Rotten
Gauged strictly by the gag-factor, a more honest title might be Life as a Basement Apartment with Bad Light and a Dank Smell.
Rick Groen, Globe and Mail
Life as a House
Seen from a distance, it's perfect.
2001 · 2h 5m · R
Drama
Directed by
Irwin Winkler
Overview
When a man is diagnosed with terminal cancer, he takes custody of his misanthropic teenage son, for whom quality time means getting high, engaging in small-time prostitution, and avoiding his father.
Director and cast
- Irwin Winkler Director
- Kevin Kline as George Monroe
- Hayden Christensen as Sam Monroe
- Kristin Scott Thomas as Robin Kimball
- Jena Malone as Alyssa Beck
- Mary Steenburgen as Colleen Beck
- Ian Somerhalder as Josh
- Jamey Sheridan as Peter Kimball
- Scott Bakula as Officer Kurt Walker
- Sandra Nelson as Nurse
- Sam Robards as David Dokos
Critics on Rotten Tomatoes
Top critics, in their words
47%
Tomatometer
Fresh
The movie gets us to feel about the characters, their relationships, and their circumstances, and that goes a long way towards allowing us to forgive the screenplays' occasional mis-steps and wrong turns.
James Berardinelli, ReelViews
Fresh
Life as a House reaches easily past all your intellectual and emotional barriers, back into that spot behind your heart, where the levers that release tears are stored.
Eli Sanders, Seattle Times
Rotten
There's a prefab construction to Life as a House that prevents it from acquiring the emotional solidness it needs to stand out.
Terry Lawson, Detroit Free Press
Fresh
House may suffer from excessive and unnecessary ornamentation, but its foundation -- Kline's performance -- is solid and strong.
Steven Rosen, Denver Post
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