“Hector” is a gritty and moving road-movie about a homeless man traveling from Scotland to London for Christmas.
The 2015 movie is tough to watch in parts, but it is also heart-warming and brilliantly acted. It avoids sentimentalizing the characters or the subject matter.
Playing the title role of Hector, Peter Mullan’s acting is gentle and understated. As the film unfolds, you gradually learn more about the trauma that led him to abandon his flat and wider family.
Compassion, cruelty and chaos all confront him as he hitchhikes to London. There is the delivery man who gives him and his friends warm jackets, the priest who gives shelter and meal tickets, the welcoming café owner who serves a full English breakfast and then gives seconds.
But there are also those who abuse and belittle him and judge him unfairly. And he has to negotiate friendships with those whose lives, unlike his, are dominated by addiction.
The film captures the pain etched into those whose own traumas have been multiplied by the chaos of rough sleeping.
En route, Hector’s attempts to make contact with his sister, after a gap of 15 years, does not go well. Yet, due to the persistence of another family member, the possibility of reconciliation is kept alive.
The shelter in London (basically Crisis at Christmas) is portrayed well. There are no easy digs at those who offer care and hospitality.
The earnestness of the volunteers in high-visibility vests, the slightly wearied kindness of the manager, the entertainment laid on and the mixed, edgy gratitude of the guests are all subtly accurate.
In one scene, a whole room’s enjoyment of a choir singing is ruined by two guests who come back drunk. It captures well the tragicomic nature of situations that can easily happen.
It reminded me of a Christmas day at a shelter I managed 20 years ago when one resident decided to urinate into the tea urn. It led to a similar ruckus.
I would strongly recommend the film. It is especially relevant for anyone involved in homelessness and associated issues.
It is just over 90 minutes in length and could work well for teams of staff and volunteers, or a church group, to watch together and then discuss their reactions.
It is a powerful reminder about the tragic story that lies behind many people’s homelessness.
But there is also much to reflect on about how services are run: the importance of a trauma-informed approach, of building trust, of helping facilitate family reconciliation and how year-round services connect with the bulge of activity that happens every Christmas.
Director: Jake Gavin.
Writer: Jake Gavin.
Cast: Peter Mullan (Hector McAdam), Keith Allen (Jimbo), Natalie Gavin (Hazel), Sarah Solemani (Sara), Ewan Stewart (Peter).
The film’s website is here.
Editor’s note: A version of this movie review first appeared on Kuhrt’s blog, Grace + Truth. It is used with permission.
Jon Kuhrt is chief executive of West London Mission and a member of Streatham Baptist Church in South London.
