House of Cards (1993) User Reviews (37)

Fascinating

[cosmic_quest · 7/10 · 12 February 2006]

Having seen 'House of Cards' a number of times now, I never fail to find this film a involving and intriguing on every viewing. The film revolves around the Ruth Matthews, whose husband dies in a fall and who risks also losing her six-year-old daughter Sally when she retreats into her own world falling the death of her father. As child psychologist Jake determines that the best way to treat Sally is to use therapies similar to how he counsels his autistic patients, Ruth resorts to more eccentric methods of reaching out to her daughter.

A number of people seem to dislike 'House of Cards' because they feel it portrays easy cures to autism. However, like other fans of the film, I never believed Sally was autistic but instead was deeply grief-stricken and mentally withdrew from the traumatic world around her, taking on autistic-like traits, so she could try to devise ways to contact her dead father. This theory meant that, for me, this film was not about autism but rather a family coping with loss and grief in different ways and that was what made it both touching and engaging.

The adult actors-- Kathleen Turner who played Ruth and Tommy Lee Jones who played Jake-- were both brilliant and you genuinely felt that they both loved this child and were determined to do to whatever it took to help her, albeit in different ways. However, it was the child actors who were truly excellent. For such a young child, Asha Menina was perfect in portraying Sally's emotional distance as she retreated into her own little world. And Shiloh Strong delivered a strong performance as Sally's teenage brother, who was fiercely devoted to his mother and sister and determined to be the man of the family.

This film truly succeeded in reminding us that young children can view death very differently from adults and in showing us that there tradition psychological treatments are not always right for everybody. Combined with the haunting soundtrack, 'House of Cards' is enjoyable and will keep you thinking.

Good movie, but this is NOT autism

[piquichi · 6/10 · 11 March 2007]

This movie is very interesting to watch and the characters are well-acted by Kathleen Turner and Tommy Lee Jones. The little girl is very convincing as well. It's a good movie, but people should know: this is not about autism.

I have an autistic daughter. Even in regressive autism, which is not that common, you don't just become autistic through emotional trauma, as this movie suggests. And you don't just stop talking one day. It's a progressive or, rather, regressive thing. And regressive autism takes place about age 2-3, not age 6. Her seeming imperviousness to danger is autistic-like and the screams when things change is something that can happen, but please don't come away from this movie thinking this is what autism is.

Many autistic children are not silent and do interact or try to. Take note of the scenes at the school with real autistic children to get a somewhat better picture.

This movie is more about emotional trauma than autism. Leading the viewer to believe otherwise is a tragic disservice. But what's worse is then leading the viewer to believe simple psychological intervention will "fix" autism.

The one good thing is that the movie shows autistics to be bright and very creative. If you want to learn something about autism, learn that.

Here, ordinary is extraordinary

[shannonmdavis · 7/10 · 1 October 2009]

SPOILER ALERT****************************************** I actually don't know if I give away too much but I am putting the alert here just to be safe.

As a mom of a little boy with autism, I was drawn to this movie and come back again from time to time. I always cry at the end knowing that is not a reality for families with autism but wishing it could be. The school where the doctor teaches other kids is the reality I know. And the line (forgive me if it is not exact), "Here, ordinary is extraordinary" is something I think only families dealing with autism truly understand. My son and I have been working with specialists since he was just over a year old. And at 3 years and 9 months, I got my first, self-initiated "Mommy, I need a kiss." I cried with joy for days. He expressed an emotional need, self-initiated it, and said it in a sentence! You can tell when you meet people new to my son and they get so excited about the extraordinary things he can do. But like in this movie when you look at the parents and teachers working so hard, it is on the little things you take for granted. Don't get me wrong. We love the extraordinary things that make our children so special and fascinating. But when the ordinary things happen like the boy at the school hugging his mom for the first time, that is when we parents shout for joy and hoot and holler in celebration.

