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In this unlikely feel good contrivance, Kevein Kline is a divorced dying model maker dying of cancer who is fired from his job at an
archtectural firm and decides to rebuid his ocean cliff-side shack to transform his sullen, pierced, druggie son into a clan and sober one. In one of the many absurdities Kline finances the project with severence pay from his low level job. At the end the son is transformed and every character along the way has his or her problem(s) resolved, situations boldly telegraphed well in advance. Kevin Kline and Kristin Scott Thomas try manfully to hold this up, as do Hayden Christianson and Mary Steenburgen in a smaller role, but the whole thing is so "Terms of Endearment"y that your teeth are aching from the treacle. Highly unlikely and really duimbed down for the masses.
Follow Ups:
This is one of those movies that the viewer can complete the screenplay after watching 10 minutes. Very pedestrian. Which seems to the consensus.I actually like Kevin Kline. Sometimes. I thought he was brilliant in Fish Called Wanda, very good in The Ice Storm, Consenting Adults, Grand Canyon, and In & Out, he was himself in The Anniversary Party, and then played basically the same charachters in Orange County, The Emperor's Club, and Life as House. And forget Wild, Wild West.
rico,I was interested in "Life as a House" from a psychological point of view. I've long agreed with the Jungian characterization that a house is a metaphor for the psyche- you look at the way someone constructs their enviroment and of course it's very revealing.
Accordingly, I have high standards when someone wants to discuss this subject- it had better have some depth.
But "LaaH" lost me early on. Near the beginning the boss calls Kline over and says i.e., "Your make architectural models. Tomorrow we are going to use computer renderings instead. You're fired." I knew frrom that early point that Kline would turn out to be a complete imbecile- first: not to have noticed an "important" trend in his specialty coming, second, to work for 25 years for a heartless sphincter. Arch'l draftsmen had at least ten year' warning to be learning CAD. And models are still being made in nearly the numbers as always- there is no completely satisfying substitute for 3D. But I digress..
The real dissapointment was that the meanings attributed to the house- as implied by the title are all lost, obscured in sentimentality.
The final solution to of the disposition of the finished house was the final straw. I won't spoil this for the unlucky potential viewers, but this gets thrown in very late in the Peyton Place machinations and I wanted to provide the screenwriter a little bump off that attractive cliff.
I did like the little house -kind of super-duper Craftsman with early Wrightian pieces. That little CA ocean view house would be worth at least $1.5 million today! You're right rico, the severance package fromm that small firm must be as good as Welch gets from GE!
Kline has been likable in a couple of things- how about his "Pirates of Penzance" from out of nowhere?, but I agree with Victor there's generally a Costner-like flatness there.
Wouldn't a movie concerning the design and making of a really mysterious, idiosyncratic house by a genius, directed by Kurosawa have been a nice one?
Cheers,
Bambi B
-designer of 600 houses and currently (supposed to be) designing a house for myself..
for me is Buster Keaton's "One Week".
"Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House" and "A House of Their Own".
.
Victor,"The way I see it, the water over there is 6 feet and the water over here is 238 feet."
Cheers,
BB
"Like a ledge!"
That film would pass for an entertainment if you had three hours to kill and nothing better. I hate Kevin Kline with passion - I always thought he was a horible actor, from the same mold as Kevin Costner, and this film is no exception.It had a good moment, though, when Mary Steenburger jumps out of bed fully naked. Not a body of a Hollywood starlet, but still delectable enough to make you lean forward to see more. More scenes of that type would have spruced up the otherwise boring film.
And as I always loved Kristine shes was like an oasis.
Very low overall score though.
The house metaphore has got to go; along with the script. Great actors will show up the flaws more than poor acting. Saw this baby awhile ago and all I remember is that I couldn't wait for Kevin Kline to die. The movie died 30 minutes in....
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