HOUSE OF D

David Duchovny marks his theatrical writing and directing debut with the coming-of-age drama HOUSE OF D. Duchovny also stars as Tommy Warshaw, a forty-something French artist, who finally realizes on his son’s 13th birthday, that he must come to terms with certain events that defined his childhood. Anton Yelchin portrays the 13-year old Tommy, while Robin Williams is his best friend Pappass, a mentally handicapped man who also works with Tommy as a delivery man.

If good intentions made good movies, I’d be singing the praises of HOUSE OF D. Despite Duchovny’s attempt at a heart-warming coming-of-age tale, his writing and directing falls flat in terms of character establishment, emotion and connectivity. If isolated, the characters might have worked, but when they are forced to interact there is no sense of purpose and little emotion to pull us in. Tea Leoni as Tommy’s mentally anguished mom Katherine, Erkah Badu as an inmate at a women’s detention center and, yes, even Williams as Pappass all seem authentic. But when they share their scenes with Yelchin, the moments feel fabricated and never ring true. Part of the problem is Yelchin, who’s abundance of charm and innocence from HEARTS IN ATLANTIS, is all but absent There’s no connection between Tommy and any of the three abnormal characters, and it leaves HOUSE OF D hollow. I don’t recommend this Duchovny dud.

Grade: C-