Life as a House

R

Released Oct 26, 2001

2 hr. 4 min.

Drama

List

47%

106 Reviews

Tomatometer

88%

50,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

"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.

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Critics Consensus

A manipulative tearjerker, Life as a House benefits from fine performances from the cast.

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b b

There is of course better written movies, but there is something special about this one that resonate deep withing me. Not sure what makes this movies so special to me, but it's one of those movies I can't stay away for long before I feel the need to watch it again.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/05/24

Full Review

finnley d

Came for emo Hayden Christensen, left emotional. Great watch but have some tissues close by.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

12/12/23

Full Review

Audience Member

I first saw this on a transatlantic plane and fell in love with it. It's one of my top-10 movies of all time. The rebuilding-the-house metaphor for the rebuilding the relationship really works, and the varied pace of the movie adds a lot to the tension between father and son. There's a lot of subtlety in the interaction between George and Sam, with poignant and humorous moments - often seconds apart. The beautiful cinemaphotography is a perfect match for the gorgeous music of Mark Isham, which really brings it to its climax. It's intimate, it's beautiful and it's thought-provoking. I love it - and I thins it's time I watched it again.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/24/23

Full Review

G H

When this first came out, I was young and my dad begged me repeatedly to watch it, to the point that I avoided it. I watched it years later and it was the first movie that made me cry - not just a little, I wept. It is such a beautiful movie, it deals with very real and uncomfortable subjects and at the core, touches a part of you that I think almost everyone experiences in their life. I loathe Hayden Christiansens acting, but this movie exceeds what he's capable of. Prepare yourself for a ride, this is worth seeing.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/07/22

Full Review

Audience Member

Probably my all time favorite movie.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/23/23

Full Review

Audience Member

This movie was so beautiful! I even cried at the end! The acting from Kevin Kline, Kristin Scott Thomas, and Hayden Christensen was great. I don't think the movie was melodramatic at all; it was a tearjerker. I loved it and definitely recommend it!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/18/23

Full Review

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Irwin Winkler

Director

Kevin Kline

George

Kristin Scott Thomas

Robin

Hayden Christensen

Sam

Jena Malone

Alyssa

Mary Steenburgen

Coleen

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Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

Uneven but moving story of reconcilliation.

Rated: 3/5

Dec 25, 2010

Full Review

Empire Magazine

Rated: 2/5

Dec 30, 2006

Full Review

Marrit Ingman

Austin Chronicle

Rated: 2/5

Mar 10, 2003

Full Review

Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

This father-son melodrama is well acted, but it's too solemn and too concerned with being inspirational

Rated: C+

Jun 2, 2011

Full Review

Betsy Bozdech

DVDJournal.com

When it's not veering into cheesiness, this well-acted tale of redemption has some affecting scenes and moments of genuine drama.

Rated: 2.5/4

Nov 9, 2006

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Film Threat

Rated: 3/5

Dec 6, 2005

Full Review

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Synopsis

"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.

Director: Irwin Winkler
Executive Producer: Brian E. Frankish, Lynn Harris, Michael De Luca
Screenwriter: Mark Andrus
Distributor: New Line Cinema
Production Co: Winkler Films
Rating: R (Language|Drug Use|Sexuality)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 26, 2001, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 25, 2011
Box Office (Gross USA): $15.6M
Sound Mix: Dolby SR, DTS, Dolby Stereo, Surround, SDDS, Dolby A, Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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