neumu [ cinematronic ]




	Life As A House
	Irwin Winkler Kevin Kline, Kristin Scott Thomas, Hayden Christensen 2001 Special edition — widescreen; closed caption; audio commentary by director Irwin Winkler; two original documentaries; deleted scenes; theatrical trailer. DVD-ROM: script-to-screen; original Web sites.		A terminal illness is at the root of this dramedy, which results in a tug-of-war between its life-affirming and tear-jerking elements. Unfolding with TV-movie banality, it's a case of good intentions swamped by maudlin mush. Kevin Kline borders on the insipid as George, a quirky architect whose idiosyncrasies, such as living like a slob in a ramshackle home overlooking the Pacific, undermined his marriage. George is alienated from his ex-wife Robin (Kristin Scott Thomas), now married to a dull businessman, and his 16-year-old son Sam (Hayden Christensen), a rebellious pain-in-the-ass. That's not enough to bring on the boo-hooing, so George gets double-whammied: on the day he's fired from his architecture firm for being out of touch, he learns he has only a few months to live. He tells no one that he's sick, but he plans to spend his last summer bonding with sullen Sam. The two of them will tear down George's dilapidated dwelling and rebuild it as his dream house. Ooh, symbolic!