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House of America (1996)

Director: Marc Evans

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Movie review

From Time Out Film Guide

In an isolated prairie-style house built from corrugated iron, the Lewis family - mad mam (Phillips), teenage dreamers Sid and Gwenny (Mackintosh and Palfrey), and their down-to-earth young brother Boyo (Rhys, sympathetic) - struggle to cope with the void left by their absent husband/father who 15 years before traded the green green grass of South Wales for the wide open spaces of America. More like an overwrought Sam Shepard psycho-drama than a downbeat study of doleful teenagers, this adapted play (by Edward Thomas) eschews miserabilism in favour of a poetic celebration of naive teen dreams about burning bright and dying young. With no local heroes to call their own, the Harley-riding Sid and Gwenny lose themselves in a drink and drug-fuelled fantasy of the American Dream derived from Kerouac's On the Road. The bleached photography and Welsh-dominated soundtrack adds notable texture to an ambitious debut.

Author: NF 0000-00-00 00:00:00

Time Out Film Guide

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User reviews of this film

  • Rhian and james said...
    Posted on Jan 29 2008 10:56 Well, we watched this film in film studies in college, it was very depressing and boring, i actually fell asleep. i dont know why they bothered maaking such a crappy movie. gwenny was ugly and that sid boy was a freak. this film sucks ass. i would not recommend it at all, dont waste your time. and wales isnt just mountains.
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Cast & crew

Director: Marc Evans

Producer: Sheryl Crown

Cast: Siân Phillips, Matthew Rhys, Steven Mackintosh, Lisa Palfrey, Richard Harrington, Pascal Laurent full cast

Duration: 96 mins


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