Life as a House


2h 4m 2001

Brief Synopsis

George Monroe has had a lifelong ambition to achieve one of the great American Dreams: to build his own home, a refuge set on a cliff at the end of the sea. But it's a dream that George has put off again and again while he's sunk lower and lower--ending up divorced, overworked and estranged not only from friends and family, but from himself. Now George has hit rock bottom and there's nowhere to go... except out onto the edge. His neighbors despise his sagging, dilapidated shack. His teen-aged son would rather stare into space than raise a finger to help him. His ex-wife, who once shared his dream, is now emotionally distant from him. Local city officials want to sabotage his plans. It seems there is no one left with any faith in him. But George is determined to build this house--even if it means refurbishing his entire life. He begins the project alone, but soon attracts a disparate group of people. What begins as a way for George to redeem his own dreams turns into something much bigger...

Film Details

Also Known As
La Maison sur l'ocean, La casa de mi vida, Livsverket, Maison sur l'ocean, La
MPAA Rating
Genre
Comedy
Drama
Family
Release Date
2001
Distribution Company
NEW LINE CINEMA (NEW LINE)
Location
California, USA

Technical Specs

Duration
2h 4m

Synopsis

George Monroe has had a lifelong ambition to achieve one of the great American Dreams: to build his own home, a refuge set on a cliff at the end of the sea. But it's a dream that George has put off again and again while he's sunk lower and lower--ending up divorced, overworked and estranged not only from friends and family, but from himself. Now George has hit rock bottom and there's nowhere to go... except out onto the edge. His neighbors despise his sagging, dilapidated shack. His teen-aged son would rather stare into space than raise a finger to help him. His ex-wife, who once shared his dream, is now emotionally distant from him. Local city officials want to sabotage his plans. It seems there is no one left with any faith in him. But George is determined to build this house--even if it means refurbishing his entire life. He begins the project alone, but soon attracts a disparate group of people. What begins as a way for George to redeem his own dreams turns into something much bigger...

