The Lake House is a 2006 American film starring Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock, directed by Alejandro Agresti (The Lake House was his first and most famous Hollywood feature). The film was based on a South Korean film with a similar title and plot, but adapted for American and European audiences.
The main genre of the film is melodrama, but it also contains elements of fantasy and drama. Despite a lukewarm reception from critics, The Lake House was received favorably by audiences: the box office more than doubled its budget, and the American version became far more popular than the Korean version.
What is Lake House about?
The main character, Kate Foster, recently went through a painful breakup with her boyfriend. She feels confused and realizes that the nice house on the lake for rent no longer seems cozy to her. Familiar walls are crushing, and the beautiful landscape brings back sad memories, so Kate decides to leave for the big city. He rips up the lease, packs up, and decides to leave a little welcome message for the next tenant. The girl puts a letter in the mailbox, where she mentions the features of the house and apologizes for the little mess she left: there is a dusty box in the attic, and there are dog paw prints on the bridge. Kate leaves the lake house in the winter of 2006.
Then comes a small plot hook, which at first seems incomprehensible to the viewer. The action returns to the lake house again, and a new tenant actually moves in – a young guy whose father designed this house.
The new place of residence is associated with special memories and atmosphere for Alex, and soon he finds a letter from the girl who rented the house earlier. At first he does not attach any importance to it, considering the letter a mere formality, and then he nevertheless pays attention and decides to answer, but there are no traces of a dog’s paws or a dusty box in the attic.
Puzzled, Alex does not know what to write in response to the previous resident of the house, when he suddenly sees a mongrel. She comes running and soils the bridge with dirty paws. At this point, the viewer can understand that the plot of the film “The Lake House” goes on a time loop: the events that have already happened to Kate are only now happening to Alex. But the difficulty lies in the fact that Alex received a letter from Kate and met a dirty mongrel in 2004.
We see Kate again, who in February 2006 becomes a witness to a car accident. The girl herself was not injured, but she tried to help an unfamiliar guy who died due to severe injuries. Because of what happened, Kate is faced with an anxiety disorder and decides to return to the lake house, where she used to find peace. But now she found Alex’s letter instead.
The meaning of the film “The Lake House”
The main message of the film “Lake House” is that love overcomes not only distance, but also time. When Kate found Alex’s letter from 2004, she answered him, and after a while the heroes realized that they live in different realities. Kate was 2 years ahead of Alex, but they both realized that this opportunity to correspond with each other was evidence that there was a special connection between them. Correspondence develops, and with it, the feelings of the characters for each other. Now they are united not only by a common house, a dog and a mailbox, but also by a nascent love.
But there is no way for Alex and Kate to be together at the same time. So, for example, Alex met Kate at a party, but the girl did not recognize him: at that time she did not yet know about any guy with whom she would have a correspondence, and the girl met with another person. Alex realized that his beloved is the same Kate who lives in an alternative reality, and not a younger version of her. Beloved dream to finally meet and even make an appointment in 2007.
On the appointed day, Kate is waiting for Alex at the restaurant, but he never shows up. Not understanding why their timelines can’t connect in any way, the girl decides to leave this relationship, as it has more fantasy than real meaning. By force of will, she breaks off correspondence with Alex and tells him that she wants to live a real life. It seems to her that true love is impossible with a mystical man living in an alternate reality. Not only can they not meet, but their relationship looks too fantastic: Kate even fears for her mental health.
Alex accepts Kate’s decision and decides to leave home, but still hopes that he will be able to fix everything and cheat time. The guy finds one of Kate’s old notes, where she mentions that on February 14, 2006, she will be at a certain address in Chicago (this is where the girl left the lake house, intending to start a new life). Alex decides that in 2006 he will have a chance to meet his beloved, because at that time she will already know who he is.
Explanation of the ending of the film “The Lake House”
The denouement of the film, again, takes place in two time periods at the same time. In 2008, Kate, who is already immersed in a new life and renovation of her Chicago apartment, accidentally walks into the office of an architecture firm, where the exact same house in which she lived is depicted on the wall.
The girl feels that something is wrong here: after all, the image of this house haunts her for a reason, especially since she has already encountered mystical events. She asks about the drawing of the owner of the firm and learns from him that the house was drawn by his brother, who died in a car accident. The tragedy happened in 2006, two years ago – it was February.
Kate recalls that it was on February 14, 2006 that she witnessed a car accident, and an unfamiliar (as it seemed to her) guy died in her arms. She realizes that it was Alex who finally “caught up” with his beloved. She quickly drives to the house to deliver a letter to Alex through a mystical mailbox: he should not, under any circumstances, try to find Kate in 2006.
Kate asks to wait until 2008 and arrange a meeting in her timeline. But nothing happens. The girl never waits for an answer. Bursting into tears, she sees that the mailbox flag has fallen – which means Alex has received a letter. Not knowing what to do next, the girl waits – and finally sees a green van. This is the same car that was in a car accident in 2006, Kate already saw it two years ago.
Alex gets out of the van. If he is alive in 2008, then Kate still managed to warn him and prevent the accident. The characters run towards each other and kiss. The great power of love not only allowed them to connect through two parallel realities, but was also able to change the future (or the past, if viewed through Kate’s timeline).
The completion of the melodrama with a happy ending is quite logical, because during the film the viewer was worried that the lovers could stay together. The film gives an unambiguous answer to the question of whether they can reunite, but does not clarify some points, since the genre itself does not require this. However, it is still unclear how exactly the reality in which the characters met has changed. Was it Kate’s world or Alex’s world? How did changing the past affect Kate’s 2008? The director leaves room for the viewer to think on their own: everyone will be able to explain to himself the logic of the connection of time in the way that seems right to him. Only one thing remains unconditional: love really was able to overcome both fate and time.
