a great film. almost perfect. because it is just honest picture of a family in search of small things who could define it. because it is the simple portrait of a father and the realistic image of a teenager and the levels to build a house. a parable. one of ordinary crisis. and a wise solution. short, it is touching, bitter and lovely. dramatic and optimistic. a fight against the past. a noble work to conquer the future. and a secret who becomes the basis, the brick and the window, the door and the roof. the great surprise is Hayden Christensen. in fact the revelation because the transformation of Steve, so powerful, so subtle, represents more than grow up. Kevin Klein has the rare gift to present his role as a piece of clay who becomes pottery in the careful, precise work of a great artist. a film who must see. because it has the virtue to become a precious experience.

A totally predictable movie with a whole lot of fake emotion. Worth watching if you are a big fan of Kevin Kline or Kristan Scott Thomas. Movie starts out poorly with an unbelievable suicide attempt, and gets worse from there. The tone of the movie is all wrong, the music making it more so.I wish Kevin Kline could get better parts. His talent dwarfs this slick piece of Hollywood hokum. Same goes for Kristan Scott Thomas, although she seems to find good roles in European films.Certainly, the movie has some humor that rises above most Hollywood fare, but it can't save the movie from its phony and contrived emotional content.Here's hoping that Kevin Kline and Thomas get roles worthy of their talent.

Life is short. That's what we hear for a long time until we really realize that it was after all. When time runs out maybe everything else seems a waste of time except building up quality relationships and making up to the people you love. No one needs to die alone, with regret. Taking this theme dramatically and very close to heart, "Life as a House" represents itself in a very touching manner.When George Monroe (Kevin Kline) is diagnosed with terminal cancer and lost his 20 year old job for new technology, he decides that it's time to look back and fix some of his mistakes. The biggest is letting go of his marriage 10 years back and his son with it. Thinking of making a change and winning back the lost heart of his son he decides to bring him to his place to spend the summer vacation. The teenager Sam (Hayden Christensen) who is tough headed and crack addict with good load of piercings on his body objects the idea. George decides to take him any way and live in the garage while the old shack he lives in is demolished in the name of reconstruction. These he wishes to be the last things he does in his life, getting to know Sam and building a house for his own and give it to his son. With difficulty and lot of tolerance both of the men fit in the small garage until they find out the meaning of the father and son relationship. And George finds love and comfort at the end in the hands of his x wife whom in heart have never left at the first place. "Life as a House" is a warm drama. It flow calm yet strong while you knowing that the ending is not going to be that something to celebrate of. Seeing young Sam so hard headed and arrogant and George making room for him to fit in seems like an arduous and next to impossible task. But the story rolls out wonderfully flawless and emotionally. read more at flickshout.blogspot.com

I found the film to be pretty good, not as emotionally wrecking and heartfull as many made it out to be, but nonetheless it was still pretty good. The film is filled with some clichés but in Life as a House it works for the most part. Although the film is predictable, it was still pretty entertaining to watch. Though, I found there to be many things that were somewhat unnecessary in the film that didn't add much or didn't need to be in the film. Some of them were quite awkward. Things such as Alyssa taking showers with Sam after only a few visits (her not really knowing him). Colleen (Allyssa's mother) sleeping with Josh (Alyssa's boyfriend). Alyssa later on kissing George (she said that he looked like a good-kisser??). I also didn't like the ending with the narration of Kevin Kleine's voice-over, also the family giving the house (that they spent a lot of time building) to the little crippled girl. It sended a bad message.But the film makes up with the mistakes with great performances all around. Kevin Kleine as George the protagonist was great, along with Hayden Christensen as Sam (troubled teen in the start to nicer kid). The supporters were great also.