The Lake House (2006)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

Alejandro Agresti

Writers (WGA):

David Auburn (screenplay)
Eun-Jeong Kim (motion picture "Siworae") ...

Release Date:

16 June 2006 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Fantasy | Romance

Tagline:

How do you hold on to someone you've never met?

Plot:

A lonely doctor who once occupied an unusual lakeside home begins exchanging love letters with its former resident, a frustrated architect. They must try to unravel the mystery behind their extraordinary romance before it's too late.

Plot Keywords:

House | Lake | Correspondence | Architect | Mailbox

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Keanu Reeves	...	Alex Wyler
Sandra Bullock	...	Kate Forster
Christopher Plummer	...	Simon Wyler
Ebon Moss-Bachrach	...	Henry Wyler
Willeke van Ammelrooy	...	Kate's Mother
Dylan Walsh	...	Morgan
Shohreh Aghdashloo	...	Anna
Lynn Collins	...	Mona
Mike Bacarella	...	Mulhern
Kevin Brennan	...	Waiter
Frank Caeti	...	Cove Patron
Aliyah Carr	...	Girl Patient
Jennifer Clark	...	Nurse Practitioner
Jacob D. Dumelle	...	Patient on Gurney
Scott Elias	...	Doug (as Scott A. Elias)

Also Known As:

Il mare (USA) (working title)
The Sea (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG for some language and a disturbing image.

Runtime:

99 min

Country:

USA | Australia

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

UK:PG | Ireland:PG | Malaysia:U | USA:PG (certificate #42649) | Canada:G (British Columbia) | Singapore:PG | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Germany:o.Al. | Philippines:G | Australia:PG | Hungary:14 | Sweden:Btl | Hong Kong:I | Argentina:13 | Australia:M (DVD rating) | Iceland:L | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Portugal:M/12 | South Korea:12 | New Zealand:M

Filming Locations:

Aurora, Illinois, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

The film clip featuring Ingrid Bergman and Cary Grant is from the Alfred Hitchcock film Notorious (1946).

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: In one scene there is snow on the ground where the house is located, but if you look across the lake there is no snow on the opposite bank.

Quotes:

[from trailer]
Kate: [voice over] Ridiculous. For argument's sake, what day is it there?
Alex: April 14th, 2004.
Kate: No. It's April 14th, 2006.
Alex: It's the same day two years apart.

Movie Connections:

References Siworae (2000)

Soundtrack:

La Noyée

Good chemistry equals good romantic fantasy

Suspension of disbelief is a wonderful phenomenon. It's used in many genres effectively and why not in romantic film? Although the Lakehouse mailbox took on some magical qualities, the plot still worked for me on a deeper level. It's about connecting with your true soulmate when you feel isolated. Who hasn't felt alone at a crowded party? Or who hasn't feared if they wait too long that they may never find that special someone? It's a part of the human condition this film examines. I mean, look at the architecture of the Lake House itself. It's isolated yet beautiful in a Frank Lloyd Wright kind of way.

This is a character-driven story. It was fueled by the solid performances of Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock. They are so natural and comfortable together on screen. It's more than just physical attraction between two people and that's why the love story works. It's real chemistry between them. I believed these two could be walking along Lakeshore Drive holding hands together.

I was rooting for these two characters to get together. They are likable. They have angst in their lives. They show vulnerability. Real human feelings. They are successful in their careers but there is still that void. In my opinion, they are the right fit for each other. It's the underlying themes of this movie that give it substance not the fact that some of the plot is a bit far-fetched. Love is illogical in many ways but when you find that certain someone, it's magical.

David Auburn's screenplay is first-rate. It creates the right mood. It has emotion in each scene. He makes the story palpable. This kept me interested. I wanted to know what was going to happen next. What more can you ask for in a touching love story? I enjoyed it.