Dealing with a child with autism is like putting together a giant puzzle with infinite pieces. If you like the thrill of figuring things out, then it is great because the puzzle never ends...it just develops into a clearer picture the more you can fit things together. And since the number of pieces are infinite, you don't get a neat little picture on the box that lets you know exactly how things should look and you work towards that. Nope, that kind of puzzle is for amateurs. With autism, you study the pieces as they fit together and learn how they relate to one another and get glimpses of what a bigger picture may look like. But you know at any time one section of the puzzle may elude you completely while another section starts coming together quickly, making sense out of the patterns. And what you get is an ever-growing and changing picture of who that child is.

Brilliant story!

[ffeline · 24 November 1999]

This is one of the best movies I've seen and I'm shocked at the ratings it has received. I found it hidden in the back room at the video store because so few customers were checking it out. I agree that Tommy Lee Jones has been better in other movies but the story is excellent and the portrayal of the story is very well done. Please don't let the ratings keep you from deciding for yourself!

This is a flimsy house of cards in every sense

[lib-4 · 7/10 · 16 October 1998]

What an annoying yuppie movie. Seldom have I disliked a character as much as Kathleen Turner's mom. Tommy Lee Jones was totally wasted- having nothing to work with- except his frustration at a know it all mom. The only saving part of this movie was the young girl who was able to connect without using words.

Engaging but for the ending

[accadaffa · 7/10 · 9 January 2005]

I was hooked on the story, having many friends with autistic children. The acting was enjoyable and drew me in to the story but the end was unsatisfying for me. I wasn't quite sure what was happening toward the end of the film. The symbolism was not sufficiently supported by the storyline so as a viewer I was cast adrift to make my own interpretations.

The little girl was cute and played her part well as did her big brother. Tommy Lee's performance was a little uneven for me. I could see him straining to find his character at times. Ms Turner was as good as ever.

A Voice from the Moon...

[higherall7 · 7/10 · 4 May 2021]

I have noticed that people have raised issue about this film being an authentic representation of the nature of autism. While it does touch upon the subject, I agree with those who insist that this is not primarily a story about autism, but more about grief and how to communicate with it in a way that leads to healing. Children and adults sometimes feel things so deeply and intensely that a means of expression is bewilderingly hard to find. This film is about this in essence. A mother takes almost infinite pains to regain contact with her daughter who appears to be drifting into disappearance around the far side of the moon.

Kathleen Turner provides us with yet another dimension to her impressive range as an actress. There is not a hint of the femme fatale from BODY HEAT (1981) or the mousy novelist Joan Wilder of ROMANCING THE STONE (1984) here. We see Turner plumbing her maternal nature for all it is worth as the self assertive, concerned mother Ruth Matthews. She is as believable and convincing here as she was in her previous roles. This is a more mature slice of her as a successful and winning woman managing a family as a newly minted widow.

After the experience of having her husband fall to his death in an ancient archeological ruin, she finds the tragedy affects her son and daughter in different ways. Michael played by Shiloh Strong, appears to be attempting to adapt, while Ruth's daughter Sally as played by Asha Menina, retreats into a world of silence occasionally interrupted by humming shrieks. Sally's response to the loss of her father mirrors certain characteristics associated with autism, and Ruth fears she may lose her daughter to this profoundly uncharted and unknown world. After witnessing her daughter dramatize this new and odd behavior in life threatening incidents, she becomes involved with Tommy Lee Jones as Jake Beerlander, an expert in child autism. He demonstrates a few effective methods for managing Sally's random outbursts of emotion, while Ruth insists all the while that her daughter is not truly autistic.

One of the things that is not mentioned very much by any of the reviewers is the art de object from which the film takes its name. This is a beautiful spiraling piece of cinema stirringly set to music by James Horner. The visual construction arrests the mind from all the maundering psycho-babble and captures perfectly the wonder and the whimsy of a child's world reaching out to express itself. It reminds us of one of the purposes of true art, which is to express the inexpressible. It is a swooping, soaring highlight in the film just this side of a Rube Goldberg machine or a kinetic sculpture. As a moment of pure movie magic, it more than pays for itself.

