The Glass House (D+ or 1.5/4 stars)
Ruby Baker (Leelee Sobieski) is a typical 16 yr. old who likes hanging out with her friends & misbehaving in 'The Glass House', a mystery drama from 2001, directed by Daniel Sackheim. Her world is thrown for a loop, however, when her loving parents, Grace (Rita Wilson) & Dave (Michael O'Keefe), are tragically killed in a car crash, leaving Ruby & her 11 yr. old brother, Rhett (Trevor Morgan), orphaned. As informed by enigmatic estate attorney, Alvin Begleiter (Bruce Dern), Ruby & Rhett's parents left them a trust worth $4,000,000 & guardians in the form of Terry (Stellan Skarsgard) & Dr. Erin Glass (Diane Lane), their former next-door neighbors/parents' best friends. Ruby isn't the warmest character, but we still feel for her & Rhett.
Now moved away from their friends & school in the valley to the beautiful Malibu coast and into the Glass' enormous, idyllic, glass-walled house, the siblings try their hardest to get on with their lives. The Glass couple seems so nice & normal, at first. Yet, as they try desperately to adapt to their brand new lifestyle, Ruby starts seeing & even sensing peculiarities that begin to make her feel mighty uncomfortable around & even apprehensive toward batsh*t Terry & Erin. Drama ensues & the film - already unbelievable - concludes on an even more absurd note than it had any right to be.
This movie starts out okay. But in time, it turns into a glacially-paced, preposterous suspense 'thriller'. Sure, stellar production values make this slickly-made film look nice enough. There is a cold, steely feel to the cinematography. And production designer, Jon Gary Steele, encases the glass house in chilly tones & aqua blues to aid the gloomy proceedings. But accolades end there. Sure, the film is watchable & there's nothing difficult about the story to follow. But to call the plot over-the-top would be an understatement. It is a shame that good actors like Leelee Sobieski, Stellan Skarsgard, Diane Lane, Bruce Dern, Michael O'Keefe, Kathy Baker, Chris Noth, and others, are wasted in a story that just gets more & more ridiculous as it goes.
Now moved away from their friends & school in the valley to the beautiful Malibu coast and into the Glass' enormous, idyllic, glass-walled house, the siblings try their hardest to get on with their lives. The Glass couple seems so nice & normal, at first. Yet, as they try desperately to adapt to their brand new lifestyle, Ruby starts seeing & even sensing peculiarities that begin to make her feel mighty uncomfortable around & even apprehensive toward batsh*t Terry & Erin. Drama ensues & the film - already unbelievable - concludes on an even more absurd note than it had any right to be.
This movie starts out okay. But in time, it turns into a glacially-paced, preposterous suspense 'thriller'. Sure, stellar production values make this slickly-made film look nice enough. There is a cold, steely feel to the cinematography. And production designer, Jon Gary Steele, encases the glass house in chilly tones & aqua blues to aid the gloomy proceedings. But accolades end there. Sure, the film is watchable & there's nothing difficult about the story to follow. But to call the plot over-the-top would be an understatement. It is a shame that good actors like Leelee Sobieski, Stellan Skarsgard, Diane Lane, Bruce Dern, Michael O'Keefe, Kathy Baker, Chris Noth, and others, are wasted in a story that just gets more & more ridiculous as it goes.