Regarding Henry is an American drama film directed by Mike Nichols and written by J. J. Abrams, about a lawyer (Harrison Ford) suffering from amnesia after getting shot during an armed robbery, and trying to regain his memory of his life before the shooting with the help of his wife (Annette Bening) and daughter (Mikki Allen).
The movie also stars Bill Nunn, Rebecca Miller, Bruce Altman, Elizabeth Wilson, Donald Moffat, John Leguizamo, Robin Bartlett, and James Rebhorn.
It was released on July 12, 1991.
Tropes for the film:
- Amnesiacs Are Innocent: Pretty much the plot of the movie, as Henry is an unethical lawyer, who is distant from his family, and having an affair gets shot in the head. He recovers, but is very child like at first and rebuilds his family relationships. He also reveals evidence he'd previously suppressed to win a case.
- Amoral Attorney: Henry slowly realizes that he was one in his previous life, and that his firm routinely hides information if it helps their clients' case.
- Dumb Is Good: This film is probably in a class by itself. Henry is an arrogant prick of a lawyer and a bad husband, until he takes a shot to the head and receives brain damage.
- Evil Lawyer Joke: Downplayed into an idiot lawyer joke, with one of Henry's false friends joking that there is no difference between caring for a child and a lawyer.
- False Friend: Henry and his wife are invited to a party by supposed friends, who use the chance to joke and gossip at their expense.
- Hidden Depths: Henry remembers virtually nothing after waking up at the hospital, and much of what he does remember is trivial, like the carpet at his home being gray. However, he still remembers the names of constellations and can identify them at a glance.
- Heel Realization: Henry slowly discovers that he used to be an Amoral Attorney, bad with the help, cheating husband, and absentee father.
- How They Treat the Help: Henry's first hint that he wasn't a good person before the shooting is his maid's comment that he was always working and she likes his new personality more.
- I Hate Past Me: Henry comes to detest his former self, resigning from his job and trying to correct the wrongs of his past life.
- Missing Time: This is something that Henry has to deal with as after surviving a gunshot to the head, the resulting pinched artery affects his memory. The rest of the movie depicts him coming to terms with not remembering anything about his life before the shot.
- My Greatest Second Chance: Henry and his family find happiness and rebuild their broken family home after the shooting changes his toxic personality.
- Never Learned to Read: Subverted Trope. Henry can't remember how to read after his accident, but recovers his literacy after less than an afternoon of coaching by his daughter.
- Only a Flesh Wound: Averted, as he is shot twice during a robbery, once in the shoulder and once in the head. It is later explained to him that the fact he was shot in the shoulder first probably saved his life by reducing the blood pressure in his head. The lower blood pressure then prevented him from bleeding to death before he could get to the hospital. What's more, it's the wound to his shoulder that caused the brain damage, because it prevented oxygen from reaching his brain.
- Pretty Little Headshots: The pinhole-size wound that Henry receives in his forehead during the robbery is unrealistically small.
- Professional Sex Ed: Downplayed Trope. Before he and his wife have sex for the first time since his injury, Henry admits he mistakenly went to watch a porno in a movie theater believing it was a regular one. She patiently guides him through the experience so he can relearn how to do it.
- Refreshingly Normal Life-Choice: As he recovers, Henry comes to appreciate his life at home and decides to spend more time with his family, which he neglected before the shooting.
- Right Behind Me: Henry and his wife's friends are badmouthing him when they pull this trope.
- 'Tis Only a Bullet in the Brain: Deconstructed Trope, while Henry does survive a gunshot wound to the head, the resulting injury affects his memory, thus setting off the plot.
- Wacky Parent, Serious Child: Henry and Rachel take on this dynamic to some degree after his accident, to the point of him flicking paper clips at her when she's trying to study.
- When You Coming Home, Dad?: Pre-shooting Henry was a workaholic who barely had time for his family.
- You Are What You Hate: Henry's new life receives its greatest blow when he discovers that his wife was cheating on him with his partner at the law firm. He leaves in anger, only to discover that he was also cheating and planning to divorce his wife, whom he now loves.