MovieChat Forums > Life as a House (2001) Discussion > I loved the film and hated the ending!

I loved the film and hated the ending!

posted 12 years ago by emmeliesofia
7 replies | jump to latest

Giving away the house his father builds for him?

Finally they have buried the “genetically code” with sons hating their fathers, and he build a house (where his grandfather’s house where) with his father.
That is so beautiful!

He should have kept it and honoring the process he and his father did healing the hate and anger that had been in the family for generations…

Makes absolutely no sense to give the house to the poor unemployed crippled girl in the wheelchair, who can’t afford taxes nor utilities so she has to sell the house due to foreclosure. Beautiful thought but makes no sense at all…

Loved the film, hated the ending!

[–] Ditto-head 12 years ago

I go back and forth on how I feel about the ending. On one hand, Sam didn't need the house, since his mother is loaded (even if she split up with Peter, CA has the community property laws). And it was evident that George was haunted by the girl who was crippled in the wreck caused by his father, and he wanted her to have the house. And also, maybe giving away the house was supposed to break that cycle of hate.

But on the other hand, that house should have meant more to Sam, since he and his father finally connected and bonded, etc. and I would wonder how the neighbors who helped build the house would react to it being given away like that.

Still a great movie. The scenes I hated were the ones with Josh and Mrs. Beck and Alyssa and George. The Josh and Mrs. Beck thing could have been simply implied- just by skipping the scene where he's pounding her. They could've just let Alyssa walk in, set off the alarm, then find them "fixing" the bathroom- and wondered what was going on. And the George and Alyssa kissing scene was just creepy.

I did like the unforgetable scene between George and Robin- "I need to know". Excellent acting and convincing writing.

[–] cardinalsfan27 11 years ago

Did you pay attention to the movie? There was a very good reason why he gave the girl the house. George's father killed the girls parents and crippled her in a car crash because he was driving while intoxicated. George had the officer track her down, then Sam gave her the house.

[–] Seth_Rogue_One 8 years ago

I must have missed something (and since no one else brought it up I guess everyone else did too).

THAT would make sense of the ending. Are you sure that wasn't just in the book but not in the movie?

A good father and a good outlaw can't settle inside the same man.

[–] cardinalsfan27 8 years ago

100% sure it's in the movie. George tells Sam about it shortly after making him come live with him for the summer. At the end Sam and his mom go to visit the family and he even said to the girl, "my father built you a house." Sam knew immediately it was what his father wanted.

[–] Seth_Rogue_One 8 years ago

TBH my mind drifted a couple times it's possible I missed it then, but that's good cause that's a good reason... I'll pay attention to that when I rewatch it if I remember 👍

A good father and a good outlaw can't settle inside the same man.

[–] wrdsmth 10 years ago

There is a great TED talk about how much better we as humans feel when we give things to others as oppose to keeping them for ourselves.

The point of building the house was to build a relationship with his father. That happened. He no longer needed to live there to carry on the memory. Perhaps the girl may have chosen not to live there either. She could have sold it or said no. We will never know because the scene ended with him offering her the house not with her taking it.

It was so beautiful to me. The entire movie felt honest a true. I'm glad that I watched it.

[–] Seth_Rogue_One 8 years ago

Yeah it was terrible

A good father and a good outlaw can't settle inside the same man.