Top 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsMost Popular Video GamesMost Popular Music VideosMost Popular Podcasts
    Release CalendarBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV NewsIndia TV Spotlight
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsBest Picture WinnersBest Picture WinnersEmmysSTARmeter AwardsSan Diego Comic-ConNew York Comic-ConSundance Film FestivalToronto Int'l Film FestivalAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
Sign In
New Customer? Create account
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

House of Sand and Fog

  • 20032003
  • RR
  • 2h 6m
IMDb RATING
7.5/10
70K
YOUR RATING
Jennifer Connelly and Ben Kingsley in House of Sand and Fog (2003)
TH post
Play trailer2:23
2 Videos
75 Photos
CrimeDrama
An abandoned wife is evicted from her house and starts a tragic conflict with her house's new owners.An abandoned wife is evicted from her house and starts a tragic conflict with her house's new owners.An abandoned wife is evicted from her house and starts a tragic conflict with her house's new owners.
IMDb RATING
7.5/10
70K
YOUR RATING
    • Vadim Perelman
    • Andre Dubus III(novel)
    • Vadim Perelman(screenplay)
    • Shawn Lawrence Otto(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Jennifer Connelly
    • Ben Kingsley
    • Ron Eldard
    • Vadim Perelman
    • Andre Dubus III(novel)
    • Vadim Perelman(screenplay)
    • Shawn Lawrence Otto(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Jennifer Connelly
    • Ben Kingsley
    • Ron Eldard
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 507User reviews
    • 143Critic reviews
    • 71Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 3 Oscars

    Videos2

    House of Sand and Fog
    Trailer 2:23
    Watch House of Sand and Fog
    House of Sand and Fog
    Trailer 2:29
    Watch House of Sand and Fog

    Photos75

    Jennifer Connelly and Ron Eldard in House of Sand and Fog (2003)
    Jennifer Connelly, Roger Deakins, and Vadim Perelman in House of Sand and Fog (2003)
    Ben Kingsley in House of Sand and Fog (2003)
    Jennifer Connelly and Vadim Perelman in House of Sand and Fog (2003)
    Jennifer Connelly in House of Sand and Fog (2003)
    Jennifer Connelly, Ben Kingsley, and Shohreh Aghdashloo in House of Sand and Fog (2003)
    Jennifer Connelly, Shohreh Aghdashloo, David Carrera, Michael Papajohn, and Jonathan Ahdout in House of Sand and Fog (2003)
    Jennifer Connelly in House of Sand and Fog (2003)
    Jennifer Connelly and Ron Eldard in House of Sand and Fog (2003)
    Ben Kingsley, Ron Eldard, and Jonathan Ahdout in House of Sand and Fog (2003)
    Andre Dubus III and Vadim Perelman in House of Sand and Fog (2003)
    Ben Kingsley in House of Sand and Fog (2003)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Jennifer Connelly
    Jennifer Connelly
    • Kathy
    Ben Kingsley
    Ben Kingsley
    • Behrani
    Ron Eldard
    Ron Eldard
    • Lester
    Frances Fisher
    Frances Fisher
    • Connie Walsh
    Kim Dickens
    Kim Dickens
    • Carol Burdon
    Shohreh Aghdashloo
    Shohreh Aghdashloo
    • Nadi
    Jonathan Ahdout
    Jonathan Ahdout
    • Esmail
    Navi Rawat
    Navi Rawat
    • Soraya
    Carlos Gómez
    Carlos Gómez
    • Lt. Alvarez
    Kia Jam
    Kia Jam
    • Ali
    Jaleh Modjallal
    • Yasmin
    Samira Damavandi
    • Little Soraya
    Matthew Simonian
    • Little Esmail
    Namrata Singh Gujral
    Namrata Singh Gujral
    • Wedding Guest
    • (as Namrata S. Gurjal-Cooper)
    Nasser Faris
    Nasser Faris
    • Wedding Guest
    • (as Al Faris)
    Mark Chaet
    Mark Chaet
    • Wedding Guest
    Marco Rodríguez
    Marco Rodríguez
    • Mendez
    • (as Marco Rodriguez)
    Al Rodrigo
    Al Rodrigo
    • Torez
      • Vadim Perelman
      • Andre Dubus III(novel)
      • Vadim Perelman(screenplay)
      • Shawn Lawrence Otto(screenplay)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    More like this

