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| Special Features: |
Commentary by director Irwin Winkler
Theatrical trailer
Two original documentaries (Character Building, From the Ground Up)
Deleted scenes with optional commentary
DVD ROM Features:
Script-to-screen
Original Website
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| Video Format: |
Anamorphic Widescreen (2.10:1)
[SS-SL]
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| Languages: |
English (DTS)
English (Dolby Digital 5.1)
English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround)
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| Subtitles: |
English.
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| Captions: |
Yes
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| Casing: |
1-Disc Snap Case
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A heart-tugging, Kleenex-grabbing, albeit slightly manipulative film about living life on your own terms, despite the hand you're dealt. Similar in feel to 1983’s “Terms of Endearment,” “Life As a House” is a frequently poignant tale of an architect (Kevin Kline) with terminal cancer, whose final wish is to repair the damaged relationship between himself and his troubled son (Hayden Christensen) and ex-wife (Kristin Scott-Thomas) by building his dream house on top of an ocean-front shack. As the title and storyline suggest, the film is a broad metaphor of their damaged relationships, and the second chance they get at rebuilding their lives through rebuilding this house. Excellent performances, particularly from veteran Kevin Klein and newcomer Hayden Christensen, anchor the film and give it an unusually strong presence for a seemingly prototypical Hollywood production.
Craig Roush was on the money with his review of the film.
An excellent Platinum Series addition from New Line that includes some well-done extra features and great audio/video transfer.
Picture Quality: 10/10
As always New Line's video transfer, particularly in its Platinum Series, is spectacular. The 2.10:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer -- the preserved aspect ratio specified by Director of Photography Vilmos Zsigmond -- is basically flawless. The film's brilliant colors and crisp details come out wonderfully on DVD. Director Irwin Winkler's shooting locations are gorgeous, and their sweeping impact on the big screen is fully preserved on the disc.
Sound Quality: 9/10
Though dialogue heavy, the film comes with a Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1 Surround track, both of which are distinct and clear.
Menu: 8/10
New Line's new organization system, incorporating the extra features into its "All Access Pass" is quite convenient, and the menu itself is attractive.
Extra Features: 9/10
An enlightening commentary track from Director Irwin Winkler, producer Rob Cowan and writer Mark Andrus (who also penned "As Good As It Gets") anchors a very interesting set of features. Also included are two well-made documentaries; Character Building: Inside Life as a House and From the Ground Up, which details the process production crews went through to build the beautiful ocean-front set and houses.
The Deleted Scenes with Optional Commentary were also interesting, in particular the cut introduction scene of Scott Bacula's cop character, since commentators note that his casting was a result of the original cop's bad mountain biking accident during filming.
The Final Word:
A heart-felt, poignant and predictable tale of living life on your own terms. Great performances anchor this enjoyable film that plays out just as well on DVD. Nearly flawless audio/video transfer and great extras make this an excellent addition to the DVD library.
Stephen Wong
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