Ruth takes inspiration from Sally's angst-ridden creative outpouring of colors and shapes bounded in the architectonics of her lonely effort to renew contact with her departed father. She proposes to duplicate her daughter's striving for a spiritual reunion with the tools and materials she has learned to manipulate in the professional adult world. Soon both mother and daughter are walking up and through a new archeological ruin to find a new key to their lives. Searching for the lost man on the moon through a kind of myth and waking dream just this side of a nightmare the two seem to arise and arrive out of the drenching waters of grief to a needful awakening. Jake Beerlander stands below them on the sidelines in puzzled wonderment as Ruth and her daughter and family make peace with the past.

Looking at the movie clearly

[ratty-3 · 3/10 · 23 January 2004]

I am the father who wrote the original comments criticizing this movie for its use of autism. To address those who have said, sometimes rather heatedly, that it is obvious that the girl is NOT autistic and anyone who thinks otherwise is foolish (or at least has a short attention span) please consider this:

If it were obvious from the beginning of the movie that the girl is suffering from an odd denial response brought on by a shaman's comments, and not an identifiable disorder, then the bulk of the movie would be meaningless. What would be the point of all the medical scenes with the use of apparently handicapped (including autistic) children if the viewer already "knows" the girl's problem?

The girl displays very striking features of childhood autism, so on what basis is it reasonable that the mother should resist treatment? You can say: "you see, it wasn't really autism," but as a simple dramatic point they don't give anyone but the guileless moviegoer any reason to think otherwise.

People with handicapped children often wish that anyone giving them bad news is wrong, and that there is a simple "magic" cure for their child's disorder, and so the movie unintentionally gives very bad advice.

I feel it is shameful for the movie makers to have used a disability and disabled people as props for a feelgood story that denies reality as much as the little girl does.

THE most fascinating film I've ever seen...

[chatangel · 10/10 · 8 January 2005]

This is a multi-faceted story with so many nuances that it doesn't surprise me that so many people who watch it miss most of them.

While watching this on IFC (Independent Film Channel), I was perusing the user comments and wondering where I'd fit in, once I'd reached the end of the film. I don't fit anywhere, really. I knew from about 45 seconds into the film where this child was going (to the moon, for her father). Exactly 44 minutes into the film Ruth tells the doctor her daughter is NOT autistic. He says "No, she's not, but..." So you see never once is this child "diagnosed" autistic. Jake the doctor and Ruth the mother are seeking the same goal, from completely different points of reference. They are BOTH right - but in the end it's the mother (who is herself "special") who has the better instincts - and it's that wondrous architectural "House of Cards" that ultimately brings her daughter back.

Key scenes? There are so many I hesitate to list any of them, but here are a couple: The American Indian construction worker who "rescues" Sally from the beam (or whatever it's supposed to be) and communicates with her on some silent, almost mystical, level was beautiful to behold.

Sally's softball catch was a REAL clue, as was her retrieval of older brother Michael's plane from the roof and her foray back onto the roof for the softball. From her fearless internal world she was able to do what most of us cannot.

All of the actors were terrific, but I think Tommy Lee Jones' portrayal of the troubled doctor was superlative, as most of his portrayals are.

If you decide to give this film a shot - PLEASE - pay real attention to the details. Without them you'll never get "the point."

Mothers don't know about illness or disease. They just know love.

[mark.waltz · 7/10 · 6 December 2021]

Serving cereal, not serial, Kathleen Turner is at her most touching in this drama where she is concerned about her allegedly autistic daughter who hasn't spoken for several years, even since before the death of her father. When psichiatra is Tommy Lee Jones takes an interest in the case, they have emotional battles over what is best for the daughter, and as the daughter begins to show signs of genius in ways they didn't expect, the film turns into a paranormal world where turn our begins to see the universe through her daughter's eyes which will hopefully bring on hope for getting her daughter to communicate again. Something in the daughters mind is turning which shows that indeed, she is a genius, even if some of her actions get her into major danger.

