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27 of 31 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Clever, fitting, heartwarming...., October 10, 2005
David Duchovny does a fantastic job of creating a picture of a boy's childhood(Tom) with an addicted mother who is in need of parenting from her son and who is not capable of being the mother he so desperately needs. The humor of being thirteen and the jokes we have all told are caught in the most appropriate of depictions. This story is a wonderful Bildungsroman that creates a realistic and fun view of Thomas as a young boy becoming a man and growing apart from his retarded friend(Pappas) by becoming an older mental age than Pappas can ever be.
The life journey of Thomas is interesting, sad, funny and heartwarming all at once.
Those who are so critical of Duchovny and this film had expectations that were too lofty for anyone to live up to. I have different expectations when I go the movies. I am not there to give amateur critiques of the directing and script. I am there to watch and hopefully be entertained, and this film does not disappoint. Duchovny is subtly funny bordering on hilarious. The depiction of the thirteen-year-old boy in his private school French class is a scene that I will be laughing about forEVER.
This movie is well worth its price. Great Job David Duchovny!
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13 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A warm, soulful and funny film, May 8, 2005
Having just returned from seeing House of D for the 3rd time, I'm writing this review to share my thoughts on it. Is it Casablanca or It's A Wonderful Life? No, not many movies are, particularly these days. House of D is a small but moving film, beautifully filmed and acted, I maintain. With progressive viewings, I found myself remembering more of my own experiences 'coming of age' which gave me even more admiration for Mr. Duchovny's skill in writing this movie believably. Don't get me wrong, it's a small, independent film. Too bad for Hollywood, because it's sweet, funny, thoughtful and soulful. No car chases, disemboweled bad guys, cynical protagonists or sex. No wonder no big company would touch it!
Anton Yelchin and Tea Leoni portray their characters wonderfully. Robin Williams is believable as only he can be and his daughter, Zelda, is spot on.
I believe Mr. Duchovny's direction is good, and I look forward to bigger endeavors in the future, both in front of and behind the cameras.
Go see it. Decide for yourself. I'm very happy I did, and I think you will be too.
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14 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
I haven't given many 5 star movie reviews lately, January 23, 2006
The last few years I've been searching for good movies. I rent quite often, go to the movies occasionally and I am usually disappointed. I wasn't expecting too much with House of D, not having heard much about it prior to my renting it. However, I was pleasantly surprised; I thoroughly enjoyed the movie. So much so, I am considering buying it for my collection, a privilege.
The story was written and directed by David Duchovny. It's about Tom, who is looking back at the life he had as a young boy growing up in New York City during the 1970's. His father is dead, his mother (Tea Leoni) is mixing pain medicine with alcohol and cigarettes and he is trying to deal with adolescence. His best friend is a 40 year old mentally retarded man named Pappas, played by Robin Williams. We watch as Tom struggles to make a move on the girl he has a crush on, manage his rocky home life with part time work and private school. He often gets his advice and guidance from teachers at school, his boss and from a lady he has strangely befriended that is in a detention home. His journey is filled with events take place that are beyond his control and will alter his life forever.
What I look for in a movie: To wrap me up in the story, so that I forget all else going on (I don't want to be thinking about what I'm doing later, or looking at my clock the whole time). To evoke emotion- laughter, tears, frustration etc. To have a bit of a lesson. To really enjoy the characters and story. A few surprises, I don't like cookie-cutter movies. A good conclusion that I feel is satisfying and wraps up the story.
This movie did all of that for me. House of D was written and directed, in my opinion, very well. I found myself caught up in the movie only 5 minutes in. I fell in love with the characters, who I felt were quite unique, even to the point of surprise at times with what they would do. Naturally, this story did touch me; I laughed a few times and felt tears welling up several times. The story itself is one someone can argue- "what was the point?" However, I have found there are rare movies, where maybe the point isn't clear, however, the story it tells is good anyway. This is kind of a coming of age story mixed with a story of hard lessons life throws your way, put together with the story of an adult finally taking a look at his life and making some changes. At the end of the movie, I enjoyed the journey and was happy with where it ended up.
I think a lot of us have had our own hardships. I'm sure most of us have struggled with finding our place in this world, our path in life. That is what this movie is about. It's about finding hope at the end of the day and having the courage to take the journey. I would recommend this movie to anyone who is willing to give a unique movie a chance. Keep in mind, this is drama, not action or adventure.
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