Indie movie review: Jesus Henry Christ

Indie+movie+review%3A+Jesus+Henry+Christ

Paternity tests, school expulsions, and virtual zombie-killing—these are just a few of the wacky occurrences in an indie movie gem called Jesus Henry Christ.

The 2012 film revolves around a ten year-old prodigy named Henry James Hermin, and his pursuit of identifying his biological father. With the help of his comical grandfather and reluctant mother, Henry embarks on this journey to discover his origins and creates his own dysfunctional family along the way.

As the movie progresses, Henry and his mother meet Dr. Slavkin O’Hara and his daughter Audrey, another strained family struggling to maintain a close bond. After Audrey’s mother abandons her family, Dr. O’Hara is left alone to care for his teenage daughter, who struggles with bullies and the emotional stress of growing up.

In spite of these obstacles, the two single-parent families connect based on their similarities and help each other overcome personal hardships: Henry befriends Audrey and provides her with an escape from her torturers, while Dr. O’Hara’s mild personality eases Henry’s mother’s distrust in men.

The O’Haras and Hermins stick together through Henry’s journey to identify his father. After a paternity test reveals who Henry’s estranged father is, Henry suddenly realizes that the people who support and love him—like his mother and the O’Haras—are his true family, not just those who share his DNA.

After this realization, the two families finally bond as one, with each character becoming a better person: Henry is no longer a lonely, misunderstood genius, Audrey defeats her bullies, Dr. O’Hara repairs his relationship with his daughter, and Henry’s mother grows less aggressive toward the male race.

Jesus Henry Christ shows a group of colorful characters uniting to conquer their personal demons and creating their own family in the process. Their quirky antics will put a smile on your face, and make you appreciate the dysfunction that exists in every family. This movie may be hard to find, but you will not regret watching it.