SCREEN IT! PARENTAL REVIEW: THE LAKE HOUSE

"THE LAKE HOUSE"
(2006) (Keanu Reeves, Sandra Bullock) (PG)

Alcohol/ Drugs	Blood/Gore	Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude	Frightening/ Tense Scenes	Guns/ Weapons
Moderate	None	Moderate	Mild	None

Imitative Behavior	Jump Scenes	Music (Scary/Tense)	Music (Inappropriate)	Profanity
Minor	None	Mild	None	Mild

Sex/ Nudity	Smoking	Tense Family Scenes	Topics To Talk About	Violence
Mild	None	Heavy	Moderate	Moderate

QUICK TAKE:: Romantic Drama: An architect and a doctor develop a relationship while exchanging letters from the same lake house where they live two years apart from each other.

PLOT:

Alex Wyler (KEANU REEVES) is an architect who's moved back to Chicago after a several year absence during which he was trying to get out from the imposing shadow of his emotionally distant father, Simon (CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER), a famous architect. Like Alex's brother Henry (EBON MOSS-BACHRACH), Simon thinks Alex has sold out, but that hasn't deterred him from moving into an all-glass lake house his father designed decades ago. Moving in, he discovers a letter left from the "previous" tenant, Kate Forster (SANDRA BULLOCK), who's just started working at a hospital alongside fellow doctor Anna (SHOHREH AGHDASHLOO) and has asked that her mail be forwarded to her new address.

When Alex goes there, he discovers the place has yet to be built. When he writes back to her, the two learn to their surprise and initial disbelief that their letters are magically going back and forth from his time -- in 2004 -- to hers in 2006 via the mailbox outside the lake house.

Despite Kate being in an on and off-again relationship with lawyer Morgan (DYLAN WALSH) and Alex being pursued by construction office worker Mona (LYNN COLLINS) the two hit it off despite what poses to be a decidedly long distance relationship. As each tries to deal with personal issues in their own lives, they must figure out what to do with their budding romance and the unique set of obstacles standing in their way.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?: Those looking for a date movie might be interested in it, as might those who are fans of anyone in the cast.

WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG: For some language and a disturbing image.

CAST AS ROLE MODELS:: KEANU REEVES plays an architect who's moved back to Chicago after several years away trying to get out from under his estranged father's famous shadow. He finds himself drawn to Kate but is perplexed by their disparate time issue. He drinks and uses some profanity.
SANDRA BULLOCK plays an unhappy hospital doctor who finds herself falling for Alex despite the long distance aspect of their relationship. She drinks some.
CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER plays Alex's emotionally distant father, a successful architect who isn't close to him and thinks he's taken the wrong path in their business.
EBON MOSS-BACHRACH plays Alex's younger brother, another architect in the family who similarly thinks Alex has sold out, but is friendly to him. He drinks some.
DYLAN WALSH plays a lawyer who's Kate's on and off again boyfriend.
SHOHREH AGHDASHLOO plays a fellow physician at the hospital where Kate works.
LYNN COLLINS plays a construction office worker who's taken a liking to Alex.; SANDRA BULLOCK plays an unhappy hospital doctor who finds herself falling for Alex despite the long distance aspect of their relationship. She drinks some.
CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER plays Alex's emotionally distant father, a successful architect who isn't close to him and thinks he's taken the wrong path in their business.
EBON MOSS-BACHRACH plays Alex's younger brother, another architect in the family who similarly thinks Alex has sold out, but is friendly to him. He drinks some.
DYLAN WALSH plays a lawyer who's Kate's on and off again boyfriend.
SHOHREH AGHDASHLOO plays a fellow physician at the hospital where Kate works.
LYNN COLLINS plays a construction office worker who's taken a liking to Alex.; CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER plays Alex's emotionally distant father, a successful architect who isn't close to him and thinks he's taken the wrong path in their business.
EBON MOSS-BACHRACH plays Alex's younger brother, another architect in the family who similarly thinks Alex has sold out, but is friendly to him. He drinks some.
DYLAN WALSH plays a lawyer who's Kate's on and off again boyfriend.
SHOHREH AGHDASHLOO plays a fellow physician at the hospital where Kate works.
LYNN COLLINS plays a construction office worker who's taken a liking to Alex.; EBON MOSS-BACHRACH plays Alex's younger brother, another architect in the family who similarly thinks Alex has sold out, but is friendly to him. He drinks some.
DYLAN WALSH plays a lawyer who's Kate's on and off again boyfriend.
SHOHREH AGHDASHLOO plays a fellow physician at the hospital where Kate works.
LYNN COLLINS plays a construction office worker who's taken a liking to Alex.; DYLAN WALSH plays a lawyer who's Kate's on and off again boyfriend.
SHOHREH AGHDASHLOO plays a fellow physician at the hospital where Kate works.
LYNN COLLINS plays a construction office worker who's taken a liking to Alex.; SHOHREH AGHDASHLOO plays a fellow physician at the hospital where Kate works.
LYNN COLLINS plays a construction office worker who's taken a liking to Alex.; LYNN COLLINS plays a construction office worker who's taken a liking to Alex.

CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO

HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE

Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit?
Then read OUR TAKE of this film.

(Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below).

