The House of Yes (1997)

64% of critics liked it
(36 reviews)
76% of users liked it
(7,218 ratings)

A wealthy young man wants to wed a painfully ordinary girl, and a few hours with his family will convince anyone why he's doing so in this black comedy. Marty Pascal (Josh Hamilton) is engaged to marry Lesly (Tori Spelling), a dizzy blonde he met when she was working at a doughnut shop, and he… More A wealthy young man wants to wed a painfully ordinary girl, and a few hours with his family will convince anyone why he's doing so in this black comedy. Marty Pascal (Josh Hamilton) is engaged to marry Lesly (Tori Spelling), a dizzy blonde he met when she was working at a doughnut shop, and he bravely decides that it's time she met his family, so he brings her along for Thanksgiving dinner at his mother's house in West Virginia. Bravery is necessary because the Pascals are not an especially healthy or wholesome family. Mother (Genevieve Bujold) explains her philosophy about parenting like so: "You raise cattle; children just happen." In this environment, where refusing your child anything is all but unknown, her youngest son Anthony (Freddie Prinze, Jr.) has grown up to be an overanxious virgin eager to seduce Lesly while Marty's not paying attention. And Marty's twin sister Jackie (Parker Posey), malignily obsessed with Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, often re-enacts the murder of JFK using spaghetti sauce for blood (when she can't get ahold of real bullets) and enjoys incestuously seducing Marty (which hardly bothers Mother, who notes that "Jackie's hand was holding Marty's penis when they came out the womb"). The House of Yes was based on the play by Wendy MacLeod; first time director Mark S. Waters (brother of screenwriter Daniel Waters) also adapted the screenplay. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 30 min.
Directed By: Mark Waters (VIII)
Written By: Mark Waters
Genres: Drama, Comedy

In Theaters: Oct 10, 1997 Wide
On DVD: Apr 3, 2001
Studio: Miramax

Critic Reviews

Richard Corliss, TIME Magazine
Bujold has the frazzled hauteur of an aging, neglected star, and Spelling is nicely glazed, studiously artless. But the film is keyed to Posey's performance: perfectly brittle, faultlessly false.
Dennis Harvey, Variety
[Waters] manages to open up the text while maintaining its perilous mix of arch wit, pathos and suspense.
Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail
This is a definitive Posey performance: wide-eyed, smiling and ultrafeminine, but plastic and cold as a store mannequin.
Stephen Holden, New York Times
There are many gaping holes between the funny moments.
James Berardinelli, ReelViews
Not every chance taken by Mark Waters works, but enough are successful to produce some memorable motion picture moments.
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
When the film was over I was not particularly pleased that I had seen it; it was mostly behavior and contrivance. While it was running, I was not bored.
Ken Fox, TV Guide's Movie Guide
Bujold is as good as ever, but the real surprise here is Spelling: Slack-jawed and dewy-eyed, lids forever at half-mast, she's perfectly cast as a lamb among wolves, and her naivete is strangely affecting.
, Film4
A fierce piece of farce and sharp as a kitchen knife.
Michael Dequina, TheMovieReport.com
Offers more than its share of tartly biting zingers, dropped to maximum comic effect by the letter-perfect Posey.
Derek Adams, Time Out
There's something quite lethal about Parker Posey in pearls, and for that inspiration director Mark Waters deserves our gratitude.
Laura Clifford, Reeling Reviews
So light it almost floats away were it not somewhat anchored by the performances of Posey, Bujold and Spelling.
Jon Niccum, Lawrence Journal-World
Annoying
Dragan Antulov, rec.arts.movies.reviews
Can be entertaining at times, but the question about this film's long-time impact on viewers' memory is going to be a definitive "no."
Margaret A. McGurk, Cincinnati Enquirer
Easy to forget if not for the presence of the wonderful Parker Posey.
Lael Loewenstein, Boxoffice Magazine
Waters takes pains never to caricature the family members. Even Jackie-O, who could have easily become the stuff of high camp, is reigned in by Posey's performance, which is one of her best; she manages to be arch, touching and acerbic all at once.
Michael W. Phillips, Jr., Goatdog's Movies
The story seems too intent on spreading quirkiness on with a spatula to be really engaging; you can't picture these people as anything other than movie characters.

Read all 16 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

Bruce B

This film didn't do much for me. A brother comes home with his finance to meet his family, a sister who thinks she is Jackie Kennedy and is in love (More then Brother Sister type love) with her brother, flips out and tries to do away with the fiancée. Its from the 1997 Toronto… More
This film didn't do much for me. A brother comes home with his finance to meet his family, a sister who thinks she is Jackie Kennedy and is in love (More then Brother Sister type love) with her brother, flips out and tries to do away with the fiancée. Its from the 1997 Toronto International Film Festival. One of the few not so good movies from this festival, but you might find it enjoyable and funny. Me well I can only muster up 2 1/2 stars.
Jennifer X

A highly variable movie with its own individual peaks and valleys. It's a pleasure to watch indie queen Parker Posey act, for sure. It is she that gels the humor in just the right way so that it's not too awkward or too uncomfortable. The relationship is just messed up… More
A highly variable movie with its own individual peaks and valleys. It's a pleasure to watch indie queen Parker Posey act, for sure. It is she that gels the humor in just the right way so that it's not too awkward or too uncomfortable. The relationship is just messed up enough that it works. But the movie is too long, and too little amount of events happen that make it a solidly "good" movie. The story is indie original, but it's not a completely well-thought out one. The tone is there and strong, but the finely honed details are lacking. Sadistic, vicious, ridiculous, but uneven.
Lafe F

YES! This movie was quirky and interesting, with a strange family in a mansion. Fun in a weird captivatingly demented way.
Alice S

Pretty decent adaptation of a darkly comic stage play...up until the second half when it becomes stagnant. Posey, Bujold, and Rachael Leigh Cook as Young Jackie-O are awesome. I wanted to see more blood though. More blood in the figurative sense (Jackie-O kills Marty in the end.… More
Pretty decent adaptation of a darkly comic stage play...up until the second half when it becomes stagnant. Posey, Bujold, and Rachael Leigh Cook as Young Jackie-O are awesome. I wanted to see more blood though. More blood in the figurative sense (Jackie-O kills Marty in the end. The final tableau of Jackie-O cradling her brother/lover's head in her hands is supposed to be an incredibly poignant moment in the play but the film didn't include it, and that shows how the adaptation hit all the funny parts but somewhat glazed over the deeper insanity and turmoil in this whacked out family) and literally (more ketchup and macaroni on Jackie-O's dress). Favorite line: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHA
Drew S

Annoying movie. Overly self-conscious, funny very rarely, and poorly adapted from the play.
Leigh R

Very odd, but so entertaining...
Michael G

Not that great, but not that bad. And indie movie you can't bring yourself to get excited about.
Quinto W

Very witty, has some great dialogue and Parker Posey delivers one of her funnest, wackiest and best performance. Supporting players are also great, even Tori Spelling and that dude who married Sarah Michelle Gellar.
Nick G

Add a review (optional)...