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Life as a House
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.
2001 · Directed by Irwin Winkler · 125 min · Drama · Screenplay in the scene database · 13 frames
Tagline
Seen from a distance, it's perfect.
Plot
George Monroe, a jaded architectural model fabricator, is living the bachelor's life in the old family shack on the coast of California. Over the years, George has been avoiding getting up to modern CAD technology standards and eventually is fired from the architecture firm. When the principal owner refuses to let George keep a few of his models, he destroys all but one of the models with a roll of design plans. As he exits the building with the remaining model, he collapses and is rushed to the hospital, where it is revealed he has advanced stage cancer and any treatment would be futile.
George, with a time limit of only 3–4 months on his life, decides to demolish the shack left to him by his father and build his own custom house. He enlists his son, Sam, who is alienated from his mother Robin and stepfather Peter, a wealthy investor. Sam, who was planning to spend the summer at his friend Corey's house in Tahoe, is forced to spend his summer with George, who has not yet revealed his terminal condition, and help his dad with the house. Initially, Sam makes it a point not to help George demo the old house. When George refuses to give Sam money unless he works for it, Sam toys with becoming a prostitute, influenced by his classmate Josh, but is nearly caught and flees from his first encounter. This leads him to steal George's Vicodin.
George slowly reconnects with Sam through tearing down the shack and building the house. Robin decides to assist with building the house as well, and she finds herself rediscovering George. Also joining in the construction are Alyssa, Sam's classmate who lives next door with her mother Colleen; local policeman Kurt Walker, George's childhood friend; Sam's young half-brothers Adam and Ryan; various neighbors; and eventually Peter, even after separating from Robin when she tells him that her feelings for George have re-awakened. George tells Robin of his disease, sending her into shock. George tells Sam, who feels betrayed and accuses George of being selfish and takes refuge at Alyssa's house. George collapses and is found by Robin the following morning. Complications arise when neighbor David Dokos tries to halt construction because the building's height exceeds the allowable limit by six inches. His plans to halt the project are stopped by Sam, who recognizes him from his prostitution attempt based on the Black Lexus he owns and blackmails him.
Plot summary from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA.
Crew
- Screenplay: Mark Andrus
- Cinematography: Vilmos Zsigmond
- Edited by: Julie Monroe
- Music: Mark Isham
- Production design: J. Dennis Washington
- Produced by: Rob Cowan, Irwin Winkler
Cast
- 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
Production
- Country: United States of America
- Language: English
- Studios: New Line Cinema
- Budget: $18,000,000
- Box office: $23,903,791
- Themes: california, parent child relationship, house, cancer, juvenile delinquent, drugs, divorce, family, fired from the job, second chance
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