The Lake House (film)
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| The Lake House | |
|---|---|
 Original Theatrical Poster |
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| Directed by | Alejandro Agresti |
| Produced by | Sonny Mallhi |
| Written by | David Auburn |
| Starring | Keanu Reeves Sandra Bullock |
| Music by | Rachel Portman Paul McCartney |
| Distributed by | Warner Brothers |
| Release date(s) | US June 16, 2006 |
| Running time | US 105 min |
| Language | English |
| Budget | US $40 million |
| Ratings | |
|---|---|
| United States: | PG |
The Lake House is a romantic drama film remake of the Korean motion picture Il Mare (2000) and is similar to that of a 1996 Argentine short film, "Líneas de Teléfonos".
It was written by David Auburn and directed by Alejandro Agresti and stars Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock as Alex Wyler and Kate Forester, as a architect and a doctor living in 2004 and 2006 respectively. Also, it reunites Reeves and Bullock for the first time since Speed in 1994.
Contents |
[edit] Plot
The movie centers around lonely Dr. Kate Forester (Sandra Bullock) who, on a winter morning in 2006, reluctantly leaves the beautiful lake house where she has been living for a job in a Chicago hospital. On her way to Chicago, she leaves a note for the lake house's new tenant asking him to kindly forward her mail and telling him about the paw prints by the front door and the box in the attic.
However, Alex Wyler (Keanu Reeves), the new tenant, sees a different lake house, one which was neglected, dirty, and there were certainly no paw prints. He disregards Kate's letter until a few days later; he is painting the walkway to the house and a stray dog runs across the fresh paint leaving paw prints where Kate said they would be. He writes back to Kate, only to discover that they are separated in time by two years, with Alex living in 2004 and Kate living in 2006.
As Kate and Alex continue to correspond through the mailbox, they find themselves falling in love. Because Kate is in the future, she can tell Alex where to look for her in 2004 in places she has been. On one occasion, she asks Alex to bring her back something important (a gift for her father; her favorite novel), by Jane Austen called Persuasion. which she left two years ago during a train station meeting with her then-beau. Alex goes to the station and finds the item and sees Kate with long hair. Even though he has the item, he does not place it in the mailbox to return it to her. Instead, he says that he will return it to her personally, "one way or the other."
By the same dog that put prints on the walkway, Alex and his female suitor Mona, whom he is uninterested in, meet Kate's boyfriend Morgan and are both invited to attend her birthday party. At the party, Kate is frustrated with Morgan's sincere but smothering ways. She wanders outside, where Alex is sitting, attempting to determine how to let this earlier version of Kate know that her "letter paramour" is here in person. Kate does not know who Alex is, as their relationship is in her future. However, the two share a dance and a romantic moment, but it is interrupted by Morgan and Mona.
Determined to bridge the distance between them at last and unravel the mystery behind their extraordinary connection, they tempt fate by arranging to meet. After a failed attempt at a date meeting at Il Mare, a fancy restaurant (an homage to the original Korean motion picture), in 2006, Kate retreats, believing she will never have happiness. She urges Alex to move on.
- A 2006 incident at Daley Plaza in downtown Chicago becomes a crucial moment in the efforts of the two erstwhile lovers to meet.
- Throughout the film, both characters can be seen actually saying "2004" and "2002", but have been dubbed by Reeves and Bullock in post-production to be saying "2006" and "2004".
[edit] Chronological order of events
2004
- Alex finds the first note, telling him about the pawprints on the bridge.
- Alex paints the bridge. Jack appears and creates paint pawprints. Alex and Kate correspond.
- Jack runs away. Alex abandons the lake house and gives the key to Morgan, so Kate can move in.
2005
- Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves receive scripts for the movie.
2006
- Kate leaves the lake house with jack and moves to Chicago, she leaves the first note mentioning pawprints and a box in the attic.
- On Valentine's Day, Kate witnesses a man dying in a traffic accident at Daley Plaza. Although she is a doctor and is on the scene within seconds, the man dies "in (her) arms," she later tells her lead doctor.
- On Valentine's Day, Alex receives Kate's desperate message and begins his two year wait.
- While visiting the lake house on a weekend, she finds a response letter.
- Alex and Kate correspond.
- Kate waits at the Il Mare, but Alex does not appear.
- Kate tells Alex not to write to her anymore.
2007
- Kate rekindles her relationship with Morgan.
