Our House
2003
Danny DeVito directs Ben Stiller and Drew Barrymore in this devilish black comedy reminiscent of DeVito's THROW MOMMA FROM THE TRAIN and THE WAR OF THE ROSES. Alex Rose (Stiller) and Nancy Kendricks (Barrymore) are a young, professional, New York couple in search of their dream home. When they finally find the perfect Brooklyn .. Read more
| Starring | Ben Stiller, Drew Barrymore, Eileen Essel, Justin Theroux |
|---|---|
| Director | Danny De Vito |
| Genres | Comedy |
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Our House
Danny DeVito directs Ben Stiller and Drew Barrymore in this devilish black comedy reminiscent of DeVito's THROW MOMMA FROM THE TRAIN and THE WAR OF THE ROSES. Alex Rose (Stiller) and Nancy Kendricks (Barrymore) are a young, professional, New York couple in search of their dream home. When they finally find the perfect Brooklyn brownstone house they are giddy with anticipation. The house is a dream come true, complete with multiple fireplaces, except for one thing: Mrs. Connelly (Eileen Essel), the cranky old lady who lives on the rent-controlled top floor. Assuming she is elderly and ill, they take the apartment but their hopes are quickly dashed when they realise that Mrs. Connelly is an energetic senior who enjoys watching her television at top volume day in and day out and rehearsing in a brass band. A writer, Alex, is attempting to finish his novel against a looming deadline. However, each day as he begins to write, he is interrupted by Mrs. Connelly's numerous demands and requests and what begins as a nuisance quickly escalates into an all-out war. When Nancy loses her job and the pair are trapped at home together with Mrs. Connelly, their rage turns to homicidal fantasy as they plot ways to get rid of their no-good neighbour. Ben Stiller and Drew Barrymore are pitch perfect as a good-natured couple who, like most DeVito characters, are driven by rage to do very bad things.
| Starring | Ben Stiller, Drew Barrymore, Eileen Essel, Justin Theroux, James Remar, Harvey Fierstein |
|---|---|
| Director | Danny De Vito |
| Studio | WALT DISNEY STUDIOS HOME ENTERTAINMENT |
| Run time | DVD: 1 hr 25 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Comedy |
| Language | English |
| Released | DVD: 06 Sep 2004 Production year: 2003 |
| Format | DVD |
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Critics' reviews
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It's hard to believe that a comedy from a former writer of The Simpsons (screenwriter Larry Doyle) and director Danny DeVito could be such a dreary laughter-free zone. This ham-fisted slapstick farce is as much a test of patience for the viewer as elderly Irish neighbour Eileen Essell is for Ben Stiller and Drew Barrymore — the couple find that Essell's overbearing upstairs tenant comes with their new Brooklyn residence. Soon the dotty pensioner is driving them crazy with her blaring TV, time-consuming requests and annoying habits. This nightmarish assault on their tolerance and good humour — and the fact the old lady lives in rent-controlled security — eventually pushes Stiller and Barrymore into hiring hitman James Remar to solve their problem. Unfortunately, even Stiller's genius comic timing can't compensate for the cartoon tastelessness or clumsy dark tone of this wildly uneven real-estate horror story.
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Most helpful member's review
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15 out of 20 people found this review helpful
Our House aka Duplex
I watched this movie under the original title of 'Duplex' and found it to be an enjoyable comedy, nothing side-splitting but enjoyable all the same....
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Most recent members' review
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3 out of 4 people found this review helpful
Utter rubbish!
I thought Ben Stiller didn't make poor films until this one! What was he thinking? While the plot started off ok it should have been much darker, and not so predictable. The only high point was the ending, and that didn't come soon enough!!
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