Life as a House Review
by Rose 'Bams' Cooper (bams AT 3blackchicks DOT com)November 13th, 2001
'3BlackChicks Review...'
LIFE AS A HOUSE (2001)
Rated R; running time 145 minutes
Genre: Drama
Seen at: Celebration Cinema (Lansing, Michigan)
Official site: http://www.lifeasahouse.com/
IMDB site: http://us.imdb.com/Details?0264796
Written by: Mark Andrus
Directed by: Irwin Winkler
Cast: Kevin Kline, Kristin Scott Thomas, Hayden Christensen, Jena Malone, Mary Steenburgen, Ian Somerhalder, Mike Weinberg, Scotty Leavenworth, Jamey Sheridan, Sam Robards
Review Copyright Rose Cooper, 2001
Review URL: http://www.3blackchicks.com/bamslifehouse.html
The more I watch movies with a critical eye, the more I find that I most like the ones that reflect something in my life; that I can relate to on a personal basis. And as the mother of two previously 16-year-old boys, I can relate to LIFE AS A HOUSE in a big way.
THE STORY (WARNING: **spoilers contained below**)
Issues, Issues, everywhere...and no room in which to hide them.
George (Kevin Kline), an architect fired just as he gets some Bad News on the medical front, decides to get his life in order and try to reconnect with his 16-year-old son Sam (Hayden Christensen), telling his ex-wife Robin (Kristin Scott Thomas) that he wants Sam to live with him over the summer. Sam - who lives in anger with and isolation from mom Robin, his unemotional stepfather Peter (Jamey Sheridan), and stepbrothers Ryan (Scotty Leavenworth) and Adam (Mike Weinberg) - wants no parts of his 10-year-absent father's life. Living a bleak life full of drug abuse, and targeted to be turned out by Josh (Ian Somerhalder), Sam resists all efforts by George to bond with his son.
George tells Sam he wants his help to tear down the old shack they once lived in, and build a new house, so that George can give Sam something tangible; something George's own father, never gave him. Sam continues to resist George, but a growing friendship with next-door neighbor Alyssa (Jena Malone) and her mother Coleen (Mary Steenburgen) serves to soften Sam's heart somewhat. But does George have enough time to break through Sam's anger - as well as his own?
THE UPSHOT (WARNING: **more spoilers contained below**): Though I could easily relate to this movie because of my own familial Issues, something was gnawing at the back of my head in the days before watching the movie: why was I always referring to it as "My Life As A House"? The easy answer is that that title sounded more grammatically correct; but while actually watching this film, I realized the real answer: it very much reminded me of another favorite of mine, the Michael Keaton-starrer, MY LIFE.
For me, the comparison is a good one. Though MY LIFE was a bit heavy-handed at times and sentimental at others, its story of how a dying man got his family groove back, was a touching one, featuring a strong performance by its lead actor. And after having watched LIFE AS A HOUSE in full, the comparison still held true.
Kevin Kline and Michael Keaton (coincidentally both known more for their comedic roles, at least initially) both proved to be powerful foundations for their respective movies. Rarely falling back on sentimentality to move his "House" story, Kline drew a refreshingly different bead on what might have otherwise been a standard ex-husband/ex-father/dropout-from-reality role, even though the writing certainly may have been headed that way. And at least in the early stages, Hayden Christensen as George's disaffected, bejeweled, Marilyn Mason-wannabe son Sam, was equal to the task of meeting Kline head-on. It took all I had to stay objective about that relationship; all I can say is, thank goodness my husband and I made it through our 16-year-olds' assorted craziness. Neither one of my boys were quite *that* bad, but, oohlord, I Felt George.
As similar as they were, the two "Lives" also had some divergence, much to Kline's and director Irwin Winkler's credit. Here, the focus was much more on George getting his life in order (whereas Keaton's MY LIFE character, "Bob Jones", was more focused on preparing for his pending death). Also, in MY LIFE, the plot was clearly centered on Bob and his Issues; even when the other characters came into play, they were shown as how they relate to *him*. Conversely, the supporting players in "House" had much more individualistic (and, somewhat confusing) roles, at times having nothing at all to do with the main plot (such as the strange turn with Coleen and the object of her desire). Both approaches had their pros and cons, but if I had to choose, I'd have to give the upper hand to LIFE AS A HOUSE for its sense of reality. After all, the world does not revolve around one person at a time - no matter how much The Movies would have us think otherwise.
One more comparative difference: the first time I watched MY LIFE, I bawled my eyes dry. Still, though I never felt weepy about this film's inevitable outcome (and was genuinely surprised by Sam's very mature act at the end), I can honestly say that my time in watching LIFE AS A HOUSE was time well-spent. Thomas' disconnected performance (in an, admittedly, somewhat unbelievable role) left something to be desired, but Kline and Christensen brought the house down. Malone and Steenburgen provided ample support (and could easily have merited a movie featuring their characters on their own), and Sam Robards added some funny moments as a man literally dogged in life (and, having a neighbor remarkably like David Dokos, I don't blame George one bit for letting the dog out). Tears would've been the easy route; LIFE AS A HOUSE, instead, asked for my appreciation - and got it.
BAMMER'S BOTTOM LINE:
Beautifully filmed [man, those sunsets!] and filled with great performances, LIFE AS A HOUSE was built on terra firma. Looks like it's time for me to go find my tape of MY LIFE...
LIFE AS A HOUSE (rating: greenlight):
The House that Kline and Christensen built, is a good one.
Rose "Bams" Cooper
Webchick and Editor,
3BlackChicks Review
Entertainment Reviews With Flava!
Copyright Rose Cooper, 2001
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http://www.3blackchicks.com/
Originally posted in the rec.arts.movies.reviews newsgroup. Copyright belongs to original author unless otherwise stated. We take no responsibilities nor do we endorse the contents of this review.
