Life as a House

While Irwin Winkler's bittersweet film constructs a touching allegory--Kevin Kline's character is diagnosed with terminal cancer and sets about both salvaging a relationship with his estranged son and building the house of his dreams--it's also the kind of story that requires a deft musical touch, one that embodies a sense of buoyant optimism even as it heads toward the dramatically inevitable. Alternating between vibrant, rhythmic passages carried largely by mallet instruments (and resembling a more structured take on similar Tom Newman cues) and the melancholy of his quietly effective writing for strings and solo piano, Mark Isham's score strikes an almost perfect emotional balance amid a minefield of potential bathos. It also fuses some of the composer's modern minimalist composing instincts and spacious sense of dynamics with the more traditionally pastoral, resulting in emotionally introspective music that is considerably more than the sum of its parts. --Jerry McCulley Amazon.com

Why 'review' what this IS NOT?

I can NEVER understand people who think they're reviewing something that is
only related because SOME of it's in the same movie. No, there aren't any
songs on this cd. There isn't supposed to be! HERE IS THE SCORE. And it's
INCREDIBLE! It has choked me up and put me to tears, time and time again.
Without THIS music, I doubt the movie would've worked. I think the other 4+
star reviews (of the SCORE, NOT the movie or songs) are where you should be
looking now. I'm too incensed to feel the love I have for Isham's work. ----
[Now that it's a year later, I've calmed down. I'm feeling the love again.] November 29, 2007

love the music to this movie

absolutely loved the score of the movie and so had to get the soundtrack. everytime I listen to it, I remember exactly which scene it was played in. the score also has a nice calming effect whenever I'm stressed which is great. August 10, 2005

Cool Scores, but Rock is sOOO much better!

I am 16 years old, and I just watched Life as a House. Ihaven't stopped watching since then! it is a great movie and the movie is made by the awesome pop/rock songs! Its too bad that soundtrack doesn't have em. You can't go wrong with Limp Bizkit, Marilyn Manson, Guster, and Default. July 14, 2005

What a score!!

I saw the movie and it's one of my favourite ever, great story, great actors. But that's another story. When I read the previous reviews I was so sad none of the pop/rock songs of the movie were included in the Soundtrack. I then recorded these songs on my own and made an altrenative "Soundtrack". Both Sides Now, Rainy Day and the others: superb.
Anyway I took a chance to buy the Score CD through Amazon. Well, it is super as well. First of all, unlike the most of the movies' scores, the main title is not being repeated in all the tracks. There's a variety of melodies in this cd. Melodic, passional, funny, thoughtful, dramatic. The Orchestra support is magic as well, it gives the tracks a warm arrangement. I found it very good. Mark Isham really did a superb job. If you like relaxing music that's a great opportunity. February 17, 2005

Another fine Mark Isham score

Mark Isham can do little wrong; the score for Life as a House is another winner, though I wonder if he can ever top the haunting music from Mrs. Soffel (from the Film Music CD). So many have asked about the song Both Sides Now. The version in the film is indeed Joni Mitchell. It can be found on the 2004 CD Dreamland and the 2000 CD Both Sides Now. February 1, 2005

More reviews at Amazon.com ...