The House of Tomorrow

This film is very under-rated. It is one of the most enjoyable coming of age films I have ever seen. The kids are beyond lovable, the acting is out of this world, and the dead pan satire is spot on. Do people just not understand the complexities of this gem? Sad. Very sad. I loved it. Perhaps that is because I was a child of the 70's who spent summers in MN as a kid, and was a nerd whose brother was in a punk rock band and who took me to various shows in the big city without parental permission. Thus, it was very relatable to me. I got it completely, and it felt like home. For those who say the characters were cliché, unrealistic or one dimensional, I guess you just had to live it. I actually knew someone that was similar to every character in the movie. It was a special place, and a special time. This movie allowed me to re-live it one more time. And for those that thought it wasn't funny, I am guessing you didn't find Nebraska funny either. Midwest humor and its people are often subtle and wholesome, with hints of underlying darkness. I guess not everyone gets it but to me it was perfection.

I really like the casting for this movie. Both Asa Butterfield and Alex Wolff are great choices for the rebellious teens with unique situations that they attempt to overcome. Ellen Burstyn makes an authentic hippie grown old who maintains her antiquated ideals from the 70's. Nick Offerman as the single father of 2 teens who both have been scarred by his son's transplant. It is a tragic comedy that touches a number of age old teen angst topics. Another example of how a modest film with a limited budget can tell a marvelous story and develop characters we can feel real empathy for. The first film I have seen to capture the well intended but misguided Minnesota utopian world I once lived in.

Whenever I see medical subjects in film or tv it usually bothers me, because it seems there is always some thing they got wrong. But in this movie i was happy that they got it right. Jared didnt just have the 'zipper', he had the mediastinal chest tube scars. And, they took him to the cath lab, which is a popular place for heart transplant patients on the regular. And, and... the fluoro they showed on the monitor was an LAO/caudal view of clean coronaries. As a cath lab nurse, i was pleased. The movie was pretty good too, then again I have a soft spot for coming of age films and Alex Wolff.

The House of Tomorrow is based off a great book which deserves to be made into a great film, this is not what we got. Instead the final product of this shelved work, seems more rushed than we hope for. That being said, there is still enjoyment to be found in this film, from all the fun filled performances, especially that from Alex Wolf, and the daring sense of adventure and friendship, which the film unfortunately doesn't get to reveal its full potential of, but what we got is still enough to settle for. The film is funny, but ultimately is too faced paced for its own good. We only hoped they could have spent more time on it, maybe then we could have got something great, rather than something simply fine. My Rating: 7.75/10

What really shines in the film are the actors. Asa Butterfield and Alex Wolff are good, I dare say Nick Offerman is great. Not so much Ellen Burstyn, who had a cardboard role and a similar approach to it. The story is also interesting, although polluted with some tough to swallow cliches like "the teenage kid that never had soda and speaks like a dictionary" or "the nasty but good at heart kids". But once you get over those, the film is very pleasant. There are some scenes that are just wonderful.

Bottom line: coming of age story with a nice happy ending, an exploration of the teenage angst from the eyes of a naive and sheltered child raised in the spirit of futurism by a nutty grandmother. I recommend it.