Saw Life as a House

[dangermousie]

This movie is sappy and life affirming. In fact, it's so sappy and life affirming, it would probably be dangerous to a diabetic. But now that's out of the way, on to the really good stuff.

Wet and crying Sam Hayden's acting.

My first reaction:

Darth Vader is wearing make-up and piercings and is jerking off in a closet with auto-asphixiation? I am sick but that's kinda hot. I am hooked!

Yeah, a lot of my reaction really was: Darth Vader is doing what?


Further shallow observations follow.

Yeah, the 6 inches scene made me ROTFL. As the movie goes on Sam discovers his (rather lovely) sense of humor (love the scene where he offers Josh $300) because he gets easier in his own skin (I think the scene where he almost becomes a male prostitute is pretty much the low point...I feel horrible for him as he is sitting there, scared to death and then hitting his head aganst the post). You can tell a lot of his problems stem from self-loathing (as he confesses to his Dad, he just wants to be what he is not. I think he thinks if he is someone else, all his pain and intensity would go away).

He pretty much needs a hug throughout the entire film, though he'd probably snap your head off.

I did like the scene where he yells as his father about taking drugs since he was 12, but even more I liked the scene where he says he takes his pills because he likes not feeling (made me think of Anakin. Intense emotions when you are that age can be hell).

crumpeteer was right: the scene where he is talking to his gf's mom, telling her he needs to talk to his gf and falling apart is lovely. But my fave was actually when he watches his parents dance. For the first time all that veneer and the anger and the pose are stripped away and you just see someone who is really young and sensitive and emotional. His face is very open and unguarded at that moment. He really is a good and sensitive kid who is just very messed up and just needs the right kind of attention to get "better."

His gf cracked me up. Yeah, if I want to help very hot and troubled young men, I am also going to ogle them when they are naked, lathered, and wet take naked showers with them. That's totally the only reason. Friends do it all the time. Of course, his comeback at her made me laugh, as it was to the effect of "if you really want to help me, you should kiss me." The kiss was totally hot, as you could tell neither of the characters had much (if any) practice.

My fave look? No piercings, no blue hair, no flannel shirts. That all black outfit he wears when he jumps into the ocean. With the pale skin and the wetness it is perfect.

Comments

[lazypadawan.livejournal.com]

LAAH is pretty much a Lifetime movie of the week but watching Hayden in the shower and his hot kissing scenes Hayden's fine performance raises it above that. He really is the best thing about the movie, even if I now realize Boone from "Lost" is in it too ;).

[ladyaeryn.livejournal.com]

Hayden's performance is definitely the main reason to see this movie. Anyone who watches this and tells me he's a bad actor can kiss it.

Sometimes when my sister and I watch she goes straight to the scene when Sam's dad tells him he has cancer - we just watch in awe at the intensity there. From the punching the cabinet with his fist (I hear Hayden got so into character that he nearly sprained his hand there), to the "congratulations - because you fucking pulled it off!" Just, wow. And I do love the scene crumpeteer mentioned - hell, pretty much every scene with him is good; I agree with your observations.

The shower scenes - mmm. Sis and I are fully convinced that Alyssa is insane. To paraphrase another person I know's reaction: "if it had been me in the shower with him, he wouldn't have had to clean anything up." ;)

Hayden does look good as a Goth, but I agree he looks even better without it.

[ewanspotter.livejournal.com]

Glad you liked it too! It's a lovely movie.

And it's only six inches.

HEEEY!

[gonnabe-myway.livejournal.com]

u don't know me but i got the link to ur journal from bollywhat.com (i'm purnima_pari in that place but i hardly ever comment) and i juz wanted to say i LOVE ur layout!!! eeeeeeeeeee! hayden! ahem...okay that's all. LUB LUB! :D

Re: HEEEY!

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Hi back! :)

And thank you.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

ROFL....

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Mmmmm....icon!

I think he is really good at portraying messed-up and raging...

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Oh yes, the intensity is what I loved the most.

Re: Alyssa. Oh yes. She keeps taking naked showers with him and he is the one who has to suggest kissing? LOL. I do think it's rather sweet that despite what most men would consider an open invitation he really doesn't pounce or anything, but it takes him a bit to even ask her about kissing. Utterly sweet.

[ladyaeryn.livejournal.com]

I do think it's rather sweet that despite what most men would consider an open invitation he really doesn't pounce or anything, but it takes him a bit to even ask her about kissing. Utterly sweet.

Absolutely. I give him props for holding out as long as he did. ;)

[crumpeteer.livejournal.com]

Even though Sam is bratty he's really a sweetheart underneath it all. And frankly, it's Sam that you're interested in throughout the movie. His struggle is the most interesting to watch, not his dying father or his messed up mother and step father. You feel for Sam and just how low he goes before he realizes people care about him and that life is full of good and bads, you simply have to deal with both. After he stops raging, he has a wonderful dry sense of humor and starts standing up for himself (the stare down he has on the roof with Josh is the first time he starts showing he has a spine).

Alyssa has the most messed up sense of how to "help" a troubled hot neighbor boy, but as I said to my best friend while watching "I like how this girl thinks". And Sam is perfect for her. He's the sensitive one and less brassy than she is and pretty much gives her free rein in the relationship. They're suited to each other.

I love the scene where he walks in on his parents kissing. It's as if at that moment things are "fixed", if even for just an hour. The smile Sam gets throughout that scene is adorable.

And speaking of kissing, I love how Hayden kisses. He's not blatantly aggressive, very gentle and cradles the side of the girl's face.

[crumpeteer.livejournal.com]

In the cancer scene he does a great job of looking and acting like someone whose world has just been ripped apart after he's finally started to get it fixed. He finally cares about people, about his family, and he's losing one of them. I hurt a little for him. He just looks so helpless when he's just laying in Alyssa's bed not moving.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Oh yes. I really wonder what was going through the girl's head. Not just because the guy is hot, but really: why take coed naked showers as a help method? Huh?

The whole her asking if he was sure he was into guys and his indignant (and funny) response was quite cute.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Oh yes. And when he is sobbing on her stairs. The nice thing is even then he doesn't retreat back into his earlier nihilism.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I must admit I found KK's character quite dull so I was not interested in him much, and ditto for KST. Sam's character I found quite interesting. Not that much because it was Hayden, but because he really was messed-up and angry and a lot of other things. KK and KST didn't seem to have any problems really (except the obvious) and thus weren't very interesting.

I love the scene where he walks in on his parents kissing.

Oh yes. That and the earlier scene when he sees them dancing, you can see how his world begins to get fixed (and realize that at least a huge chunk of his issues is because of the divorce).

And speaking of kissing, I love how Hayden kisses

It really looks like someone who hasn't had much practice and who is rather sweet and a bit shy.

He's the sensitive one and less brassy than she is and pretty much gives her free rein in the relationship. They're suited to each other.


And he doesn't mind her wackiness. Yup, very well suited.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

P.S.

Sort of reminds me of the fireplace scene in AOTC where the poor boy manages to keep his eyes on Padme's face while she is wearing the most "look at my breasts" outfit I've ever seen. It'sgreat when a character is gentlemanly.

[crumpeteer.livejournal.com]

KK and KST's characters just seemed like cookie cutter movie of the week characters. Sam, with his death wish and piercings is another kettle of fish (ironically, it's not death he really wants, but a life). I didn't appreciate the flannel, but what can you do. He'd been wearing so much stuff I did like throughout the movie, I figured my good luck wouldn't last the whole way through.

The soggy emerging from the ocean in combat boots was somehow endearing and hot at the same time.