David Duchovny wrote, directed and stars in “House of D,” and unfortunately the strain of such an excessive workload is evident in the finished product. Duchovny’s coming-of-age tale is sporadically sweet and semi-literate, yet marred by numerous deficiencies. Among them, a narrative that is transparently scripted rather than organic (Duchovny was a lit major at Yale and seems hell-bent on us knowing it), overbearing use of a flavorless voice-over, the employment of laughable stereotypes, and an epilogue designed to be restorative that is nothing short of ridiculous. What works in “House of D” are a few of the performances, especially — and don’t laugh — Robin Williams as a retarded janitor, and Anton Yelchin as Tommy, the troubled 13-year-old boy who befriends him in Greenwich Village circa 1973. Williams’ take on the dopey do-gooder Pappas is expectedly overwrought, yet oddly appealing — reminiscent to a small degree of one of his most memorable characters, Parry in “The Fisher King.” Still, I think we can all agree that at some point soon, Mork ought to be shipped back to Ork for good.
Yelchin, who was but 14 when this movie was made, exhibits uncommon range and a keen sense of comedic timing. His work in the film’s most outstanding scene, in which he dances with his first crush (played well by Williams’ daughter, Zelda), is the stuff that launches successful careers. As the adult Tommy/narrator, Duchovny falls flat in a role that should have been either expanded or done away with altogether. His wife, Tea Leoni, pitches in as Tommy’s pill-popping mess of a mother. Her performance can be summed up with one word: Spanglish. Not faring much better is Erykah Badu, who screams an awful lot as — feel free to laugh — the imprisoned hooker with the Angela Davis ’fro who dispenses sage counsel to our impressionable young hero. (Rated PG-13 for sexual and drug references, thematic elements and language. Running time: 96 minutes)
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on April 15, 2005. Read the original PDF.