Life as a House
| Life As A House | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Irwin Winkler |
| Written by | Mark Andrus |
| Starring | Kevin Kline Hayden Christensen Kristin Scott Thomas |
| Edited by | Julie Monroe |
| Distributed by | New Line |
Release date | 2001 |
Running time | 125 minutes |
| Language | English |
Life as a House is a 2001 film starring Kevin Kline, Kristin Scott Thomas, and Hayden Christensen. Directed by Irwin Winkler and written by Mark Andrus, the film involves the metaphorical and emotional underpinnings of demolishing and reconstructing a house. The film is set in picturesque Rancho Palos Verdes, California and is notable for its dramatic use of the coast and of sunsets.
Plot
Kevin Kline plays George Monroe, who is fired from his job as a fabricator of architectural models and is diagnosed with terminal cancer. He enlists the help of his reluctant and rebellious son Sam, played by Hayden Christensen, to demolish the shack that George inherited from his abusive father and build an elegant home in its place. During this experience, George reconnects with his son and his divorced wife Robin, played by Kristin Scott Thomas. The movie is a source of discovery both for George and Sam. Sam in particular changes from a rebellious drug abusing teen into something more closely resembling his father. This is evident in the final sequence, in which Sam gives the house to a woman disabled by a car accident caused by George's father while driving under the influence.
Character Conflicts
- George Monroe divorced Robin ten years before the beginning of the film. Robin has remarried, but her feelings for George begin to resurface.
- Sam does not have a good relationship with anyone around him, and is known to have only one good friend at school.
- Robin's second marriage is to a wealthy, selfish businessman. She has two children with him, neither of whom he has time for.
- Sam Monroe's love interest, Alyssa Beck (Jena Malone) is dating a wealthy teen drug dealer and pimp named Josh, whom Sam looks to for money and marijuana.
- George Monroe realizes his neglect of his son over the years and tries to recapture the relationship he once had with Sam as a child.
- Sam puts up a fight to this new change, but finds a sense of power when he helps his dad tear down the house.
Allusions to Guster
There are many instances in the movies that allude to Guster, an alternative rock band from Boston. In the film, the dog is named "Guster", and two of the main characters are named Ryan and Adam, after Guster's two main vocalists: Ryan Miller and Adam Gardner. Guster's songs "What You Wish For" and "Rainy Day" are also featured in the movie. Also, a license plate on a car in the film is "FAN 321", in reference to Guster's "fan2fan" mailing list and to the "4, 3, 2, 1" countdown in the song, "Barrel of a Gun".