This is one of those films has difficult to describe and will not be for all audiences, but brilliant for of performances of Turner, Jones and Esther Rolle as Jones' assistant. This has not one, but two great juvenile performances with Asha Menina incredible to watch as the daughter and Shiloh Strong terrific as the older brother. Menina's actions gets her put into the custody of Jones thanks to the interference of the Department of Child Services, and while it's clear that she does need some kind of help, seeing the state interfere is infuriating. Fortunately Jones isn't as cold hearted as state bureaucrats and they come to an agreement.

This film is one you have to pay attention to but that is not difficult because there are many incredible moments, some very intense such as when Turner, worried about her daughter being on the roof trying to get a ball, ends up stuck there herself. Turner, later climbing up on a building being erected, as followed by her which results in the states interference. You have to expand your imagination for some of the more far-fetched moments, and to watch the viral house of cards being viewed by Turner is fascinating. It's obvious that the sale at the box office because by word of mouth, people just didn't get it and didn't want to spend the time analyzing something so out there. But if you find yourself in the right frame of mind, it will be very difficult to find it as anything other than fascinating.

skip this movie!

[wallflowernova · 2/10 · 25 May 2003]

Wow, first may I say how much this movie blew. Maybe it's because I'm familiar with child psychology, but the whole story-line was one big disaster. This movie has nothing to do with autism, (I noticed a reference to that in other comments from viewers) they pretty much thrust you into the movie, the girl is traumatized by her fathers death, (which she didn't see) and the idea is given at the end that the girl is able to see her fathers death through her mother when she is looking at her (telepathy?) and suddenly, she's healed! Tommy Lee Jones being the psychologist doesn't do it, the architect mom does. Sorry, but I'm not an idiot. That doesn't happen in the real world. Anyone who liked this movie probably also thought "Attack of The Killer Tomatoes" was representative of why we should monitor the: food Vs. genetics issues. Rent something like "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" to cleanse your cinematic palate and give yourself some well deserved laughs. I gave it a rating of two just because I like Mr Jones.

Spectacular yarn

[rystuff · 10/10 · 18 November 2002]

I found the story engrossing and especially enjoyed how the characters put the pieces together as the movie progressed. I also thought parts of the soundtrack were excellent. There is one scene that has stayed with me years after I saw the flick.

This is not a documentary. One reason I rented the movie is my clinical experience with autistic children. If you are the kind of person who requires movies even tangentally reflect how it is in the real world then don't watch it. If you think Hollywood will educate the public about autism this movie will upset you.

This is a thinking person's movie.

Schmaltzy unrealism

[bernie-122 · 1/10 · 8 October 2008]

I haven't been so disappointed since Bush got reelected. I was mainly interested in this movie because Tommy Lee Jones was in it, and I would have to say he did an admirable job with the senseless drivel he was forced to deliver. Kathleen Turner is not one of my favourites, but here I just wanted to reach in and strangle her. The whole thing was a spielbergesque schmaltzfest of embarrassing proportions, and what flabbergasts me is that so many people seem to embrace it on so many levels, as if it actually had something meaningful to say.

It is insulting that they should be able to take a condition such as autism (which the child doesn't have but the movie wants you to think she does) and trivialize it and make it the centrepiece of a maudlin, unrealistic dumbed down piece of soap drama.

The eponymous house of gravity-defying cards itself could not, by any stretch, have been built by a 6-year-old, or anyone else. The virtual reality simulations depicted were preposterous in 1993; today they are a ludicrous parody. Those are just a couple of the obvious technical failures.

I am quite prepared to suspend my notions of plausibility to allow artistic fulfillment, but that only works when it is needed as a vehicle to get the message through. There is no message here, it is just fatuous nonsense of the worst kind: Deliberate emotional manipulation of the sort that Mr. Spielberg is a master of.

This doesn't work on me, and I find it dismaying that it does seem to work on so many others, as shown here by how few reviewers were able to see through it. If you like having your intelligence insulted, then by all means, watch this.

