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:

David Duchovny, Téa Leoni, Robin Williams

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:

deception | artist | butchery | catholic school | catholic | 

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Taglines:

See the world a little differently.

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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:

29 April 2005 (USA)

Also Known As:

Can dostlar

Filming Locations:

Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$6,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$36,371, 17 April 2005, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$371,081, 8 May 2005

Company Credits

Production Co:

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

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Shia LaBeouf was originally cast as Tommy, but was replaced by Anton Yechlin due to a scheduling conflict.

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Goofs

Reverend Duncan says that the school's Bible class is being renamed "Ethics" due to requirements of church/state separation, even though a private school like this one would not be subject to church-state issues. This statement is meant to introduce his character's fondness for "pulling legs" and making bizarre nonsensical statements.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Tom Warshaw: [narrating] My name is Tom Warshaw. I'm an American artist living in Paris. I've lived here for 30 years with a secret nobody knows. My son, Odell, is turning 13 today. And for his birthday, I'm gonna tell him my secret.
Tom Warshaw: I'm gonna tell him, "You know how in old movies when the bad guys want to break into a safe? There's this one guy, the safecracker, who puts his ear up to the lock and listens as he dials the combination, listening for what they call in English, the tumblers. ...
[...]

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Connections

References The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)

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Soundtracks

As
Written by Stevie Wonder
Performed by Stevie Wonder
Courtesy of Motown Records
Under License from Universal Music Enterprises

User Reviews

A well-told, heartfelt story

I was fortunate enough to happen upon two free tickets to a sneak preview here in La Jolla. I enjoyed the movie thoroughly. The audience I was a part of was audibly drawn into the film. The plot is completely character-driven, revolving around a very honest 13-year-old. The honesty of this character--a unique portrayal of any boy this age--was portrayed sincerely, and as such the film read as very heartfelt. The sincerity is most profoundly seen in his relationship with a developmentally disabled adult, Pappass (Robin Williams), purely for the sake of companionship and not out of sympathy or having been forced into the friendship. In a time when the phrase "that's so retarded" is so ubiquitously used as a put-down, it was refreshing to see a character created who is not at all fazed by the stigma of befriending someone who is disabled or 30 years older than himself (let alone both). Each character seemed to be written with such empathy that you could be drawn into any one of their stories, if the movie so followed those stories. To those who call this film trite, I argue that this heartfelt empathy makes it unique among mainstream films whose screenplays contain characters so generalized that the actors must create any depth for their characters.

All in all, I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend it to my friends. And to those looking for an excuse to dismiss my 9/10 vote, no I am not a David Duchovny fan. I hardly even saw 3 episodes of the X-Files. I just liked the film. :-)