Henry (Jaeden Lieberher) is a child genius — a prodigy in all subjects and well ahead of the other 11-year-olds in his class. Rather than escape to a gifted school, the protagonist of The Book Of Henry stays in the district for his "social growth," and instead uses his intellectual prowess to look after his family's finances and keep his mother (Naomi Watts) together. Generally, things are pretty quiet, aside from his playful brother Peter (played by everyone's favourite Jacob Tremblay) and occasional interruptions from family friend Sheila (Sarah Silverman). However, when Henry spots a classmate (Maddie Ziegler) in a crisis, they all band together to help.
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It's an intense story with moving a moving premise, but this clip shared exclusively with Refinery29 shows the lighthearted side of their lives. Henry's mum and Sheila arrive home to find the boys in the middle of...something involving goggles...that is quickly derailed in order for Henry and Sheila to bicker.
"Hank," Sheila says.
"It's actually Henry," he replies. "I'd think you'd be able to retain at least one simple name somewhere beyond that haircut."
"Nice goggles," Sheila retorts. "They go well with your misshapen head."
The two characters have developed a sort of routine with their back-and-forths, but no matter what, Henry will always be miles ahead of everyone else in the room.
"I've had a hell of a day," his mother later interjects. "Sheila and I are just going to hang out a little, okay?"
"They're gonna get so drunk right now," Henry says to Peter.
"I know," he replies in the most Jacob Tremblay way.
Beyond this, the movie is a wild ride of emotional drama, secret photographs, and elaborate mechanisms built by Henry which might just save his classmate from the tyranny of her stepfather. The heart of it, however, is about family — and a family of Jacob Tremblay and Naomi Watts sounds pretty good to me.
Catch The Book Of Henry in cinemas on June 23
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