Review of Life as a House (2001) by Nate H — 30 Jun 2009

The title is what this movie is about; "Life as a House." It fails to go much deeper and the filmmakers continually remind you that this film is "Life as a House." However, the film evokes so much emotion, the characters are so strong, the acting is so heartfelt, and the music is so beautiful that one can't help but feel moved by what's actually going on.

Kevin Kline is a man given a death sentence. A couple months tops. He divulges early on that he "hasn't been touched in years." His family is gone. He loses his job. He's an outcast in his neighborhood. His house is all he has and even that is a wreck. The film is the journey of this man as he tries to, you guessed it, "build" himself a life as he builds a new house. But this man is not alone. He is surrounded by different relationships, and it is here where I think the film works.

Sometimes these relationships work, sometimes not. But we do our best to be happy. This man finds happiness by the end, and "Life as a House" does a great job making us believe in it.