Cinema
Drama
House of Sand and Fog (2003): Cast, Ratings & Box Office
House of Sand and Fog is a 2003 drama directed by Vadim Perelman, starring Ben Kingsley, Jennifer Connelly and Ron Eldard. It is based on House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus III. It runs 2 hours 6 minutes and earned $16.8 million worldwide on a $16.5 million budget. It won 1 award from 10 nominations, among them 3 Oscar nominations. Critics gave it 75% on Rotten Tomatoes and 71 on Metacritic.
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- Released
- Runtime
- 2h 6m (126 min)
- Director
- Vadim Perelman
- Genre
- Drama
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- DreamWorks Distribution
- Budget
- $16.5M
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
The story
What Is House of Sand and Fog About?
The premise of House of Sand and Fog without spoilers, adapted from House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus III. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
A woman battling personal demons risks losing her home due to a legal error, while an Iranian immigrant strives for a new beginning by acquiring the property. As the woman’s situation grows increasingly dire, she confronts the immigrant, leading to a tense and tragic conflict. The story explores themes of loss, desperation, and the American dream, revealing the devastating consequences of misunderstanding and the fragility of hope.
House of Sand and Fog Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- based on novel
- suicide
- depressed woman
- family abandonment
- sex for favor
- domineering husband
- shady brother
- fruit bowl
- stubbornness
- tax office
- alcoholic
- rest room
+38 more Show fewer
- sheriff
- mourning dove
- house deck
- reference to the caspian sea
- storage shed
- foreclosure
- trauma unit
- camera shot from inside a car trunk
- slow motion scene
- watching tv
- prologue
- scene during opening credits
- female rear nudity
- husband murders his wife
- murder suicide
- suicide by asphyxiation
- shot by police
- farsi
- military uniform
- colonel
- eviction notice
- birdseye camera shot
- band the musical group
- tragedy drama
- writer cameo appearance
- living in a car
- husband poisons his wife
- husband slaps his wife
- unfaithfulness
- stepping on a nail
- house
- iranian
- auction
- home
- marriage
- fog
- police officer
- wedding
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Cast & crew
House of Sand and Fog Cast
Ben Kingsley leads the cast, with Jennifer Connelly and Ron Eldard. Directed by Vadim Perelman.
- Director Vadim Perelman
From the director
More from Vadim Perelman
More films directed by Vadim Perelman, best-rated first: Persian Lessons, The Life Before Her Eyes and Buy Me.
Ratings
House of Sand and Fog Reviews & Ratings
Critics gave House of Sand and Fog 75% on Rotten Tomatoes and 71 on Metacritic.
-
Rotten Tomatoes 75% Tomatometer
Popcornmeter 83%
See on Rotten Tomatoes -
Metacritic 71 Metascore
User score 7.5
See on Metacritic -
TMDB 72% User score
See on TMDB
Plot
House of Sand and Fog Plot Summary
What happens in House of Sand and Fog from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
Abandoned by her husband, recovering drug addict Kathy Nicolo finds herself living on her own in a small house near the beautiful San Francisco Bay Area. Despite receiving multiple eviction notices for overdue business taxes, she assumes there’s been a mix-up and ignores them. Her situation takes a turn when Sheriff’s Deputy Lester Burdon arrives to forcibly evict her, revealing that her home is about to be auctioned. Understanding her plight, Lester Burdon helps her pack and encourages her to seek legal help to reclaim her house.
Full summary
The whole story of House of Sand and Fog, scene by scene
Box office
House of Sand and Fog Box Office & Budget
House of Sand and Fog grossed $16.8 million worldwide on a $16.5 million budget, 1.0 times what it cost. $13 million came from the US and Canada and $3.7 million (22%) from the rest of the world.
Worldwide gross
$16.8M
1.0× its budget
- US & Canada
- $13M
- International
- $3.7M
- Budget
- $16.5M
US & Canada 78%
Rest of the world 22%
Awards
House of Sand and Fog Awards & Nominations
House of Sand and Fog won 1 award from 10 nominations, among them 3 Oscar nominations. Its biggest night was the Spirit Awards 2004, with 1 win from 3 nominations.
