Dreams" by Marilyn Manson, "Water" by ohGr, "Re-Arranged" by Limp Bizkit, "Both Sides Now" by Joni Mitchell, "Gramercy Park" by Deadsy, and "How to Disappear Completely" by Radiohead. Release The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and was shown at the Boston Film Festival before going into limited release in the US on October 26, 2001. Reception Life as a House received mixed reviews from critics. The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported that 47% of critics have given the film a positive review based on 106 reviews, with an average rating of 5.27/10. The site's critics consensus reads, "A manipulative tearjerker, Life as a House benefits from fine performances from the cast." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 45 out of 100 based on 32 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Stephen Holden of The New York Times wrote “‘Life as a House,’ directed by Mr. Winkler from a screenplay by Mark Andrus, certainly means well, and its be-here-now philosophy is unarguably valuable. But as it follows George's final months during a summer in which he forms a solid bond with his estranged son, it doesn't trust the audience enough to keep from laying on the schmaltz.” Roger Ebert gave the film two-and-a-half stars, noting “some episodes in the movie seem especially contrived.” However, he praised the performances of Kline and Thomas, saying the actors “are able to deepen their characters by sheer skill and depth of technique, so that we like them and care what happens to them.” Despite the film's mixed reception, Christensen's performance received widespread praise. In a review for Entertainment Weekly, Lisa Schwarzbaum said “Christensen — soon to hit pinup status in ”Star Wars” II and III as Anakin Skywalker — is a joy to watch, but when he’s not on screen, this movie is less instructive about the tools of life than any episode of ”This Old House.” Box office The film opened in twenty-nine theaters in the US and grossed $294,056 on its opening weekend. It eventually earned $15,667,270 in the US and $8,236,521 in foreign markets for a total worldwide box office of $23,903,791. Awards and nominations Home media New Line Home Entertainment released the film on DVD on March 26, 2002. It includes commentary by director/producer Irwin Winkler, producer Rob Cowan, and screenwriter Mark Andrus, as well as deleted scenes (one with William Russ, who