Ben Kingsley and Jennifer Connelly star in the powerful drama HOUSE OF SAND AND FOG as two people fighting over the same house. Connelly is Kathy, a troubled young woman struggling with addiction and her husband's departure. Lost in her funk, she fails to check her mail, which includes letters threatening to evict her. After she is thrown out of the house she grew up in--wrongly, it turns out, so she seeks legal representation--Massoud Amir Behrani (Kingsley) buys the property at auction with the goal of selling it at a huge profit so his family can live a better life. Behrani, a former colonel in the Iranian army, is determined to make his family's move to the United States a successful one--nothing matters more to him than his wife and son's well-being. But when he sees Kathy sleeping in a car outside his fence, he knows he is in for a fight.
Based on the book by Andre Dubus III, Vadim Perelman's directorial debut is a fascinating study of family in the United States. Kathy has no one to turn to--her father is dead, her husband has abandoned her, and she's too frightened to seek help from her mother or brother. She falls for Lester (Ron Eldard), a deputy sheriff who claims to no longer love his wife. And Behrani is so dedicated to his wife (Shohreh Aghidashloo in a riveting performance) and son (Jonahtan Ahdout) that he blinds himself to Kathy's dire situation. HOUSE OF SAND AND FOG is a relentless, thought-provoking work that will linger with audiences long after the film ends.
Theatrical Release: December 26, 2003
DVD Features:
Region 1
Keep Case
Anamorphic Letterboxed Widescreen - 1.85
Dual Layer/Single Side
Audio:
Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound - English
Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound - French
Additional Release Material:
Commentary - 1. Vadim Perelman - Director, Andre Dubus, III - Source Writer, and Ben Kingsley - Star
2. Deleted Scenes and Commentary - Vadim Perelman - Director
Featurette - 1. Behind-the-Scenes
2. Audition Tape - Shohreh Aghdashloo (Naderah Behrani)
Text/Photo Galleries:
Cast and Crew
Photo Gallery
Stars
Ben Kingsley: British actor, GANDHI/SCHINDLER'S LIST
Jennifer Connelly: American Actress
Ron Eldard: American Actor
Jonathan Ahdout: Actor, HOUSE OF SAND AND FOG (2003)
Shohreh Aghdashloo: Actress, MARYAM (2002)
Frances Fisher: American Actress
Kim Dickens: Actress
Navi Rawat: Actor, HOUSE OF SAND AND FOG (2003)
Director
Vadim Perelman: Director, HOUSE OF SAND AND FOG (2003)
Producer
Michael London: Producer, THE GURU (2003)
Vadim Perelman: Director, HOUSE OF SAND AND FOG (2003)
Screenwriter
Vadim Perelman: Director, HOUSE OF SAND AND FOG (2003)
Shawn Otto: Screenwriter, HOUSE OF SAND AND FOG (2003)
Composer
James Horner: Composer, COMMANDO (1985)
Source Writer
Andre Dubus: Author, KILLINGS, Source for IN THE BEDROOM (2001)
Director of Photography
Roger Deakins: Director of Photography
Review 1:
"...All of the editing is first-rate, with Jennifer Connelly contributing a tough-minded, multi-layered turn..."
Source: Movieline's Hollywood Life
p.113 12/01/2003
Review 2:
"...[Connelly] gives her most delicate and subtle performance yet..."
Source: Entertainment Weekly
p.52-3 12/19/2003
Review 3:
"Mr. Kingsley is an actor of formidable reserve, and when he lets it go, you feel as if the world itself has broken open."
Source: New York Times
p.E8 12/19/2003
Review 4:
"[I]t's a story that haunts long after it's seen."
Source: Los Angeles Times
p.C1 12/19/2003
Review 5:
"There is scarcely a glint of hope in this somber tale, but the luminous performances of Kingsley, Aghdashloo and Ahdout light up the darkness."
Source: USA Today
p.6E 12/19/2003
Review 6:
"[I]t stands with integrity and breaks our hearts."
Source: Chicago Sun-Times
p.39 12/26/2003
Review 7:
"[An] impressive directorial debut....Kingsley is flawless....Shohreh Aghdashloo is stunning..."
Source: Premiere
p.103 05/01/2004
Review 8:
"[T]he two lead actors provide a certain edge."
Source: Sight and Sound
p.55 04/01/2004