A Home at the End of the World (2004)

48% of critics liked it
(112 reviews)
66% of users liked it
(10,560 ratings)

Directed by Michael Mayer and based on The Hours author Michael Cunningham's novel of the same name, A Home at the End of the World chronicles the 1980s reunion of childhood best friends Bobby (Colin Farrell) and Jonathan (Dallas Roberts). Where they were once best pals -- and teenage lovers -- in… More Directed by Michael Mayer and based on The Hours author Michael Cunningham's novel of the same name, A Home at the End of the World chronicles the 1980s reunion of childhood best friends Bobby (Colin Farrell) and Jonathan (Dallas Roberts). Where they were once best pals -- and teenage lovers -- in the suburbs of Cleveland, Bobby has become a charismatic but go-nowhere heterosexual slacker, and Jonathan is now living as an openly gay man in New York City, hoping to serve as father to his eccentric roommate Clare's (Robin Wright Penn) child. When Bobby impulsively moves to the city to be closer to his former friend, their bonds are tested sooner than anyone would have thought. Bobby falls for Clare, and in doing so, effectively eliminates what would have been Jonathan's position in the baby's life. Jonathan temporarily takes off; when his father dies, and he attends the Arizona funeral, Bobby and Clare unexpectedly turn up with the news that she's expecting. Despite the still-existent tensions, the trio becomes a family unit among themselves, ultimately buying a house in Woodstock, Upstate New York, where they all move together, challenging traditional notions of family, commitment, love, and devotion. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 37 min.
Directed By: Michael Mayer, Asia Vieira
Written By: Michael Cunningham
Genres: Drama, Romance

In Theaters: Aug 20, 2004 Wide
On DVD: Nov 2, 2004
Studio: Warner Bros.

Critic Reviews

Joe Baltake, Sacramento Bee
Vastly enjoyable, nicely shocking and genuinely touching.
Steve Murray, Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Flawed but sincere -- the sort of thoughtful, adult movie that rarely appears in the summer.
Jay Boyar, Orlando Sentinel
Despite some very good acting in most roles, the people on the screen seem like types with labels.
Peter Rainer, New York Magazine
Casting is everything in a film like this, and in the major roles, Mayer scores two out of three.
Richard Nilsen, Arizona Republic
Although the actors do a magnificent job with the piffle, the characters hardly ever act the way real people do in the situations they are presented with. They act, instead, the way characters in a movie act.
Desson Thomson, Washington Post
What keeps the movie going, far longer than the screenplay deserves, are fine performances all around.
Nell Minow, Common Sense Media
Great acting, but soap opera-ish. Not for kids.
Dragan Antulov, Draxblog Movie Reviews
shorter than THE HOURS and this is the main reason why Michael Cunnigham should be pleased with this adaptation of his work
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
Whether Colin Farrell is cast-against-type or miscast in this mediocre adaptation of Cunningham's evocative novel is a matter of debate
Forrest Hartman, Reno Gazette-Journal
Fantastic performances, a wonderful script and solid direction by Michael Mayer place A Home at the End of the World among the year's finest movies.
Nick Davis, Nick's Flick Picks
The movie makes the characters worse than enigmas; it makes them the last people imaginable from which you expect or even desire to learn anything.
John J. Puccio, Movie Metropolis
The sweet, loving relationships of the main characters sustain the picture for a time.... But, ultimately, we realize that not a lot is actually original or inspired.
John J. Puccio, Movie Metropolis
Farrell's acting is so totally likable, he lifts the story from its sudsy roots and elevates it to something worthy of memory. Well, at least if you have a short memory.
Ed Gonzalez, Slant Magazine
Sorry, pervs, but Colin Farrell's penis has stayed on the cutting room floor.

Read all 14 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

moon r

Unconventional people do unconventional things in this daring screen adaptation of Michael Cunningham's story about members of a love triangle that decide to be and to have a family together. But how is that sort of thing done? Somebody's feelings are bound to get hurt ...… More
Unconventional people do unconventional things in this daring screen adaptation of Michael Cunningham's story about members of a love triangle that decide to be and to have a family together. But how is that sort of thing done? Somebody's feelings are bound to get hurt ... an amazing Colin Farrell and the always luminous Sissy Spacek steal the show in this adult themed family introspective about wanting to have a home.
jay n

Colin Farrell and Sissy Spacek give masterful performances.
Walter M

"A Home at the End of the World" starts in Cleveland, 1967 where nine year-old Bobby is introduced to the wonders of marijuana by his older brother. The older brother then promptly walks through a window during a party and dies. It skips ahead a few years when Bobby meets… More
"A Home at the End of the World" starts in Cleveland, 1967 where nine year-old Bobby is introduced to the wonders of marijuana by his older brother. The older brother then promptly walks through a window during a party and dies. It skips ahead a few years when Bobby meets Jonathan in high school and insinuates himself into Jonathan's family. It skips ahead to New York City in the 1980's when Bobby(Colin Farrell) joins his friend in the big city. Jonathan(Dallas Roberts) is outwardly gay and sharing an apartment with an older woman, Clare(Robin Wright Penn). "A Home at the End of the World" is a ploddingly told tale that takes thirty minutes to even get started. It might be about unorthodox family structures but that's about it. The ill-defined characters simply consist of types and cliches. We never really get to know who Clare is, even though she is a key player and Bobby is simply a dense piece of matter. Robin Wright Penn and Sissy Spacek simply deserve better than this.
Mike T

This film got off to such an awful start that I immediately regretted buying it. It didn't turn out to be a masterpiece, but it contains some very moving scenes and uniquely interesting character dynamics. Structurally it's a little clunky, and there are moments when it… More
This film got off to such an awful start that I immediately regretted buying it. It didn't turn out to be a masterpiece, but it contains some very moving scenes and uniquely interesting character dynamics. Structurally it's a little clunky, and there are moments when it feels forced and pretentious, but overall it's a worthwhile watch.
Daniel P

I was *so* disappointed with this film. For starters at not much over 90 minutes, it's *far* too short. Secondly, all the characters except for Farrell's are badly drawn, and thirdly, Farrell (IMHO) is miscast as Bobby. Michael Cunningham, who wrote the screenplay, also… More
I was *so* disappointed with this film. For starters at not much over 90 minutes, it's *far* too short. Secondly, all the characters except for Farrell's are badly drawn, and thirdly, Farrell (IMHO) is miscast as Bobby. Michael Cunningham, who wrote the screenplay, also wrote the far superior book. Even if you loved this movie, go read the book instead - it'll blow your mind.
Daisy M

<a href="http://tinypic.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i32.tinypic.com/27yrew0.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a> A home at the end of the world was for me disappointed. Maybe because… More
<a href="http://tinypic.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i32.tinypic.com/27yrew0.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a> A home at the end of the world was for me disappointed. Maybe because of my expectations for the movie and then it lacked of depth on certain matters. This movie had many meaningless scenes. There was no specific direction.It had some scenes with a mixture of Gay and Straights moments. I have no problem with this life styles, but I am not a fan either. Collin Farrell didn't seem good in this character and his acting wasn't so good.I enjoyed Robin Wright Penn, but I think she was miscast for this role.
Leo L

Deeply touching.