A manipulative tearjerker, Life as a House benefits from fine performances from the cast. Read critic reviews
Life as a House
2001, Drama, 2h 4m
106 Reviews 50,000+ RatingsWhat to know
You might also like
See More
White Oleander
Everything Is Illuminated
About Schmidt
Love & Basketball
America
Where to watch
Rate And Review
-
What did you think of the movie? (optional)
You're almost there! Just confirm how you got your ticket.
You're almost there! Just confirm how you got your ticket.
What did you think of the movie? (optional)
How did you buy your ticket?
-
Fandango
-
AMCTheatres.com or AMC AppNew
-
Cinemark Coming Soon
We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.
-
Regal Coming Soon
We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.
-
Theater box office or somewhere else
Life as a House Photos
Movie Info
"Life as a House" is the poignant, often humorous journey of one man who decides to tear down his house -- and winds up rebuilding the world around him. From the day he picks up his sledgehammer, George Monroe embarks on a grand adventure that will shatter expectations and build a foundation for many different dreams among his family and neighbors.
-
Rating: R (Language|Drug Use|Sexuality)
-
Genre: Drama
-
Original Language: English
-
Director: Irwin Winkler
-
Producer: Rob Cowan, Irwin Winkler
-
Writer: Mark Andrus
-
Release Date (Theaters): wide
-
Release Date (Streaming):
-
Box Office (Gross USA): $15.6M
-
Runtime:
-
Distributor: New Line Cinema
-
Sound Mix: Dolby SR, DTS, Dolby Stereo, Surround, SDDS, Dolby A, Dolby Digital
-
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)
Cast & Crew
News & Interviews for Life as a House
Critic Reviews for Life as a House
Audience Reviews for Life as a House
-
Not overly moving, but a dramatic tale of contemporary family life all the same.
-
George is having a bad year. Divorced, alone, estranged from his loser son, behind the times, he has no motivation. Then in the same day he gets fired and finds out he has terminal cancer. What a start to a movie! I enjoy this sort of movie - as George is dying, he resolves his issues with his ex-wife and son, Sam. Sam is having a tough time of it as well - needing drugs just to get by and withdrawing from the world. With the help of Alyssa, Sam helps his dad build a house and becomes less self-centred.
-
I am a big fan of Kevin Kline, and I think that this is one of his best movies. Very moving, and very well done. Great for anyone who likes a good drama.
-
A moving story of a man determined to reestablish a connection to his troubled teenage son and his ex-wife and of his determination to leave a legacy before dying. Kevin Kline does some brilliant work here as George a man who finds out he has cancer on the day he gets released from the job he has held for twenty years. Kristen Scott Thomas as the ex, Robin is equally brilliant. Her character, a frustrated mother and an ignored wife, engendered sympathy and her ambivalence over reconnecting to her ex was totally believable. But, without, the performance of Hayden Christiansen as Sam, the troubled teen, this would have been a much less gripping tale. Watching him grow up, and become ready to take his place in the world is what made this special. Jena Malone as the free-spirited girl-next-door, Alyssa, and Mary Steenburgen as Alyssa's mom were excellent in supporting roles as was the rest of the supporting cast. The scenery, on the California coast, was gorgeous. The cinematography breathtaking, and the story had one laughing one minute and weeping the next. A brilliant film that had all the right elements to make it memorable.
Verified