Common Sense Media Review
Uneven but moving story of reconcilliation.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Life as a House
What's the Story?
Kevin Kline plays George, an unhappy man who creates meticulously crafted models in an architectural firm. His skills are no longer valuable in an era of computerized design, his ex-wife does not like him, his teenage son hates everyone, including himself, and his house is literally falling down around him. When George is fired, he decides to tear down his house, which was built by his own father, and build a new one with his son, Sam (Hayden Christiansen). At first, Sam is hostile and uncooperative. Then he is hostile and a little bit cooperative. Then he, like George, learns the power of tearing down painful parts of their history and starting over again to build something new. George's ex-wife Robin (Kristin Scott Thomas) and her children become intrigued with the project. And the pretty teenager next door becomes intrigued with Sam. Soon, everybody is pitching in except for the angry neighbor who vows to stop them.
Is It Any Good?
This film is unexpectedly touching. When a movie is called LIFE AS A HOUSE, you enter on full metaphor alert. When it turns out to be about an estranged father and son who pull down an old shack and construct a dream house overlooking the ocean and it turns out to be a transforming experience for everyone who happens by while it is in progress plus including a tragic death that is still another transforming experience for everyone, you have every right to expect a generic made-for-TV-movie uplifting weepie. But this movie gives us something more, thanks to a script by Mark Andrus (of "As Good as it Gets") and a first-rate cast.
There is a lot wrong with Life as a House. The plot is creaky and manipulative. The female characters are all fantasy figures. Some of the plot lines never get resolved -- they just stop (or, in one case, just fall off the roof). The solution to the problem with the neighbor is unintentionally unnerving. But there is a lot that is right with the movie, too, including subtle, magnetic performances and moments of real power and feeling. If the movie is not as dazzling as the finished house, at least it is not as decrepit as the shack.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about why it was so hard for Sam to feel good about himself, and why the things he tried to make himself feel better did not work. What did he mean when he said that it felt better to feel things? Why was physical touch so important to many of the characters? Families will also want to talk about the behavior of Colleen and Alyssa and their decisions about their sexual relationships.
Movie Details
- In theaters : October 26, 2001
- On DVD or streaming : March 26, 2002
- Cast : Hayden Christensen , Jena Malone , Kevin Kline , Kristin Scott Thomas
- Director : Irwin Winkler
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s) , Pansexual Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : New Line
- Genre : Drama
- Run time : 125 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : language, sexuality and drug use
- Last updated : September 20, 2019
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate