeckis and Roth create beautiful moments. The relationship between Richard (Hanks) and Margaret (Wright) is not a typical love story.
Instead, it reveals heartbreaking truths about our dreams and the ones that will never come true.
It also shows the beauty that can emerge from lives we did not expect for ourselves. Several characters note how quickly time passes, and with Richard and Margaret, we see this truth vividly as the years fly by, leaving behind hopes that fade into the background as life moves on.
Their relationship does not always follow an easy path, and the use of de-aging techniques is surprisingly effective without being distracting.
Al’s story (played by Bettany) is particularly moving. He has one of the most significant character arcs, showing us how he evolves from a young soldier fresh from war to the later days of his life.
His character does fall into cliché at times, but it is powerful to watch how his relationships with Richard and Margaret change over the years.
When the film focuses on this family, it successfully reveals the complexities of life and how we change—not just how the location changes over time.
‘Here’ Is a Reminder of the Power of Robert Zemeckis’ Older Work
While the film shows these other secondary stories, it also holds Here back at times. It is interesting to see how certain moments resonate over time, but this structure disrupts the narrative without truly adding depth. For example, the inventor’s story and his wife’s experience largely repeat the same theme.
The Harris family’s storyline, which touches on the pandemic and police brutality, feels sudden and lacks the necessary setup to fully show these topics.
Zemeckis and Roth’s script could have benefitted from diverging more from the original book. By concentrating more on the Young family, the film might have allowed for fewer distractions and cutaways.
Because of the film’s structure, which jumps back and forth in time, Here often feels like an interesting experiment rather than a fully developed story.
Instead of capturing the majesty of life and its complications, it focuses more on how remarkable our world is, even within such a limited scope. This focus is impressive, but it does not always deliver the emotional impact that the film aims for.
Yet, when Here works, it can evoke feelings reminiscent of the best Zemeckis films. This sense of excitement has been rare in his recent work. The film stands out as his best effort in almost a decade, although that is not saying much given his recent track record.
The film’s dynamic creates a push and pull. It is an experiment that works only sporadically. However, when it does work, there is beauty in those rare moments.
Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, and Paul Bettany deliver strong performances, even with a presentation that could have easily hindered them.
Zemeckis and Roth strive to show the ordinary beauty in everyday life, and they sometimes succeed in this goal. Nevertheless, odd storylines, a sprawling narrative, and awkward choices detract from what could have been a truly impressive film.
Here hints at a masterpiece hidden within its DNA. We see flashes of this potential too infrequently throughout the finished product, even though the attempt is commendable.
It is encouraging to see Zemeckis still willing to take creative risks after so many years. However, Here reminds us that time moves quickly, and perhaps the time for Zemeckis to effectively create films like this has passed.
Final Thoughts on ‘Here’
Here is a film that tackles big themes of life, change, and the passage of time through the lens of one home in New England.
It tries to capture the essence of McGuire’s graphic novel while adding layers of emotional depth. The film has its share of flaws, including an uneven narrative structure and awkward moments.
Yet, it also has beautifully poignant scenes that resonate with audiences, reminding us of the fleeting nature of time and the complexities of our lives.
Zemeckis’s return to ambitious storytelling is commendable, and while Here may not fully realize its potential, it offers glimmers of the magic that once defined his career.
As we watch the characters face the trials and triumphs of life, we are left with a sense of hope and reflection on our own journeys.
Here serves as a reminder that while life is often unpredictable, there is beauty in the experiences we share and the love that endures, even as everything else changes around us.
Here is currently playing in theaters, inviting viewers to witness its ambitious storytelling and emotional depth.
The film challenges us to consider our own lives, the dreams we hold, and the memories we create, making it a worthwhile watch for anyone seeking a meaningful cinematic experience.