OUR WORD TO PARENTS:

The following is a brief summary of the content found in this romantic drama that's been rated PG. Profanity consists of at least 3 "s" words, while a handful of other expletives and colorful phrases are also uttered. Some passionate kissing occurs, while a woman's silhouetted shape can be seen (no details) when she's backlit in a full nightgown, and a woman stares at a man's clothed butt.

Various characters drink in a number of scenes, tense family material includes unseen familial deaths as well as an estranged relationship between a father and his adult son. Some related bad attitudes are present, while a vehicular accident results in a person lying motionless on the street and we hear that the person died from their unseen injuries.

If you're still concerned about the film and its appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home who may be interested in seeing it, we suggest that you take a closer look at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content.

For those prone to visually induced motion sickness, there's a spin-around camera shot.

ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE: Alex and his brother have beer in a bar where others drink.
Alex has a beer.
Alex has wine.
Simon has a glass of wine at his place (where we see bottles of wine) as does Alex.
We see a glass of wine by Kate.
Alex pulls up a small metal cage (holding bottles of beer) from the lake, and we then see him and his brother drinking beer.
Morgan's carrying a case of beer into his house and tells Alex and Mona that he's not drinking it all himself and thus invites them to Kate's birthday party. Later, we see various people drinking at that party.
Kate drinks alone in a bar (where others drink) on her birthday. Anna then joins her and has a drink as well.
After Kate asks Alex (through a letter) why he didn't tell her what they now know, Alex says she probably would have thought he was crazy, drunk or both.
Kate has champagne at a restaurant while waiting for Alex.
Alex has a beer.
Kate and Morgan have wine.
People drink at a New Year's Eve party.
Alex asks his brother if he wants to get a beer after work, but the brother can't (and mentions a date with champagne, etc.).

BLOOD/GORE: None.

DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE: Alex has returned to his hometown after four years, but the first thing his father does when he sees him is wave him off. Simon then continues to be emotionally distant from him, although there's a bit of mending in their relationship as the story progresses.
Kate and Alex passionately kiss while slow dancing (despite Kate being involved with Morgan at the time).
We hear that Simon was not at his wife's funeral (in the past), with Alex explaining that his father said she was dead to him the moment she stepped out of the house.

FRIGHTENING SCENES: A bus suddenly slams into a car, resulting in a person being hit (we don't see the impact, but do see the body on the street -- no blood). Kate then rushes up to help, but we later hear that the person died.
Spoiler Alert: Learning that Alex died in the past in an accident, Kate races to the mailbox in hopes of getting a letter to him in the past to stop that from occurring. We then see Alex in the spot where he's supposed to die and see the bus that's going to hit him. Thus, there's a little tension about whether he's going to step out in front of it.

GUNS/WEAPONS: None.

IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR: Phrases: "That's bullsh*t and you know it," "You look like sh*t," "Are you crazy?" "What the hell is she talking about?" "Shut up," "He must write one hell of a letter," "What, did you have clown this morning?" (about being a comedian), and an incomplete "You son of a..."
Alex pulls up a small metal cage (holding bottles of beer) from the lake, and we then see him and his brother drinking beer.

JUMP SCENES: None.

MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE): A mild amount of ominous music briefly plays in the film.

MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE): None.

PROFANITY: At least 3 "s" words, 3 hells, 1 incomplete S.O.B., 2 uses of "Oh my God" and 1 use each of "G-damn," "Christ," "For Christ's sakes," "For God's sakes," "Oh God" and "Oh Jesus."

SEX/NUDITY: Kate shows a tiny bit of cleavage.
Mona appears to be starring at Alex's clothed butt in their office.
We see the shape of Kate's figure as she's backlit at a window in a full-length nightgown (the light shines through it and shows her silhouetted body - sans details).
Kate and Alex passionately kiss while slow dancing (despite Kate being involved with Morgan at the time).
Kate shows some cleavage.
Alex and Kate do some passionate kissing.

SMOKING: None.

TENSE FAMILY SCENES: Kate and her mom briefly discuss Kate's father's death.
Alex has returned to his hometown after four years, but the first thing his father does when he sees him is wave him off.
When Simon asks where Alex has been over the past four years, Alex replies that he was trying to forget him. Simon asks if he succeeded and Alex says no.
Alex states that his dad knew how to build a house, but not a home.
Kate says that she ran away from home at the age of 16 to live with a singer. She then says that her father came and got her, but died not long after that.
Alex learns that his father had a heart attack and rushes to the hospital to see him (but he's okay right then).
We hear that Simon was not at his wife's funeral (in the past), with Alex explaining that his father said she was dead to him the moment she stepped out of the house.
Spoiler Alert: Alex gets a call from the hospital that his father has died (he then cries about that and his father's memoirs that Kate has sent him).
A man says that his brother died in the past.

TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT: Architects.
Doctors.
The notion of selling out in one's line of work.
Estranged relationships between parents and adult children.
Deaths of parents.
Time travel type stories and the inherent potential but also problems with that sort of material.
Kate's comment that she's allowed herself to become isolated.
Alex states that his dad knew how to build a house, but not a home.
Kate says that she ran away from home at the age of 16 to live with a singer. She then says that her father came and got her, but died not long after that.

VIOLENCE: A bus suddenly slams into a car, resulting in a person being hit (we don't see the impact, but do see the body on the street -- no blood). Kate then rushes up to help, but we later hear that the person died.

Reviewed June 12, 2006 / Posted June 16, 2006

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