in The Lake House movie, even the old house is the modern house

This movie was called to our attention by reader Larry. He pointed out that the house featured in this movie, while not meant to be a new house was certainly modern. Not having seen the movie I was quite surprised by the house.

Lake House movie screen cap

The house is at once old, and thoroughly modern. It appears to be an iron age structure - evoking some of the earliest iron framed structures from the industrial revolution such as the Crystal Palace in London. Yet, for a house it is a glass walled box, with an open floor plan, the perfect Meisian home as glass box - the international style from the late 40s.

Lake House movie screen cap

Such a house would never had been made in the era it was presuming to be from, so we have to wonder why the film makers would put together such a hybrid structure to be the setting for this story? The fact that the house was old played a part in the narrative of the story. The one character an architect somehow acquired the home, or rented it from an older architect. But any old house would do for that. Why this strange hybrid. The house was meant to be the place of this temporal anomaly whereby the characters communicate across several years. In much the same way the house is an artifact at once in the industrial revolution era, and the idealized international style.

Lake House movie screen cap

If it was just an old home, it would not have been a significant part of the story. But here the modern home speaks to the concept of the story, even if it is only a ghost of a modern home possessing a structure from an earlier era. Once again popular media leverages the modern home to signify the specialness of a place. They count on us understanding that distinction, as we all seem to do. We all know the modern house is unique, special, desirable. Yet the home building industry continues to ignore it. Isn't it time they woke up?

6 comments:

  1. Just fantastic. Where? Absolute wonderful.

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  2. I'm afraid it was built just for the movie, and unfortunately dismantled afterwards. It was because it was an undeveloped lake, and they had to restore the site after the filming.

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  3. Nice find, Greg. P.S. your home under construction looks good! Where is a URL to learn abt its design: materials, site plan, etc.? Bill Marston Philly

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  4. Bill, the credit goes to Larry for finding this one.

    Glad you like the RS House. Best info is on the Blog:
    http://blog.lamidesign.com/search/label/0751%20RS%20House

    And I also have a page on my web site for this which will be updated as the house is completed:
    http://www.lamidesign.com/pages/0751/0751pg.html

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  5. The house was built by the lead character's father from whom he was estranged for some reason. The movie has a lot of mysteries, but I think its meant to be something of a faerie tale.

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  6. Thanks for that info Charlene - I've not seen the movie and only gleaned the plot from wikipedia.

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