A good-hearted movie that takes you beyond dreams.....

[bridget-amarant · 15 January 2003]

I absolutely loved this movie. It is so different than any other movie I've seen (and I've seen plenty!). People who commented on this movie say that its not reality-that they didn't go into certain aspects of the "problems" at hand in the movie...well, that's what movies are all about. They take you to a different dimension that's not of this world. And this movie deals with taking us to a different world of a child going into a different world. And that, everyone, is what it's all about. I highly recommend this movie to anyone who doesn't want to see the same storyline used in 90% of all movies today, with a touch of dreamscape, and a whole lot of heart. Tommy Lee Jones is perfect as usual, as well as Kathleen Turner. WATCH IT!

Where's Kevin Spacey when you need him?!

[natashabowiepinky · 2/10 · 5 March 2015]

Watching this film was akin to taking a flight you've taken dozens of times before. Familiar route. Decent meal. Comfortable seat, if a bit lumpy. Slight gust of wind in the air, but nothing to sweat about. Then, all of a sudden... one of the engine breaks down. EMERGENCY. PEOPLE RUNNING EVERYWHERE. YOU'RE HURTLING TO EARTH AT 1000 MILES AN HOUR. SCREAMING. KIDS CRYING. WE'RE NOT GONNA MAKE IT. SAY YOUR PRAYERS. IT'S THE MOTHER OF ALL NOSEDIVES... Yep, you get the picture.

I shall now describe the scene in intricate detail. Kathleen Turner plays the mother of a girl who recently, following the death of her father and Turner's husband, has gone mute, unresponsive to human contact and has taken to climbing tall structures. She's already had a couple of close shaves involving a tree and the roof back home... So what does her Oh-So-Intelligent caregiver do? Why, takes her to work with her. Turner plays a head ARCHITECT. She's in the middle of a HUGE project. There are cranes, unfinished buildings and dangers everywhere. Hmm... My spidey sense is picking up something here...

And, guess who Turner leaves her extremely vulnerable daughter with, during this unwise little jaunt? Why, no other than her dozy brother... Who we've already established is as thick as two short planks. Despite KNOWING his sibling is in a bad way, and cannot be left unattended for any length of time... What does he do? Why, COMPLETELY ignore her for the duration while she's able to get out of the back seat, climb a nearby ladder and walk along a narrow platform 500 feet in the air. It's only when one of the workers spots her, she's able to be saved.

MY. GOD. This is worse parenting than those idiots you read about in the paper who go on holiday... Leaving their kids alone for a week in an empty house. At least they're not at any immediate risk... In this film, Turner TAKES HER DAUGHTER to THE WORST POSSIBLE PLACE for someone in her condition, then compounds the error by having her useless son babysit her.

At the inevitable custody meeting afterwards, she has the cheek to think she has a leg to stand on... And, almost unbelievably, she manages to AVOID getting her child taken away... By doormat doctor Tommy Lee Jones who's only proviso is that he see her once a day.

The final nail in the coffin here is that Turner DOES NOT FEEL RESPONSIBLE for making such a grievous error and her dumb, dumb son DOES NOT GET PUNISHED OR EXPRESS ANY REGRET FOR HIS HUGE LAPSE IN CONCENTRATION... And even tries to beat up Jones when he arrives to collect his sister. Instead of saying "Nice right hook" to the little punk, he should have pressed charges... There and then.

Are we supposed to like these people? This little girl is quite clearly living in a hazardous environment and should be removed post haste. But, nope... Rather than ask questions about Turner's dubious suitability to be a parent, or whether her son really WAS dropped on his head as a baby, it prefers to bore us senseless with endless scenes of the little girl during pointless cr*p which is supposed to be meaningful. After the umpteenth moment of her screaming or staring blankly at the camera, I came to the conclusion that ANY kid could play this role. No wonder 'Asha Menina' didn't star in another movie for 17 years. She doesn't exactly strike you as the next Shirley Temple...

