“Here” is the anti-”Forrest Gump” movie.

Instead of Tom Hanks as Forrest in “Forrest Gump,” running cross-country in the United States, Tom Hanks as Richard Young in “Here” stays in place in a town in a house with his family.

Thirty years later, “Here” reunites the film-makers, actors and artists of “Forrest Gump” (1994): Tom Hanks (Forrest Gump), Robin Wright (Jenny Curran), director and co-screenwriter Robert Zemeckis, co-screenwriter Eric Roth, cinematographer Don Burgess and soundtrack composer Alan Silvestri.

Zemeckis directs “Here,” based on a screenplay he co-wrote with Eric Roth. “Here” stars Tom Hanks (Richard Young) and Robin Wright (Margaret Young) as high school sweethearts who become husband and wife. Don Burgess is cinematographer for “Here.” Alan Silvestri is soundtrack composer for “Here.”

The film, “Here,” is based on a 304-page graphic novel of the same title by Richard McGuire. Published in 2014, it was expanded from a six-page story in the comics magazine, “Raw,” in 1989.

Zemeckis has been at the forefront of contemporary cinema technology (“The Polar Express” (2004), which advanced motion-capture, and “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” (1988), which combined live-action and CGI innovatively.

“Forrest Gump,” which took place from the 1950s to the 1970s, followed the fictional Forrest Gump through the years and, using CGI, placed him in archival footage with real-life historic figures, including President John F. Kennedy.

“Forrest Gump” was nominated for 13 Oscars and won six Oscars, including picture, actor (Hanks), director, screenplay, editing and visual effects.

Zemeckis is again at the forefront of cinema technology. In “Here,” artificial intelligence (AI) technology, known as Metaphysic Live, uses AI techniques such as face-swap and de-age that are accomplished in real time. We see Hanks and Wright through the years as Richard and Margaret.

The conceit, or gimmick, of “Here,” is that the camera is locked down in place. In other words, the sticks, or the tripod, are in the same stationary position throughout most of the film in the corner of the living room of the home of Richard and Margaret.

We see, again shown from the camera’s three-quarter perspective of the living room, Richard’s father Al (Paul Bettany) and mother Rose (Kelly Reilly), who lived there.

We see previous occupants of the house, John Harter (Gwilym Lee) and his wife Pauline (Michelle Dockery) and, after them, Leo (David Fynn) and Stella Beekman (Ophelia Lovibond).

The house in on what at one time is said to have been the estate of William Franklin (Daniel Betts). In pre-Colonial America, it was the land of the Lenni-Lenape (represented by actors Joel Oulette and Dannie McCallum). We glimpse pre-historic times when dinosaurs roamed the earth.

Mostly though, the camera lingers as a kind of security camera surveilling the life and times in the living room of Richard and Margaret (including a portion of The Beatles performing their first song, “All My Loving,” Feb. 9. 1964, on “The Ed Sullivan Show,” seen on a black and white TV).

Beyond the house’s picture window with a window seat, the seasons change, the years and models of the cars ease by and the living room stories unfold in and out of panels, picture in picture, time-travel portals to the past and present if not the future. It’s Thornton Wilder’s “Our Town” (1938) play told as a kind of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young “Our House” (1970) cinematic song poem.

The concept of “Here” is great. It’s also its greatest limitation. We have the sense that we are peering into a box, rather than watching a movie. It’s akin to watching a stage play or TV situation comedy. The screenplay, which unfolds in a nonlinear fashion, becomes a series of vignettes.

Usually, when a play is transferred to the big screen, the story is opened up with scenes added beyond the confines of the stage. Instead, with “Here,” the graphic novel is closed down. “Here” is an ambitious experiment, though, and deserves its due.

The performances of Tom Hanks (Oscars, actor, “Forrest Gump”; “Philadelphia,” 1994; Oscar nominees, actor, “Cast Away,” 1991; “Saving Private Ryan,” 1999; “Big,” 1989; Oscar nominee, supporting actor, “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood,” 2020) and Robin Wright (eight-time Primetime Emmy nominee, “House of Cards,” 2013-2019) are mostly seen from a distance, across the room, if you will.

The soundtrack is full of great rock ‘n’ roll, pop and rock songs, big band music and American Songbook standards. Silvestri’s melodic score is especially memorable.

