House of Cards (1993 film)
House of Cards | |
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Directed by | Michael Lessac |
Written by |
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Produced by |
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Starring | |
Cinematography | Victor Hammer |
Edited by | Miramax Films |
Release dates |
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Running time | 109 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $10.5 million[2] |
Box office | $322,871[3] |
House of Cards is a 1993 American
Plot
Following the death of her archeologist husband, Ruth Matthews moves her family back to their house in a quiet suburb, hoping to put the past behind them. While her son Michael is able to adapt, her young daughter Sally, is apparently traumatized by the experience and starts displaying unusual behavior, including building an elaborate tower from playing cards and photographs. Ruth is later court mandated to see Jake Beerlander, an expert in child autism, to help Sally.
Cast
- Kathleen Turner as Ruth Matthews
- Tommy Lee Jones as Jake Beerlander
- Asha Menina as Sally Matthews
- Shiloh Strong as Michael Matthews
- Esther Rolle as Adelle
- Park Overall as Lillian Huber
- Michael Horse as Stoker
- Jacqueline Cassell as Gloria Miller
Production
Michael Lessac originally developed the script as a father-daughter drama, but rewrote it as a mother-daughter story for his friend Kathleen Turner.[2]
Filming began on April 15, 1991 in North Carolina.[2][5] Once filming concluded in North Carolina, the production moved to Villahermosa, Mexico, and the Mayan ruins of Comalcalco.[2]
Reception
Release
Critical response
Robert Faires of The Austin Chronicle gave a positive review, writing "Lessac and his company have created and sustained such honest, yearning individuals that when the story reaches its wholly predictable and sentimental finale, its people are not diminished at all. Their pain and love are no less real and they no less worthy of our affection."[7]
Critic Roger Ebert awarded the film one out of four stars, describing it as "all but inexplicable. It is not interesting, intelligent, plausible, thought-provoking, entertaining or necessary. The synopsis is so absurd it would also seem to be unproduceable."[8] He concluded his review with, "If you want to see acting in a void, watch Tommy Lee Jones' scenes very closely. Here is one of the most interesting actors around. He has been given a ridiculous character, whose dramatic connection to the rest of the film is a mystery. Yet he exudes intensity and concern, and is somehow able to convince us something is happening with his character, even when, in retrospect, it is clear Jones must have been as puzzled as the rest of us."[8]
References
- ^ McNary, Dave (September 24, 1991). "PolyGram increases focus on movie biz". UPI. Retrieved November 30, 2022.
- ^ AFI Catalog. Retrieved November 30, 2022.
- ^ House of Cards at Box Office Mojo
- ^ "House Of Cards". Sundancechannel.com. Archived from the original on March 20, 2012. Retrieved August 23, 2017.
- ^ Honeycutt, Kirk (January 27, 1991). "Kathleen Turner will star in A&M; Films'..." Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on November 30, 2022. Retrieved November 30, 2022.
- ^ "House of Cards Tells Story of Efforts to Help Autistic Girl". Deseret News. January 29, 1993. Retrieved November 30, 2022.
- ^ Faires, Robert (July 30, 1993). "House of Cards". Austin Chronicle. Retrieved November 30, 2022.
- ^ a b Ebert, Roger (July 2, 1993). "House of Cards". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved November 30, 2022.
External links
- House of Cards at IMDb
- House of Cards at Rotten Tomatoes
- House of Cards trailer on YouTube