1 win10 nominations5 ceremonies
-
Spirit Awards 2004 1 win · 3 nominations- Won Best Supporting Female – Shohreh Aghdashloo
- Nominated Best First Feature
- Nominated Best Male Lead – Ben Kingsley
-
Oscars 2004 3 nominations- Nominated Actor in a Leading Role – Ben Kingsley
- Nominated Actress in a Supporting Role – Shohreh Aghdashloo
- Nominated Music (Original Score)
-
Critics' Choice 2004 2 nominations- Nominated Best Actor – Ben Kingsley
- Nominated Best Actress – Jennifer Connelly
-
Actor Awards (SAG) 2004 1 nomination- Nominated Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role – Ben Kingsley
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Golden Globes 2004 1 nomination- Nominated Best Performance in a Motion Picture – Drama (Actor) – Ben Kingsley
Videos
House of Sand and Fog Trailers & Videos
2 videos: 2 trailers.
- Trailer House of Sand and Fog Trailer (2021)
Quiz
How Well Do You Know House of Sand and Fog?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
What is Kathy Nicolo struggling with at the beginning of the movie?
Cars
Cars in House of Sand and Fog
27 cars on screen, including the 1984 Pontiac Bonneville and the 1969 Mercedes-Benz 200 W115.
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1984 Pontiac Bonneville Main role -
1969 Mercedes-Benz 200 W115 Important role -
1980 Toyota Corolla Wagon Important role -
1985 Chevrolet Chevy Van Minor role
Details
House of Sand and Fog Also Known As
29 alternative titles, including “La casa di sabbia e di nebbia” and “Дом из песка и тумана”.
- Also known as
-
- La casa di sabbia e di nebbia
- Дом из песка и тумана
- Qum və dumandan ev
- Haus aus Sand und Nebel
- Casa de arena y niebla
- Maison de sable et de brume
- Будинок з піску і туману
- Dom z piasku i mgły
- Sisler Evi
- Kuca pijeska i magle
- Casa de Areia e Névoa
- Hiekan ja sumun talo
+17 more Show fewer
- Σπίτι από άμμο και ομίχλη
- Ház a ködben
- 砂と霧の家
- Smelio ir ruko namai
- La casa di sabbia e nebbia
- Uma Casa na Bruma
- Ett hus av sand och dimma
- 尘雾家园
- Casa de nisip și ceață
- בית של חול וערפל
- Dům z písku a mlhy
- Къщата от пясък и мъгла
- 모래와 안개의 집
- Ngôi Nhà Trong Cát Bụi Và Sương Mù
- 塵霧家園
- Casa de sorra i boira
- Hiša peska in megle
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From the blog
Articles About House of Sand and Fog
Our article about House of Sand and Fog: “The Art and Impact of Voice Narration in Documentaries”.
FAQ
House of Sand and Fog FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Awards
Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office, ratings, the book behind it and awards of House of Sand and Fog, each answered in a sentence.
How long is House of Sand and Fog?
House of Sand and Fog runs 2 hours 6 minutes (126 minutes).
When was House of Sand and Fog released?
House of Sand and Fog was released on December 19, 2003.
Who directed House of Sand and Fog?
House of Sand and Fog was directed by Vadim Perelman.
More films by Vadim Perelman Who is in the cast of House of Sand and Fog?
House of Sand and Fog stars Ben Kingsley, Jennifer Connelly and Ron Eldard.
How much did House of Sand and Fog make at the box office?
House of Sand and Fog grossed $16.8 million worldwide ($13 million domestic, $3.7 million international) on a budget of $16.5 million.
How is House of Sand and Fog rated?
House of Sand and Fog has 75% on Rotten Tomatoes, 71 on Metacritic and 72% on TMDB.
Is House of Sand and Fog based on a book?
Yes. House of Sand and Fog is adapted from House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus III.
What awards did House of Sand and Fog win?
House of Sand and Fog won 1 award from 10 nominations, including Best Supporting Female at the Spirit Awards 2004.
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