Oh yes, of course the 'cards' in the title. The girl constructs a huge tower of cards around her one morning, and Turner takes lots of pictures of it before it collapses. SOMEWHERE in that diagram there is a clue behind her vegetative state. So she uploads the photos to her computer, makes a 3D model of them, strolls around it using a VERY old virtual reality helmet, and eventually, builds an exact replica made of a wood of it in her back garden.

Instead of being moving, charming, or poignant, it is instead utterly ridiculous and stupid. And never so much as in the finale, where I can't even BEGIN to describe what goes down. All that I can tell you is it is one half unashameable cornball sentimentality, the other incoherent unwatchable mayhem. My conclusion: Everyone knew they had a turkey on their hands, and just gave up as this juncture.

And it all started off so well. Comparably speaking... The mediocre first 50 minutes is a godsend compared to what unfolds afterwards. There are no survivors, the debris is scattered over the whole continent... And somewhere, two hours of your life are weeping at your squandering of them. YOU'LL NEVER GET THEM BACK... 2/10

**Spoilers** Wonderful story, great cast.

[MorgaineS · 10/10 · 24 March 2006]

House of Cards is a really unusual story, and you have to really pay attention to understand what is going on. It juxtaposes modern medicine with Mayan ritual, but you have to listen to the conversations with the Mayan man and Sally (Asha Menina) to understand what she's going through. I'll try not to give too much away, but I have to talk about the ending because that is what is confusing people.

The movie begins with the father dying from a fall at an archaeological dig in South America. The little girl is only about 5, but she's multilingual, speaking Spanish and a native Mayan dialect fluently as well as English. We hear Sally's memories as narration, the Mayan man that she spent so much time with telling her how to become very quiet, how to deal with her grief, and that her father now lives on the moon. The family leaves for the States shortly after the father's death, so this little girl who has only really known the people at the site is taken from an extended support system to a rural American setting. Her mother and brother are so caught up in the move and their grief that they don't really notice Sally has stopped talking. As she begins to exhibit extraordinary powers like climbing and throwing or catching a ball with freakish ability, the brother notices but doesn't really tell their mom.

Sally's "symptoms" create concern in the local authorities when she climbs up building equipment trying to reach the moon, where she's been told her father is now. They only manage to get her down because the worker that goes after her is Native American and she trusts him. No one ever mentions this in the movie, but he's the only one she responds to during her mourning spell. A therapist who is assigned to deal with Sally and her family struggles to define the problems and the extreme gifts demonstrated by Sally. He's using modern techniques that are unable to reach the girl. Her behavior becomes more bizarre, and more beautiful, leaving him to struggle with the idea of whether we enter or withdraw from the world through creativity.

In the end, the mother, played by Kathleen Turner, follows her instinct and builds a tower based on the design of Sally's house of cards. No one connects the fact that Sally's structure ended with a Major Arcana Tarot card, The Moon, and that the tower appears to be directly under the moon, as in the card. The Native man from the construction site helps the mother, as do friends and family, though they don't understand what she's doing. When the tower nears completion, the mother falls asleep on it, and she connects with Sally in a dream. She's awakened by the doctor coming across the field, where he found Sally headed for the tower.

This is where most people get lost. Sally and her mother work the problem out on an inner plane. From the outside, they appear to just be staring at each other. On the inside, Sally is expressing her grief, says good bye to her daddy, and comes back to her mom. Once Sally lets go of her dad, she is back to normal. She has no memory of her "quiet" time.

Sally's journey is a vision quest, and her mother intuitively reaches her with a ritual based on the symbols Sally has been taught. No one in the movie understands how it happens or why, so if you aren't familiar with Native American spirituality, it won't make sense - though it is still poetic and beautiful, if you let go of trying to make it fit your expectations.

I highly recommend the movie, especially for family viewing.

Don't even think about renting this one...

