Kevin Kline,
Kristin Scott Thomas,
Hayden Christensen,
Jena Malone,
Mary Steenburgen
... see more 
Kevin Kline stars as George, a down-on-his-luck architect in this tearjerker from Irwin Winkler (At First Sight, Guilty By Suspicion). A disdainful local character who draws disapproval from the commu... read more
DVD Release Date: March 26, 2002
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Stats: 3,947 reviews
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Flixster Reviews (3,947)
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February 25, 2011Everytime aging Kevin Kline glooms over the welcoming sea and remembers when his wife loved him and holding his toddler son in the sand, laughing and crying, and then that music hits for five solid minutes, i just know, like telepathically that my grandmother is watching this sam... read more
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October 14, 2010I am a big fan of Kevin Kline, and I think that this is one of his best movies. Very moving, and very well done. Great for anyone who likes a good drama.
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October 4, 2010George is having a bad year. Divorced, alone, estranged from his loser son, behind the times, he has no motivation. Then in the same day he gets fired and finds out he has terminal cancer. What a start to a movie!
I enjoy this sort of movie - as George is dying, he resolves h... read more -
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November 27, 2009I am truly surprised this has rated as well as it has. I really found this quite second rate. Hayden Christensen in particular is truly awful. His bratty teen is outstandingly unconvincing. Kristin Scott Thomas plays just a nothing sort of character and Jena Malone is under u... read more
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April 8, 2007great movie but soooo sad! OMG kelsey sam is our EDWARD!!!!!!! haha i bet he is too old 4 the part now. if u like vampires anyone ...read TWILIGHT
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February 12, 2007The bestest drama and emotional story I ever watched. It features all the moving, bittersweet honesty of Terms of Endearment, Field of Dreams and American Beauty.
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February 1, 2007If you can get past Hayden Christensen being an excruciating whiny douche for an hour, then you'll find yourself with a pretty strong family-centered drama with a lot of well-written characters. We watched this in my screenwriting class, in fact, for its characters; their presenc... read more
Critic Reviews
March 19, 2002
Rick Groen, Globe and Mail
November 27, 2001
James Berardinelli, ReelViews
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 tu... Full Review
November 2, 2001
Joe Baltake, Sacramento Bee
[Kline] works beyond the call of duty here, although the role exploits and corrupts his natural charisma while hardly taking advantage of his estimable talent. Full Review
November 2, 2001
Terry Lawson, Detroit Free Press
There's a prefab construction to Life as a House that prevents it from acquiring the emotional solidness it needs to stand out. Full Review
November 2, 2001
Steven Rosen, Denver Post
House may suffer from excessive and unnecessary ornamentation, but its foundation -- Kline's performance -- is solid and strong. Full Review
November 1, 2001
Jay Boyar, Orlando Sentinel
Kline never lets the soap-opera implications get the better of him.
November 1, 2001
Rex Reed, New York Observer
The resolutions are too pat, the characters too predictable, the situations too contrived to sustain even the most desperate desires for family entertainment. Full Review
October 29, 2001
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone
Sadly, Christensen is the only jolt of excitement in this turgid soap opera.
October 26, 2001
Bob Graham, San Francisco Chronicle
May satisfy those who like their movies to offer life lessons and provide role models. Full Review
October 26, 2001
Gene Seymour, Newsday
A slick, gold-streaked machine custom-designed to squeeze tears from the unwary. Full Review
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Life as a House
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