Not burning down the House

Movie: House of D. Call it bittersweet and moving or “sweet but inept” or “awkward and atrocious,” as one reviewer did, I liked it anyway. A lot of it was set up as a showcase for Robin Williams’ humour so one had to expect some juvenile crassness. But the Duchovny/Leoni team gave this coming of age story a good try and I’ve seen so much worse, so I won’t rip it to shreds like the press did. I will complain, however, about the young actor’s looking a good five years older than thirteen and the ridiculous mullet wig he wore. What, the kid couldn’t have grown his hair out for the movie? The thing I found most strange was the adult Tommy’s Parisian wife not having a clue that he was American. She, not Robin, may have been the real retarded character. Zelda Williams seemed very natural in her role and could easily pursue an acting career. The orange jumpsuit was wonderfully funny. I think I remember some similar outfits. I appreciated the soundtrack, circa 1973, when music was real. I literally gasped when the song “Harmony” came on and it was 1982 all over again. Aw….