[GitYoFunOn · 2/10 · 18 November 2002]

"House of Cards" is such a murky film it's a wonder its makers would think it watchable. The plot, which involves a mother's journey to try to reach her young daughter after she has developed autistic-like characteristics, is hard nut to crack. To be fair there is a meek explanation for the child's behavior but it does not hold up. Even stage vet Kathleen Turner and the excellent Tommy Lee Jones can't save this film from the highly symbolic mess it is. It is hard to think of many serious films where one has not come to understand the characters and couldn't care less.

I almost turned away, am I glad I didn't

[Igor_1066 · 8/10 · 5 November 2004]

During the setup of the story I thought that I knew where this one was going. I nearly gave up, disgusted by what I thought was coming. Then Ruth made some comments on specialists and I knew that we were dealing with something special. This is not a movie for those intent on convincing themselves that their self-protectiveness is the ultimate virtue. If you measure life's success by things that are amenable to counting, such as the number of breaths drawn, or by how one can arrive at the point of death having avoided as much pain as possible, stay away. This movie is a celebration of life, not an attempt to glorify the suburban Stepford zombie imitation that most people so zealously seek. Share this movie with philosophical friends. It should provide a springboard to much pleasurable conversation.

Take this movie with a grain of salt--please!

[ratty-3 · 3/10 · 3 March 2001]

**** SPOILER WARNING ****

Being the father of an autistic child introduced me to a world of children with disabilities, part of which is realistically portrayed at times in this movie.

The realism is enhanced by sprinkling the movie with actually disabled children whose demeanor and behavior is achingly familiar to those of us exposed to them.

This realism in detail, including portraying many accurate arguments on the part of the protagonists, has the unfortunate (and perhaps intended) purpose of validating a fantasy ending.

Also familiar to me, and, I'm sure, the vast legion of parents of the disabled, is the ending itself, in which, after much sturm und drang, the autistic girl finally says "Mommy," hugs her mom, and proceeds to give appropriate responses to every query and situation. Miracle cure! I say this is familiar to me because I saw the same scene countless times. My almost 4-year-old daughter, who never said a word, who I had to engage by getting right in face, blotting out all other distractions, suddenly began speaking in complete sentences! But this happened in countless dreams, and I always woke up before the credits started rolling.

My daughter is now 8 and light-years beyond where I thought (and feared) she would ever be, but this came about through years of intensive work by her teachers, social workers, psychologists, and her family. And the work goes on.

Parents of disabled children need to fully participate in their child's education and therapy, and not take as scripture every word professionals say. But (with autism especially), the clock is running. If one parent fails to get appropriate therapy for his or her disabled child because of this movie, it will have performed an unintended evil.

I suppose the filmmakers could weasel out by saying that the girl portrayed in the film wasn't really autistic, she suffered from some kind of trauma-induced hysteria, which COULD be cured by unconventional means. OK. But they went out of their way to show the girl exhibiting behaviors that anyone familiar with autism would recognize instantly.

This is at best dishonest, and at worst exploitation.

Deep, if you're paying attention

[TEBergh · 7 May 2003]

Everyone I know thinks this movie is weird, until I make them rewatch the beginning and pay close attention. Then they love it.

Whoever trashed this movie regarding the autism obviously did not watch it. The child was NOT austistic. She was trying to handle her father's death with things she learned from her Mayan archaeologist friend.

I think if you have any brain in your head and have an attention span large enough to actually watch the whole movie, it is thoroughly enjoyable.

Let's delve into a review of the 1993 film "House of Cards":

[alexpeychev · 5/10 · 20 March 2024]

Let's delve into a review of the 1993 film "House of Cards":

"House of Cards" is a perplexing cinematic endeavor that defies easy categorization. Directed by Michael Lessac, the film opens in Mexico, where Sally's parents, both scientists studying ancient ruins, meet a tragic fate. Her father's fall from a ruin leads to his demise. An enigmatic mystic informs Sally that the departed find their abode on the moon, and if she listens carefully, she can hear them.

