| Director | Hal Hartley |
|---|---|
| Genre | drama film |
| Runtime | 137 min |
| Country | United States |
| Budget | $900,000 |
| Box office | $1.3 million |
Socially inept garbageman Simon Grim lives a monotonous life with his sister Fay, unemployed, and his mother Mary, who suffers from severe depression. Henry Fool, who's on probation from prison for statutory rape, sets himself up in their basement and proceeds to impinge himself on their daily lives. Seeing Simon's interest in literature, Henry encourages him to write his thoughts in a notebook. Simon fills several notebooks with what turns out to be a poem and Henry encourages him to try to get it published, even though it is dismissed by many as pornographic and scatological. Simon meets with one publisher, Angus, supposedly a friend of Henry's. Angus rejects the manuscript and claims no knowledge of Henry; his secretary reveals that Henry worked in Angus' office as a janitor.
Henry himself has a number of notebooks that he refers to as his Confession, a work that details his mysterious past and which he hopes to publish, although he won't let anyone read them. Meanwhile, Henry inflicts his hedonistic manner on all those around him, ultimately impregnating Fay, after which Henry and Fay marry. At Henry's suggestion, Fay uploads verses from Simon's poem to the Internet, where it elicits worldwide controversy, attracting adoration from those who appreciate Simon as a transgressive genius and condemnation from conservative politicians who see his work as degenerate. Excited by the opportunity to profit from the poem, Angus approaches Simon again and, after negotiations, ultimately offers him $200,000 up front and a 60/40 royalty split to publish it.
Henry is distressed over becoming a father, worried that the time spent working a job to support his family will conflict with his passions as a writer. In a gesture of gratitude for his help, Simon tells Henry he is going to insist Angus publish Henry's work as part of his contract. Henry finally allows Simon to read the notebooks; Simon dislikes the work, but brings it to Angus as promised. Angus hates the Confession and refuses to publish it, forcing Simon to reconsider his promise to Henry. As Fay gives birth to a son, Simon notifies Henry of Angus' refusal and reveals that he signed the contract anyway. The two men argue and Simon states he is going away. Henry is obviously distraught.
Seven years pass. Henry has a job at the garbage company where Simon used to work, while Simon is living elsewhere and has just won the Nobel Prize in Literature. One evening, Henry is informed by a neighbor girl that her stepfather has beaten her mother again and indicates he's also been abusing her; she offers a sexual favor if Henry will kill him. When Henry stops by the neighbors' house to check on the mother, he's confronted by the drunken husband, who begins to beat Henry viciously; Henry kills the man in self-defense. Henry's past conviction, coupled with the accounting by the girl of her offer, makes him appear guilty. Henry and Fay's young son, Ned, finds Simon and brings him back to help Henry. Simon was supposed to be on his way to the airport to catch a flight to Stockholm to accept his Nobel Prize, but instead has his passport altered and gives it and his ticket to Henry. They arrive late for the flight but, due to Simon's prestige and mission, the airline holds the plane as a courtesy. The flight attendants anxiously hurry Henry (as Simon) along as he painfully limps towards the plane, but he pauses and looks back. The last shot is a closeup of Henry running with his luggage.