Life as a House (2001)

Thanks for the memories!

best movie i've ever seen.

An Exercise In Nonsense

A Masterpiece!

a great film. almost perfect. because it is just honest picture of a family in search of small things who could define it. because it is the simple portrait of a father and the realistic image of a teenager and the levels to build a house. a parable. one of ordinary crisis. and a wise solution. short, it is touching, bitter and lovely. dramatic and optimistic. a fight against the past. a noble work to conquer the future. and a secret who becomes the basis, the brick and the window, the door and the roof. the great surprise is Hayden Christensen. in fact the revelation because the transformation of Steve, so powerful, so subtle, represents more than grow up. Kevin Klein has the rare gift to present his role as a piece of clay who becomes pottery in the careful, precise work of a great artist. a film who must see. because it has the virtue to become a precious experience.

While I'm not one to easily give out accolades towards films, this little talked about film is however an exception. Kevin Kline gave one of the best performances I've seen from him as the father who is secretly dying while simultaneously trying to reconnect with his troubled teenage son as the two embark on the task of building his dream house, which itself serves as reconciliation, or better yet a new beginning. Kristen Scott Thomas forever type cast as the cheating/conflicted wife was tolerable as the ex-wife to Kline character. Having experienced what it was like to grow up without my own father I had firsthand experience as to what it felt like to keep that resentment and anger in during those crucial teen years. I saw this movie for the first time late one night while my wife and kids were all asleep and I got drawn back into what it was like all over again. I have absolutely no shame to admit that this movie had me in tears in several key scenes. I place this film as one of my all time favorites as well as making my list of films that make you cry and think at the same time.

Academy-Award-Winner Kevin Kline, is, without a shed of doubt, Amongst The Finest Actors of All-Time. A Magical Actor, who in Each & Every film of his, stands out, due to his performances. In 'Life as a House', he delivers a yet another Memorable Performance, proving his caliber once again! 'Life as a House' Synopsis: When a man is diagnosed with terminal cancer, he takes custody of his misanthropic teenage son, for whom quality time means getting high, engaging in small-time prostitution, and avoiding his father.As a film, 'Life as a House' is emotional & well-intentioned. But the film has a few minuses, that pop-up, mainly, in the second-hour. The Screenplay Written by Mark Andrus is definitely well-done, but in the second-hour, it dips considerably. Irwin Winkler's Direction is fair. Cinematography, Editing & Art Design, are decent.Performance-Wise: Kline's Performance as George Monroe, is truly Memorable. He sinks his teeth into the part & performs flawlessly. Kline is truly a Magical Actor & he very rightfully deserves all the respect he's gotten over the years. Hayden Christensen is extremely sincere in his part & stands on his own, despite being cast along a Giant like Kline. Kristin Scott Thomas is impressive. Jena Malone is as usual. Mary Steenburgen is proficient. Jamey Sheridan does his bit well.On the whole, 'Life as a House' is an emotional film, with Kline delivering a yet another performance, that goes on-to prove his undeniable potential as a performer.

Screenwriter Mark Andrus attempts to write for beleaguered middle-aged adults as well as 'misunderstood' high school kids in "Life as a House", and neither group comes off especially well. Kevin Kline, a divorced and unemployed model-maker recently fired from an architectural design firm, decides to tear down his ramshackle oceanfront abode to build his dream home (perhaps not the ideal time); he also chooses this unintended respite to get reacquainted with his pierced, pill-popping teenage son, who wears eye makeup to show us he's rebellious (also to allow his stepfather to call him "queer" so we can see what an insensitive jerk the guy is). Andrus doesn't miss a beat: we also get Kristin Scott Thomas as Kline's still-loving ex-wife who harps at him exhaustively when she's not coyly flirting (she pays a visit and whispers, "I dreamed about your house last night..."). The moody, foul-mouthed son has enough problems to star in his own movie; he berates his father, too, with such dialogue as, "You can't promise me anything because you don't have anything to promise!" It's a groan-worthy soap opera accented with little bits of naughty business (like Kline urinating in his yard when his plumbing goes out) which serve no purpose except to make us snicker. It turns out the kid isn't "queer" after all once he begins trading jaded endearments with the conveniently-placed doe-eyed lass next door, and Kline gets his way with the city ordinance after taking a chainsaw to a cabinet and installing that all-important enclosure around his toilet. If only real life were so simple! * from ****