2008
- On Valentines Day, Kate and Morgan visit a newly formed architecture firm which includes Alex's brother, Henry. When Kate notices a sketch of the lake house, she asks Henry who made the sketch. He tells Kate that Alex did; she asks to speak to him, and Henry pauses and says sadly that Alex died two years ago on Valentine's Day. Kate asks where it happened
- Kate rushes to the Lake House and its mailbox. She leaves a desperate message in the mailbox, telling Alex not to come to meet her at the Plaza, not to cross the street and just wait. She waits at the lake house.
- Weeping, Kate almost fails to notice the telltale turning-down of the mailbox flag. She stands, turns around, Alex appears in his pickup truck. As she says, "You waited," the movie ends.
[edit] Cast
- Sandra Bullock - Dr. Kate Forster
- Keanu Reeves - Alex Wyler, an architect and construction planner
- Shohreh Aghdashloo - Dr. Anna Klyczynski; Kate's friend, colleague and mentor
- Christopher Plummer - Simon J. Wyler; Alex's father, a famous architect
- Ebon Moss-Bachrach - Henry Wyler; Alex's younger brother, an aspiring architect
- Willeke van Ammelrooy - Mrs. Forster; Kate's widowed mother
- Dylan Walsh - Morgan Price; Kate's on-and-off boyfriend
- Lynn Collins - Mona; a friend of Alex, she considers herself to be his girlfriend, but he does not
[edit] Soundtrack
Release date: 20 June 2006, by Lakeshore Records
Track listing
- "This Never Happened Before" - Paul McCartney
- "(I Can't Seem To) Make You Mine" - The Clientele
- "Time Has Told Me" - Nick Drake
- "Ant Farm" - Eels
- "It’s Too Late" - Carole King
- "The Lakehouse" - Rachel Portman
- "Pawprints" - Rachel Portman
- "Tough Week" - Rachel Portman
- "Mailbox" - Rachel Portman
- "Sunsets" - Rachel Portman
- "Alex's Father" - Rachel Portman
- "Il Mare" - Rachel Portman
- "Tell Me More" - Rachel Portman
- "She's Gone" - Rachel Portman
- "Wait For Me" - Rachel Portman
- "You Waited" - Rachel Portman
- "I Waited" - Rachel Portman
During the movie Reeves and Bullock dance in 2004 to the Paul McCartney song "This Never Happened Before", but this is anachronistic. The song was released in 2005 on McCartney's album Chaos and Creation in the Backyard.
[edit] In the film but not the soundtrack
- "I Wish You Love" - Rosemary Clooney
- "There Will Never Be Another You" - Rosemary Clooney
- "Pink Moon" - Nick Drake
- "La noyée" - Carla Bruni
- "Sentimental Tattoo" - Jukebox Junkies
- "Chiamami Adesso" - Paolo Conte
- "When It Rains" - Brad Mehldau
- "Young At Heart" - Brad Mehldau
- "Almost Like Being In Love" - Gerry Mulligan
- "O Pato" - Stan Getz
- "A Man and A Woman" - Sir Julian
[edit] Not in the film or soundtrack
- The trailer features the song "Somewhere Only We Know" by the band Keane. It is available on the album Hopes and Fears.
[edit] Box office
In its opening weekend, the film grossed a total of $13.6 million, ranking fourth in the United States box office. As of October 1, 2006, the movie has grossed $52,330,111 domestically, and $114,830,111 worldwide.[1]
On September 26, 2006, the movie became the first to be simultaneously released on DVD, Blu-ray and HD DVD (courtesy of Warner Home Video).
[edit] Critical reception
According to the website Rotten Tomatoes, 2/3 of the critics gave the movie a negative review, Many critics point to the movie's flawed internal logic, particularly the time paradox created by the ending.
USA Today critic Claudia Puig wrote, "The Lake House is one of the more befuddling movies of recent years. The premise makes no sense, no matter how you turn it around in your head".
Roger Ebert, while pointing out the movie's logical inconsistencies, wrote, "Never mind, I tell you, never mind!" Ebert gave it a positive review, 3 1/2 stars of four, noting, "What I respond to in the movie is its fundamental romantic impulse.
On August 18, 2006 Reeves and Bullock won a Teen Choice Award for "Choice Liplock" for The Lake House.
[edit] Interviews
- Keanu Reeves at Movieweb.com
- Sandra Bullock at Movieweb.com
- Radio interview with Keanu and different trailers