    Little Children
    7.5
    Little Children
    Waking the Dead
    6.5
    Waking the Dead
    Inventing the Abbotts
    6.4
    Inventing the Abbotts
    The Hot Spot
    6.4
    The Hot Spot
    Reservation Road
    6.6
    Reservation Road
    Of Love and Shadows
    5.0
    Of Love and Shadows
    Virginia
    5.4
    Virginia
    Far Harbor
    4.7
    Far Harbor
    Shelter
    6.5
    Shelter
    In the Bedroom
    7.4
    In the Bedroom
    Mulholland Falls
    6.3
    Mulholland Falls
    Aloft
    5.3
    Aloft

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Author Andre Dubus III received more than one hundred offers from movie studios who wanted to make his book into a movie.
    • Goofs
      The county may have the right to attach property to satisfy a business tax lien, but the process is nothing like in the movie. First, the lien is bought by an investor who is paid interest from repayment of the lien or sale of the property. This usually takes many months or years. If the property is sold, the money remaining after the lien is paid goes to the property owner or estate - it is certainly not kept by the county.
    • Quotes

      Esmail: Why did that man say we would be deported?

      Behrani: I do not know. But we are American citizens. We own this house. They can do nothing to us now.

      Esmail: I feel bad for that lady, Baba-jan.

      Behrani: The woman's house was taken from her because she did not pay her taxes. That happens when one is not responsible.

      Esmail: But...

      Behrani: Do you understand? Do not feel bad. Americans they do not deserve what they have. They have the eyes of small children who are forever looking for the next source of distraction, entertainment, sweet taste in the mouth. We are not like them. We know rich opportunities when we see them and do not throw away God's blessing.

    • Connections
      Featured in At the Movies: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King/Stuck on You/House of Sand and Fog (2003)
    • Soundtracks
      Shokoufeh
      Written, Produced & Arranged by Elton Ahi

      Lyrics by Hedieh

      Performed by Andy featuring Shani

    User reviews507

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    10/10
    An unfailingly beautiful piece of work
    "House of Sand and Fog" is by far the finest film I've seen this year, and probably the best I've seen since the dial turned from the 1990's into the new millennium.

    Vadim Perelman makes a movie so astoundingly beautiful that one has to think he's been doing this for years, but this is his first film. Set in a fog-drenched Southern California community, Perelman sets two immoveable forces apart from each other -- Cathy, a recovering alcoholic burdened by the memory of her late father, still trying to prove that she is a responsible person in his eyes, and Behrani, a colonel driven out of Iran with his family and desperately trying to maintain a life of stability and promise. In these two roles, Jennifer Connelly and Ben Kingsley give steely performances, each presenting troubled souls trapped within stubborn facades. Connelly once again gives a masterful performance, balancing a reckless sensuality with the desire to find acceptance and love within anything, even a house where the memories have become so painful that the mail becomes too much to take.

    Kingsley, of course, is perfect. The subtleties of his facial expressions when presented with moments of joy and frustration are masterfully restrained. This is his best performance of his illustrious career.

    When Kingsley and Connelly finally clash, halfway through the movie, the movie, having until then been a paean to silence and unspoken loyalties, becomes a terrifying thriller, riveting everyone with whom I saw the picture. Perelman moves from a mood piece to a suspenseful drama effortlessly. A jaw-dropping conclusion completes a powerful, unbelievably sad piece of work.

    After a couple years of not finding a movie that stirred me, this is it, what we all look for in movies -- a harrowing story, beautifully filmed, cathartic and elegant. Joy is very difficult to spot in the film, but "House of Sand and Fog" provides the joy we get when being moved to powerful emotions by a wonderful symphony.

    My best film of 2003 -- unquestionably 10/10.
    helpful•197
    39
    • breakneck
    • Dec 30, 2003

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • January 9, 2004 (United States)
      • United States
      • English
      • Persian
    • Also known as
    • Filming locations
      • Pacifica, California, USA
    • Production companies
      • Dreamworks Pictures
      • Cobalt Media Group
      • Bisgrove Entertainment
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • 2 hours 6 minutes
      • Color
      • DTS
      • Dolby Digital
      • SDDS

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    Jennifer Connelly and Ben Kingsley in House of Sand and Fog (2003)
    Top Gap
    By what name was House of Sand and Fog (2003) officially released in India in English?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2023 by IMDb.com, Inc.