Sally (played by Asha Menina) and her mother (Kathleen Turner) return to America, where Sally begins exhibiting symptoms of autism. She remains silent, reacting with loud, dissonant noises when her environment changes. Desperate to reach her, her mother takes her to a clinic run by Tommy Lee Jones, who diagnoses autism. But Sally's silence conceals a deeper purpose: she is listening for her deceased father.

In a remarkable attempt to communicate, Sally constructs an intricate tower of cards-a soaring architectural marvel that appears to defy the laws of physics. The Turner character deciphers Sally's intent: she is trying to connect with her mother. Inspired, she designs her own tower using computer-aided design (CAD) software and builds it from plywood. The computer scenes, while abundant, lack meaningful impact.

The actual tower, however, resembles something any resourceful child's mother could construct for well under $100,000. As the mother and child ascend the tower, its symbolism reverberates-a desperate climb toward understanding and connection.

Tommy Lee Jones, despite a baffling character, delivers intensity and concern. His scenes remain intriguing, even if their connection to the rest of the film remains elusive. Unfortunately, the movie as a whole defies explanation. It lacks interest, intelligence, plausibility, and entertainment value. The synopsis is so absurd that it seems unproduceable, yet it exists.

In summary, "House of Cards" is an enigma-an inexplicable cinematic venture that leaves viewers puzzled and searching for meaning. If you're drawn to unconventional narratives and symbolic towers, this film might intrigue you, but be prepared for a journey into the inexplicable.

great

[lich1331 · 10/10 · 20 June 2005]

I voted mainly for the soundtrack... great songs. But it also was a touching movie. i was kind of little of the time and not to hard to impress but it was a great movie.That is all I had to say but it seems i need 10 lines and I don't think I can think enough to produce another 6 lines so...

I voted mainly for the soundtrack... great songs. But it also was a touching movie. i was kind of little of the time and not to hard to impress but it was a great movie.That is all I had to say but it seems i need 10 lines and I don't think I can think enough to produce another 6 lines so...

A child looses a parent and withdraws into her self...

[sssister · 10/10 · 26 April 2006]

I for one LOVED this movie! there are some awesome scenes and to share it would ruin watching the movie.

basically the childs parents are arhciologists and her father dies at a dig site. they are living in south America and the girl has a friend who is friends of the family he tells her her father is in the moon. shes a child so she believes it.

the mother not knowing what to do with her self decides to take the girl back to America.. (bad move on my thought the girl just lost her father and now suffers culture shock!) but thats what makes a movie right? so they go back to America severing the young girl from all of her safety zones and she naturally withdraws into herself. however she withdraws so completely she no longer communicates with the outside world she does some AMAZING things. anyway i love this movie yes I'm vague. because you have to see the movie totally get the grasp of it. the comment above me did nothing more than bash one of my most loved movies. and you should pay it no mind they obviously had a bad day at the time of writing the review. which is what a blog is for not a imd! any who i really love this movie and think you should try it out!

poetic

[Kirpianuscus · 17 November 2021]

I prefer to see it as a poetic film. I teach in classes with autistic students, I was confronted with some cases . But, in same measure I am seduced by fairy tales. The death of father can reate strong refuges. And, in this film, the refuge is just well projected. Because it is a film about a six years old girl, in touch with Mayan myth - a myth reminding the stories about the rabbit on the moon from my childhood - admirable acting, moving end . A film about truth, with few unrealistic pink parts but real nice for understand, in fair manner, the other.

House of Cards (1993)

[pocahantaschild · 10/10 · 26 March 2023]

How a child, a very perceptive child, deals with the loss of her daddy. Without further comment, wonderful insight to a child's innocence. Artistic talents , inherent from her engineer mom, she has the galactic spiral down pat. Quiet since her daddy's fall to death as an archaeologist, her words are stuck in silence, in her awareness of the world around her and where she fits in it. Of course the adults in the movie, haven't a clue fir her apparent 'dumbness'. Test from society norms, prove Tommy Lee Jones, as always, Qudos. Hard to find it streaming from any major streaming service. Too bad too. Its a good one.