When the things a bad people can always comfort each other with the notion that things can always turn exponentially worse. Protagonist of Life as a House, 2001 drama directed by Irwin Winkler, finds that the hard way. George Monroe (played by Kevin Kline) is architectural model designer forced to live in old family shack after getting divorced from wife Robin Kimball (played by Kristin Scott Thomas). Then in a single day he gets fired from his job and gets diagnosed with terminal incurable disease. George decides to spend the short time that he has left in a constructive way – by fulfilling lifelong dream, tearing down the shack and building magnificent house in its place. Person that might help him during summer holidays is his estranged 16-year old son Sam (played by Hayden Christensen), a youth who spends all of his free time listening to Marilyn Manson songs, sniffing glue, smoking dope and occasionally working as male prostitute in order to finance those activities. George is almost forced to use violence in order to make Sam work on house, but Sam gradually realises that the time with father actually might be well spent. One of the reasons is Alyssa (played by Jenna Malone), attractive daughter of George’s neighbour and former girlfriend Colleen Beck (played by Mary Steenburgen).
Life as a House is relatively obscure film and those who remember it tend to do so because in it Hayden Christensen, who would soon gain fame by playing Annakin Skywalker in Star Wars prequels, plays a male prostitute. Another reason for obscurity is subplot involving 16-year old nymphet drooling over a man three times her age. However, that content, that some might call subversive or inappropriate, can’t hide the fact that Life as a House represents something more like a shameless Oscar-grabbing attempt than genuine drama. Script by Mark Andrus uses cheap symbolism and plenty of even cheaper sentimentality to promote family values in a way that was supposed to win over geriatric voters of Academy. Kevin Kline playing a character with terminal affliction was also supposed to help this film’s Oscar-winning chances. But that plan failed, mostly due to script by Mark Andrus, whose previous and better known work in As Good as It Gets actually did win Oscars. Script for Life as a House is too complicated and filled with subplots more fitting to cheap soap operas. Director Irwin Winkler completely loses sense of time, making this film run for almost unbearable two hours. Even Kevin Kline, who was supposed to be film’s asset is here irritating and easily overshadowed by Christensen and the rest of younger cast. Christensen does solid job, even making convincing transformation from a male prostitute with grotesque make up into more conventional straight teenager. His efforts, however, weren’t enough to prevent this film to sink into well-deserved oblivion.
RATING: 3/10 (+)
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