The House of Tomorrow Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		3.5

The House of Tomorrow Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Stephen Larson August 12, 2020

R. Buckminster "Bucky" Fuller (1895-1983) was an architect, inventor, engineer, and philosopher who constructed Geodesic domes and patented the Dymaxion house, Dymaxion car, and Dymaxion bathroom from his axiom that contraptions should be dynamic and maximum while expending minimal energy. I first heard of Fuller while listening to Oliver Stone's audio commentary on the DVD of Heaven and Earth (1993). Stone was delivering an essay on US foreign policy in Vietnam before shifting to other intellectual subjects and that's when he brought up Fuller. (He's currently working on a documentary on clean energy and likely will consult Fuller's works.) Author Peter Bognanni used Fuller as an inspiration for his 2010 novel, The House of Tomorrow, by having his male protagonist Sebastian Prendergast raised in a geodesic dome by his grandmother, a protégé of Fuller's, who passes Bucky's teachings on to him. While first-time director Peter Livolsi wasn't intent on making it into a movie after reading an initial script draft, he moved forward after reading Bognanni's book. He cast Burstyn to play Josephine “Nana” Prendergast, Sebastian's grandma, unbeknownst that she was a personal friend of Fuller. Burstyn attended a most stimulating lecture by Fuller at Carnegie Hall while filming The Exorcist (1973) and later interviewed him in Chicago. Burstyn's "home movies" with Fuller are watched by her character in The House of Tomorrow.

Sebastian Prendergast (Asa Butterfield) has a highly structured daily routine in the geodesic dome he lives with his grandma Josephine in North Branch, Minnesota. He only eats organic foods, listens to classical music, and gives tours around the museum-like dome to visitors. Sebastian's lifestyle and limited worldview changes when he meets the Whitcombs during a tour. Alan (Nick Offerman) is the fanny-pack wearing Lutheran Youth Group leader and divorced father of two. His son Jared (Alex Wolff), who is Sebastian's age of sixteen, is a chain-smoking punk rocker and recipient of a heart transplant six months ago. Jared's sister, Meredith (Maude Apatow, Judd's daughter), is somewhat aloof and brash. When Josephine suffers a mild stroke, Sebastian goes to stay with the Whitcombs' suburban home in Albertville, MN. While listening to some punk rock, Sebastian gets hooked to the style and decides to pilfer an electric bass guitar at the church where Alan is a minister. Jared offers guitar-playing lessons to Sebastian for $20 and reciprocally, he offers to help Jared with his geometry homework. When Sebastian returns to the dome, his Nana asks which tune he's humming but he doesn't say. Sebastian makes her and himself grilled cheese sandwiches but she's horrified that he's begun to eat processed food. Meanwhile, Jared and Sebastian are secretly planning to form a band called The Rash (an obvious nod to The Clash) and launch a surprise concert inside the dome.

The House of Tomorrow is a quality but predictable coming-of-age yarn in which a prodigal grandson transforms from a shy introvert into a brazen punk rocker. Both Butterfield and Wolff deliver excellent interpretations of the teen angst inherent in Sebastian and Jared. Apatow is given lesser screen time and a blossoming romance between Meredith and Sebastian isn't really developed. Burstyn's Nana has autobiographical characteristics and she delivers a most naturalistic performance. Offerman has turns of being serious and funny. He was the right actor for this paternal role. The House of Tomorrow is well-made in every respect but doesn't contain any big surprises.

The House of Tomorrow Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Shout! Studios has released The House of Tomorrow on an MPEG-4 AVC-encoded BD-50 that comes with a slipcover. Appearing in its original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1, the transfer looks very clean and sharp. While there aren't any eye-popping colors, the greenery outside the dome looks well-defined and pretty, as do some of the landscapes. Skin tones appear natural and haven't been manipulated. Sebastian's facial complexion is doughy and pasty (See Screenshot #9). Black levels are dark and crisp. The opening sequence excerpts VHS clips featuring Fuller. Also, cinematographer Corey Walter occasionally films a CRT tube showing archival footage of Fuller (see capture #4), which also derives from a videocassette. Shout! has encoded the feature at an average video bitrate of 27994 kbps.

Shout! has provided twelve chapters for the 85-minute movie.

The House of Tomorrow Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Shout! has supplied a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 Surround (2794 kbps, 24-bit) and a down-sampled mix, rendered here as a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Stereo (1623 kbps, 24-bit). Dialogue is always crystal clear and comprehensible. Overall, the 5.1 track has a nice, ambient presence. The surrounds really come to life when Sebastian and Jared perform heavy metal punk rock songs. The soundtrack presents ballads by Apache Rifles, Black Flag, The Germs, Rabbit Holes, Richard Hell & The Voidoids, Stiff Little Fingers, The Stranglers, Tyrades, and Wreckless Eric. Composer Rob Simonsen's retro-futurist score goes well with the scenes at the geodesic dome.

Shout! gives the option of English SDH for the feature.

The House of Tomorrow Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Audio Commentary with Writer/Director Peter Livolsi and Actors Asa Butterfield, Maude Apatow, and Alex Wolff - a very chatty commentary with Livolsi who's joined by three of his principals. When you have four or more people recorded for a group track, they're prone to speak simultaneously (at least sometimes) and that's what occurs here. The actors do tell some funny stories and anecdotes. Livolsi occasionally narrates merely what's happening on screen. I'd prefer to have a commentary with just the director since Livolsi can be quite insightful. In English, not subtitled.

• Ellen Burstyn in Conversation Featurette (36:06, 1080p) - the best extra of the lot. Burstyn is joined by Peter Livolsi, who queries her about what she studied in the work of Buckminister Fuller and how she got to know the renowned inventor, who she touted as "the greatest mind on the planet" when he was alive. Burstyn also explains how she became attached to The House of Tomorrow and the similarities Josephine shares with her off-screen self. In English, not subtitled.

• NYC Premiere Q&A (29:45, 1080p) - a post-screening discussion with Peter Livolsi, Ellen Burstyn, Asa Butterfield, Alex Wolff, and Maude Apatow moderated by a New York Film Critics member. Livolsi, Wolff, and to a lesser extent Butterfield contribute quite a bit. Apatow has the least to say since she's isn't asked many questions. Her relative lack of participation is also due to her character being under-utilized in the movie. In English, not subtitled.

• Trailer (2:31, 1080p) - Shout!'s official theatrical trailer for The House of Tomorrow presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen with DTS-HD MA 2.0 Stereo.

The House of Tomorrow Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The House of Tomorrow is a competently produced coming-of-age indie that reminds me of The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012), which I also recommend. Director Peter Livolsi delivers a promising debut and I look forward to seeing more of his work. Shout! Studios has assembled an unofficial special edition and while it has just an average commentary track, the interview with Ellen Burstyn and Q&A with Livolsi and his cast add some good value to this package. The transfer is excellent with no visible issues and the punk rock ballads on the 5.1 mix sound robust. A WARM RECOMMENDATION for The House of Tomorrow.