Life as a House (2001)

A respectable tearjerker, Life as a House is a welcome throwback to angst-ridden family dramas like Ordinary People and Terms of Endearment. It falls short of those modern classics, but you'll probably still need Kleenex if you appreciate Kevin Kline's underrated dramatic skills. As the title suggests, Kline's project is a broad metaphor for repairing damaged lives from the foundation up. Playing an architect with terminal cancer, he gives an Oscar^®-caliber performance, reaching out to his estranged, nihilistic son (future Star Wars star Hayden Christensen) and ex-wife (Kristin Scott-Thomas) as he wrecks and rebuilds the Malibu cliff-top home that contained his most painful memories. Director Irwin Winkler's flair with actors helps to minimize lapses in a script (by As Good As It Gets scribe Mark Andrus) that occasionally borders on maudlin. Overall, this is a fine reminder that Hollywood hasn't lost its soul to action and special effects. --Jeff Shannon Amazon.com

EXCELLENT FILM...LIFE AS A HOUSE

THIS IS A HEARTWARMING FILM ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS. KEVIN KLINE, AS ALWAYS,
IS RIGHT ON CHARACTER IN THIS ROLE. WORTHWHILE OWNING THIS MOVIE. October 6, 2008

I've Always Wanted To Build My Own Home

I guess I shared a dream with the Kline character but never saw it through. He did.
This movie may dampen your eyes at times but it really is a story of people finding themselves in this crazy world. I can't think of a scene that isn't superb.
And what acting - Kevin, Hayden and Kristin in particular but the whole cast as well.
August 25, 2008

From Here On

This book is everything I thought it would be. If you are 60 or over, you will be overjoyed with Reeve Lindbergh's thoughts on growing older. August 12, 2008

One of the best movies that I've seen in recent memory

I've had this movie on my wish list for quite some time as the description sounded interesting, but hadn't really gotten around to ordering it. I finally got the opportunity to sit down and watch this last night as a rental. I'm on line this morning to order the movie! The acting is superb, the cinematography is breathtaking and the soundtrack is wonderful. I could not find a single fault in this movie. Each and every actor put in an oscar award winning effort. Hayden Christensen makes you forget that you ever knew him as "Anakin Skywalker" and only that there is a deeply troubled and hurting teenager in front of you. Kevin Kline will make you laugh through your tears and Kristin Scott Thomas will make your heart ache for a woman with a lifetime of mistakes. I won't spoil the ending but it makes you smile and say "YES! That was the right thing to do!". In the day of fluff and nonsense movies that are currently on the big screen, this movie should definitely have earned far more recognition than it did. It will be on my movie shelf by the end of the week. May 12, 2008

Movie

This movie is great. It's not one I would see over and over, but it tugs at my heart. April 6, 2008

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