As with “Forrest Gump” and the “Back to the Future” trilogy (1985,1989, 1990), Zemeckis plays with fact and fiction. “Here” is yet another chapter in the Zemeckis’s exploration of the United States milieu, psyche and zeitgeist and what it means to be living here in America.

“Here,” MPAA rated PG-13 (Parents Strongly Cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13. Parents are urged to be cautious. Some material may be inappropriate for pre-teenagers) for thematic material, some suggestive material, brief strong language and smoking; Genre: Drama; Run Time: 1 hour, 44 minutes. Distributed by Tri-Star -Sony.

Credit Readers Anonymous: “Here” was filmed in Pinewood Studios, England.

At The Movies: “Here” was seen in the standard format at AMC Center Valley 16.

Theatrical Movie Domestic Weekend Box Office, Nov. 15-17: “Red One,” led by Freedom High School graduate Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Chris Evans, opened at No. 1 with $34 million in 4,032 theaters, ending “Venom: The Last Dance” three-week straight No. 1 run, dropping one place to No. 2 with $7.3 million in 3,421 theaters, $127.6 million, four weeks.

3. “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” stayed in place, $5.4 million in 3,020 theaters, $19.9 million, two weeks. 4. “Heretic” dropped two places, $5.1 million in 3,230 theaters, $20.4 million, two weeks. 5. “The Wild Robot” dropped one place, $4.3 million in 2,894 theaters, $137.7 million, eight weeks. 6. “Smile 2” dropped one place, $2.9 million in 2,462 theaters, $65.6 million, five weeks. 7. “Conclave” dropped one place, $2.8 million in 2,377 theaters, $26.5 million, four weeks. 8. “Hello, Love, Again,” a Philippine romance drama, opening, $2.3 million in 248 theaters. 9. “A Real Pain” moved up nine places, $2.3 million in 1,185 theaters, $3 million, three weeks. 10. “Anora” dropped three places, $1.8 million in 1,500 theaters, $10.5 million, five weeks. 12. “Here” dropped four places, $865,000 in 1,774 theaters, $11.6 million, three weeks.

Movie box office information from Box Office Mojo as of Nov. 17 is subject to change.

Unreel, Nov. 22:

“Saint Nick of Bethlehem,” MPAA rated PG: Spencer Folmar and Bethlehem native Daniel Roebuck direct Cathy Moriarty, Daniel Roebuck, Duane Whitaker, Elias Kemuel, Stello Savante, Bradford Haynes, Timothy E. Goodwin, Jennifer Porrata, Madelyn Dundon, Kathy Patterson and Rod Gilkeson in the Family Drama Romance. A man who loses his son finds solace playing Santa Claus. The film was lensed in Bethlehem. The film runs Nov. 22-29, The Roxy Theatre, Northampton; opens Nov. 29, Frank Banko Alehouse Cinemas, SteelStacks, and Dec. 5-8, Shankweiler’s Drive-In.

“Gladiator II,” R: Ridley Scott directs Denzel Washington, Connie Nielsen, Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal in the Action Adventure Epic. The Colosseum becomes the battle place for ancient Rome.

“Wicked,” PG: Jon M. Chu directs Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Michelle Yeoh and Jeff Goldblum in the Pop Musical Fairy Tale. It’s based on Broadway’s “Wicked,” with music by Stephen Schwartz (including the hit song, “Defying Gravity”), which reinterprets the movie classic, “The Wizard of Oz.”

“Armor,” R: Justin Routt directs Sylvester Stallone, Josh Wiggins, Dash Mihok and Jason Patric in the Action Crime Thriller. Father and son security guards have their armored truck held up on a bridge.

“Bonhoeffer: Pastor. Spy. Assassin,” PG-13: Todd Komarnicki directs Jonas Dassler, Phileas Heyblom and August Diehl in the Darma Thriller. German Lutheran pastor and Christian theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer is implicated in a plot to assassinate Adolph Hitler during World War II.

“Never Look Away,” No MPAA rating: Lucy Lawless directs the documentary film about CNN camerawoman Margaret Moth. With interviews of Moth and Christiane Amanpour.

Movie opening date information from Internet Movie Database as of Nov. 17 is subject to change.

Three Popcorn Boxes out of Five Popcorn Boxes