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Article: Regarding Henry.
- Article from:
- National Review
- Article date:
- August 26, 1991
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1991 National Review, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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A TREND for the Nineties is beginning to emerge from Hollywood movies. Actually only a trendlet so far, but it's growing. The idea is that power corrupts, but--and here we part company with Lord Acton--powerlessness ennobles. Yessir, ennobles, transubstantiates, redeems. In the hands of a St. Francis, much could be done with this idea; in the hands of Hollywood, it turns into hogwash.
Take a thoroughly contemptible film such as Regarding Henry, made by Mike Nichols, no less. We have here a ruthless New York lawyer, Henry, who is beastly to his lovely wife, Sarah, and repressed daughter, Rachel. And not much better to the people he works with (also creepy), ...