House of Cards (1993)

When Ruth Matthews's husband is killed in a fall at an archaeological dig, her daughter Sally handles her father's death in a very odd manner. As Sally's condition worsens, Ruth takes her ... See full summary »

Director:

Michael Lessac

Writers:

Michael Lessac (story), Robert Jay Litz (story),

Stars:

Kathleen Turner, Tommy Lee Jones, Asha Menina

2 wins.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kathleen Turner	...	Ruth Matthews
Tommy Lee Jones	...	Jake Beerlander
Asha Menina	...	Sally Matthews
Shiloh Strong	...	Michael Matthews
Esther Rolle	...	Adelle
Park Overall	...	Lillian Huber
Michael Horse	...	Stoker
Anne Pitoniak	...	Judge
Joaquín Martínez	...	Selord
Jacqueline Cassell	...	Gloria Miller (as Jacqueline Cassel)
John Henderson	...	Bart Huber
Craig Fuller	...	Ray Huber
Rick Marshall	...	Frank Stearson
Reuben Valiquette Murray	...	Reuben
Emily Russell	...	Emily

Storyline

When Ruth Matthews's husband is killed in a fall at an archaeological dig, her daughter Sally handles her father's death in a very odd manner. As Sally's condition worsens, Ruth takes her to see Jake, an expert in childhood autism. Jake attempts to bring Sally out of her mental disarray through traditional therapy methods, but Ruth takes a different route. She risks her own sanity by attempting to enter her daughter's mind and make sense of the seemingly bizarre things that Sally does, including building a wondrous house of cards.

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Plot Keywords:

card | autism | shamanism | single parent | mother daughter relationship | 

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Taglines:

A Journey That Will Open Your Mind... And Touch Your Heart.

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for theme

Details

Country:

USA Italy

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 June 1993 (USA)

Also Known As:

Before I Wake

Filming Locations:

Greensboro, North Carolina, USA

Box Office

Gross:

$322,871 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

A&M Films, Penta Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

109 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

James Horner's original score is based on his score for the film Where the River Runs Black also a film that involves a child in it's storyline. Intrada Records released a limited edition soundtrack which instantly sold out in a record amount of hours, such as their release of Michael Small's unused score for The China Syndrome had done previously.

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Goofs

Jacob's right hand when Sally is throwing the blocks against the mirrored window.

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Quotes

Ruth Matthews: Everybody goes off into their own worlds sometimes; I do!
Jake Beerlander: Yes, of course we all do, but we come back.

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Connections

References TRON (1982)

User Reviews

Good movie, but this is NOT autism

This movie is very interesting to watch and the characters are well-acted by Kathleen Turner and Tommy Lee Jones. The little girl is very convincing as well. It's a good movie, but people should know: this is not about autism.

I have an autistic daughter. Even in regressive autism, which is not that common, you don't just become autistic through emotional trauma, as this movie suggests. And you don't just stop talking one day. It's a progressive or, rather, regressive thing. And regressive autism takes place about age 2-3, not age 6. Her seeming imperviousness to danger is autistic-like and the screams when things change is something that can happen, but please don't come away from this movie thinking this is what autism is.

Many autistic children are not silent and do interact or try to. Take note of the scenes at the school with real autistic children to get a somewhat better picture.

This movie is more about emotional trauma than autism. Leading the viewer to believe otherwise is a tragic disservice. But what's worse is then leading the viewer to believe simple psychological intervention will "fix" autism.

The one good thing is that the movie shows autistics to be bright and very creative. If you want to learn something about autism, learn that.