Henry Fool (1997) is a seriocomic film directed, written, and produced by Hal Hartley, featuring Thomas Jay Ryan, James Urbaniak, and Parker Posey. As in The Unbelievable Truth, an earlier Hartley film, expectation and reality again conflict.
Henry is supposed to be a literary genius, with a multi-volume work of art he carries around with him and an always ready quip about the artist's place in the world. His problem is, his work is garbage, but he inspires garbageman Simon Grim, who is regularly beaten and ridiculed in his neighborhood, to write his own extended poem that turns out to be a work of literary genius.
The story of Henry Fool occurs in the New York City borough of Queens. The neighbors regard Simon's poem differently: to some, it's pornography; to others, poetry. Ultimately, Simon lives the life Henry wanted to live and Henry becomes a garbageman, but they are both given a unique opportunity to trade places. The MPAA rated Henry Fool Restricted, for its adult content of sexuality, violence, and language.
Socially inept garbage man Simon is befriended by Henry Fool, a witty roguish, but talent-less novelist. Henry opens a magical world of literature to Simon who turns his hand to writing the 'great American poem'. As Simon begins his controversial ascent to the dizzying heights of Nobel Prize winning poet, Henry sinks to a life of drinking in low-life bars. The two friends fall out and lose touch until Henry's criminal past catches up with him and he needs Simon's help to flee the country. Written by Josh Mueller