Crew

John W Aldys

Other

Elijah Allman

Song

Martin Alvarez

Caterer

David Amberik

Driver

Denise Anderson Poore

Set Production Assistant

Ken Andrews

Song

Mark Andrus

Screenplay

Ramona Andrus

Other

Tammy Ashmore

Makeup Artist

Lynell Bangs

Production Accountant

Johnathan Banta

Art Department

Joe Barnett

Sound Re-Recording Mixer

Eric Barrier

Song

Lisa Behlendorf

Post-Production Accountant

Bryan Belair

Construction Coordinator

Michelle Belair

Auditor

Javier Bennassar

Sound Effects Editor

Paul Benz

Associate Editor

Chris Biggs

Art Department

Limp Bizkit

Song Performer

Charles Fred Bobbit

Song

Wes Borland

Song

Robb Boyd

Editor

Brad Boyer

Grip

David Brenner

Other

Dan Brooks

Driver

Paul Broucek

Music

Chris Brown

Visual Effects Supervisor

Chuck Brown

Grip

Francie Brown

Dialect Coach

James Brown

Transportation Co-Captain

James Brown

Song

Mark Brown

On-Set Dresser

Angelina Burnett

Other

Robert K Burns

Medic

Gary Burritt

Negative Cutting

Bobby Byrd

Song

Susan Cahill

Assistant Sound Editor

Michael E Cain

Driver

Colin Campbell

Lighting Technician

Julie Carideo

Assistant Production Coordinator

Scott Carino

Stand-In

Tom Carlson

Music Editor

Laurie Cartwright

Other

Al Casal

Technical Advisor

Steve Castaneda

Electrician

Howard Chapman

Driver

Rick Coffee

Accounting Assistant

Rob Cowan

Producer

Gabriel Cubos

Boom Operator

Angelique Curtis

Production Assistant

June Czerwinski

Other

Ron Davis

Accounting Assistant

Sandy De Crescent

Music Contractor

Michael De Luca

Executive Producer

Jenny Dearmitt

Production Assistant

Dicky Deats

Key Grip

Jerry C Deats

Best Boy

Gary Debartoli

Other

Bonita Dehaven

Makeup Artist

Sean Devine

Dolly Grip

Leor Dimant

Song

Jed M Dodge

Dialogue Editor

Danny Downey

Stunt Man

Matt Dubin

Visual Effects

Robert Dudley

Grip

Don Duffield

Camera Assistant

Phil Dupont

Assistant Director

Fred Durst

Song

Brad Edmiston

Camera Assistant

Jeff Egan

Medic

John Emory

Grip

Doug Evans

Animal Trainer

Catherine Ferrez

Art Department

Sarah Halley Finn

Casting

Cliff Fleming

Helicopter Pilot

George Flores

Sound

Brian E Frankish

Unit Production Manager

Brian E Frankish

Executive Producer

Alan Freedman

Adr Mixer

Martin Gantman

Construction

Ray Garcia

Grip

Adam Gardner

Song

Scott Garrett

Other

Antonio Garrido

Dolly Grip

Erin Gaynor

Assistant

Steve Genewick

Assistant Engineer

Karen Ruth Getchell

Production Coordinator

Robert Getty

Dialogue Editor

Eric Glasser

Production Assistant

Emily Glatter

Production Coordinator

Robert J Goldstein

Location Manager

Oscar Gonzalez

Caterer

David Goodman

Assistant

Theo Goutzinakis

Song

David Grant

Dialogue Editor

Tony Gray

Sound

Colin Greenwood

Song

Jonathan Greenwood

Song

Hal Groshon

Electrician

Virginia G Hadfield

Hair Stylist

Terry Haggar

Color Timer

Ann Harris

Set Designer

Lynn Harris

Executive Producer

Jennifer Hatton

Assistant Editor

Michael Hertlein

Dialogue Editor

John J Hess

Driver

Chato Hill

Assistant Sound Editor

Randi Hiller

Casting

Alan Baptiste Hoisington

On-Set Dresser

Jimmy Hoyson

Assistant Engineer

Thomas A Hutchinson

Camera

Tammy Hynes

Set Costumer

Mark Isham

Music

Mark Isham

Other

Robert C Jackson

Dialogue Editor

Timothy C Jackson

Other

Marc Jacobs

Production

Tony Jacobs

Assistant

David Jaffe

Casting Associate

Alex Jaworski

Electrician

James Jensen

Camera Operator

Jason Jensen

Camera Assistant

Johnny Jensen

Dp/Cinematographer

Johnny Jensen

Director Of Photography

Roger Johnson

Video Assist/Playback

Thomas Jones

Adr Supervisor

Craig Jurkiewicz

Foley Editor

Michael Kamper

Sound Effects Editor

Mark S. Kaufman

Music

Robert L Knott

Special Effects Coordinator

Key Kolb Iii

Grip

Bonnie Kolber

Production Assistant

Stephen Krause

Sound Mixer

Richie Kremer

Property Master

Ken Kugler

Music

Marty La Comotte

Stand-In

Jason Larocca

Other

Jason Larocca

Music Engineer

Vincent Lascoumes

Assistant Director

David Ross Lawrence

Other

Christophe Le Chanu

Assistant Director

John Leimanis

Set Designer

Annie Lennox

Song

Richard Lightstone

Sound Mixer

Michael E Listorti

Grip

Anthony Longman

Art Department

Barbara Lorenz

Hair Stylist

Anthony Lovullo

Driver

William F. Luehm

Driver

Molly Maginnis

Costume Designer

Rebecca Mangieri

Casting Associate

Marilyn Manson

Song Performer

Gabriel Mantle

Song

Derek Marcil

Rerecording

Diane Marshall

Foley Artist

April K Martens

Other

Canyon Martens

Other

Ginny Martino

Other

Andrew Matthews

Consultant

Paul Mccauley

Other

Kelsey Mcneal

Camera Assistant

Augustine Mendez Jr.

Other

Doug Mercer

Grip

Ryan Miller

Song

Julie Milstead

Assistant

Joni Mitchell

Song Performer

Joni Mitchell

Song

Josephine Monmany

Set Costumer

Julie Monroe

Editor

Daniel Edward Morgan

Driver

J Craig Morrison

Other

Jennifer Mount

Other

Michael Mullane

Sound Effects Editor

Jim Murphy

Driver

Joseph Musso

Visual Effects

Tony Nagy

Camera Assistant

James Nordberg

Driver

Brian Watson Nordheim

Camera Assistant

Edward O'brien

Song

Kevin Ogilvie

Song

John Otto

Song

Lisa Barkin Oxley

Production

Michele Payne

Hair Stylist

Monica Perez

Assistant Property Master

Vincent Perry

Visual Effects

Scott Pitman

Production Assistant

Denise Pizzini Robinson

Set Decorator

Paul Prokop

Production Associate

John Reeves

Electrician

Paul Ripple

Other

Sam Rivers

Song

Kenneth H Robertson

Other

John Rodd

Assistant Engineer

Bob Rosen

Driver

Brian Rosenworcel

Song

John Ross

Rerecording

Stephen Ross

Production Assistant

Amy Russell

Rights & Clearances

Timothy P Ryan

Driver

Film Details

Also Known As
La Maison sur l'ocean, La casa de mi vida, Livsverket, Maison sur l'ocean, La
MPAA Rating
Genre
Comedy
Drama
Family
Release Date
2001
Distribution Company
NEW LINE CINEMA (NEW LINE)
Location
California, USA

Technical Specs

Duration
2h 4m

Quotes

Trivia

Miscellaneous Notes

Nominated for two 2001 Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards, including Best Actor (Kevin Kline) and Best Supporting Actor (Hayden Christensen).

Winner of the 2001 award for Breakthrough Performance (Hayden Christensen) from the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures.

Released in United States Fall October 26, 2001

Limited Release in United States October 26, 2001

Expanded Release in United States November 9, 2001

Released in United States on Video March 26, 2002

Released in United States February 2001

Shown at American Film Market (AFM) in Santa Monica, California as a work-in-progress February 21-28, 2001.

Project was originally in turnaround at Columbia Pictures until New Line Cinema entered into negotiations to finance and distribute the feature.

Began shooting November 27, 2000.

Completed shooting February 21, 2001.

Released in United States Fall October 26, 2001

Limited Release in United States October 26, 2001

Expanded Release in United States November 9, 2001

Released in United States on Video March 26, 2002

Released in United States February 2001 (Shown at American Film Market (AFM) in Santa Monica, California as a work-in-progress February 21-28, 2001.)