Rent House of America (1997)
3.3 of 5 from 50 ratings
1h 33min
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
When their father disappears to America, Sid, Gwenny and Boyo are left to care for their eccentric and mysterious mother. Now they must live by their own rules, for what other choice do you have when reality lets you down? To escape the desperation of a two-bit Welsh town, Sid (Steven Mackintosh) and Gwenny (Lisa Palfrey) immerse themselves in a drug and alcohol enduced fantasy world where they become the incarnation of "beat generation" author and poet Jack Kerouac and his girlfriend Joyce Johnson. As their obsessive and unstable mother (Sian Phillips) sinks further and further into madness, her macabre secret slowly and destructively unfolds, leaving Boyo (Matthew Rhys) discover the brutal truth. - Actors:
- Siân Phillips, Steven Mackintosh, Matthew Rhys, Lisa Palfrey, Pascal Laurent, Richard Harrington, Islwyn Morris, Brian Hibbard, Steve Speirs, Dave Duffy, Connor McIntyre, Andrew Lennon
- Directors:
- Marc Evans
- Producers:
- Sheryl Crown, Hans de Weers
- Writers:
- Edward Thomas
- Studio:
- First Independent
- Genres:
- Children & Family, Drama
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Reviews (1) of House of America
Interesting Welsh-Valleys-Set Drama with a young Matthew Rhys - House of America review by PV
I enjoyed this, but it's most notable now maybe as the big screen debut of Matthew Rhys who shone in THE AMERICANS (2013 first series on) and has just won two Golden Globes for 2 separate TV shows in the USA, hitting the big time after the age of 50!
Here he plays Boyo, Welsh valleys lad, up to escapades with his brother (and excellent Steven MacKintosh) trying to cope with a mad mam (the legendary actress Sian Phillips) and an absent dad. The wonderful Brian Hibbard makes an appearance too (Flying Pickets ONLY YOU singer and actor, eg in the great TWIN TOWN).
It's not a major film and is the first by director Marc Evans whose latest was Mr Burton.
Tbh this mines stereotypes of Wales esp the industrial valleys in the south, here with an open-cast coal mine (there are now NO coal mines AT ALL yet the villages/towns built for those who work in them remain, so these places have the usual social issues, with drugs and alcohol). DREAM HORSE the movie and feature-length documentary show this too and TWIN TOWN. But so be it.
I found the latter half of the film sagged a bit and then the writer seemed to think they needed a full stop so... (NO SPOILERS). And I did not really buy the arty USA absent dad dream scenes really. NO SPOILERS there neither. Just watch it and tbh one would not pick out Matthew Rhys as a future star more than other actors here. Way it is.
3 for the film and 0.5 for the superb music (provided by John Cale ex-Velvet Underground and the Manic Street Preachers).
3.5 stars rounded up.
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