House of D (2004)

By working through problems stemming from his past, Tom Warshaw, an American artist living in Paris, begins to discover who he really is, and returns to his home to reconcile with his family and friends.

Director:

David Duchovny

Writer:

David Duchovny

Stars:

Anton Yelchin, Robin Williams, Téa Leoni

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Anton Yelchin	...	Tommy
Robin Williams	...	Pappass
Téa Leoni	...	Mrs. Warshaw
Erykah Badu	...	Lady / Bernadette
David Duchovny	...	Tom Warshaw
Frank Langella	...	Reverend Duncan
Zelda Williams	...	Melissa
Magali Amadei	...	Coralie Warshaw
Olga Sosnovska	...	Simone
Orlando Jones	...	Superfly
Bernie Sheredy	...	Sasha (as Bernard Sheredy)
Stephen Spinella	...	Ticket Seller
Alice Drummond	...	Mrs. Brevoort
Harold Cartier	...	Odell Warshaw
Mark Margolis	...	Mr. Pappass

Storyline

On their son Odell's 13the birthday, graphic artist Tom Warszaw finally confesses to his wife why he fled Greenwich Village, NYC at that age to Paris. As a schoolboy, naturally sensitive, considerate Tommy was best buddy with 'adult' half-wit Pappass, father Duncan's Catholic school's assistant janitor. Smothered by his dependent mother, a dumb orderly, Tommy got 'parental advice' from a women's prison inmate. Together with Pappas, he saves up tips from their butchery delivery rounds. One night, Pappas steals the bike they were saving for. Tommy tries to take the blame, but ends up expelled as if the instigator. Even more tragic consequences follow.

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Plot Keywords:

artist | butchery | birthday | catholic school | janitor | 

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Taglines:

You never know who your angel's gonna be.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for sexual and drug references, thematic elements and language

Details

Official Sites:

Lions Gate Films [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

23 September 2005 (Turkey)

Also Known As:

Can dostlar

Filming Locations:

Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$6,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$36,371 (USA) (15 April 2005)

Gross:

$371,081 (USA) (6 May 2005)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Bob Yari Productions, Jeff Skoll Productions, Southpaw Entertainment (I)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min 96 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

David Duchovny claims to have written the screenplay in six days.

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Goofs

When Tommy's wife and son arrive in New York, the son speaks English with an American accent, despite having been born and raised in Paris.

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Quotes

Tommy Warshaw: Just stay cool and give me the dad face.

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Connections

Referenced in Crossover (2006)

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Soundtracks

"Harmony"
Written by Elton John, Bernie Taupin (as Bernard Taupin)
Performed by Elton John
Courtesy of Mercury Records Ltd. (London)
Under License from Universal Music Enterprises

User Reviews

Moving, sweet, and deeply human

Of course I went into the premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival hoping to like it. Still, I'm not sure I would have liked anything on the screen just because it was David's; I have a highly-developed sense of being able to cringe in empathetic embarrassment when someone I like royally screws something up. So while I wanted to like what I saw, I also prayed I wouldn't have to cringe anywhere along the line.

I needn't have worried. It's a lovely piece of work. It's just sweet enough to grab at your heart; it's just gritty enough to have its feet firmly on the ground. The writing is 'lean' in the best sense of the word: there is not an ounce of fluff on it; nothing gratuitous that was tossed in for the easy laugh or for the cheap pathos of the moment. Every word in the script, every shot in every scene, earned the right to be there.

What I loved about David's writing in his two X-F eps, I loved here too. It's character-driven, not plot-driven; so while he definitely has an idea of the story arc, rather than having a sense that he molded the characters' actions to fit the plotline, you feel he presented these characters with this situation and let them tell him how they handled it. Because of this,

you don't see actors reading lines -- you see living, breathing people, having lives. In many films you can spot one or two actors who achieve this through their own talents, but when it's everybody in the production, you have to assume it was the writing and direction that gave them their wings.

These people must have loved working for him. He has said that he didn't really have a hard idea of how the lines were supposed to read or how the scenes were supposed to be played; he just wrote down the words and let the actors take them. And he was smart enough to assemble a group of actors who could not just take them but could run with them. If Anton Yelchin in particular is not considered for some awards for this performance, it will be very surprising indeed.

The camera work and editing are marvelous. Again, he was smart enough to hire very good people, but we saw the evidence of his good eye in those two X-F eps, and it's a cinch he didn't have to hire those people to make up for anything he was lacking. Right from the get-go, the visuals of the opening scenes are so engaging, and it stays that good throughout. Like the writing, the cinematography and production are very purposefully done, and all work toward achieving a particular effect.

So, okay. It wasn't as good as I hoped it would be... it was better. :-)