What happens when a futurist, a punk, and a Lutheran are thrown together in the same room?
Sebastian (Asa Butterfield) and his Nana (Ellen Burstyn) live for a future imagined by Buckminster Fuller. Sebastian is trained to experiment to better the planet and human race, while also helping Nana conduct tours of their geodesic dome house. Though these tours are public, it becomes clear how sheltered Sebastian is from reality after Nana has a stroke and he’s introduced to the Whitcomb family. Jared Whitcomb (Alex Wolff) teaches him about punk as his sister, Meredith (Maude Apatow), teaches him about slumber parties, his father, Alan (Nick Offerman), about the Lutheran Bible, and his mother (Michaela Watkins), about divorce. Behind Nana’s back, he forms a punk band with Jared, trading in green juice for grilled cheese and beginning to question the rigidity of life at home.
Though Sebastian and Nana are focused on the future, there’s a sense of nostalgia about the movie. Instead of rapidly texting back and forth, Sebastian and Jared communicate via stilted emails and unannounced visits via bike. The gritty punk scene is reminiscent of the 1970s citing The Replacements and The Clash. It’s this nostalgia that truly helps separate Sebastian’s futurist upbringing with the Whitcombs’ slower pace of life. In fact, it almost seems as if Sebastian travels back in whenever he leaves his dome for the Whitcomb’s house. Director Peter Livolsi brilliantly merges these two “time periods” together, showing Sebastian secretly practicing bass in his forest of a backyard and panning over a fleeting cityscape between scenes. These transitions feel natural as each scene is followed to conclusion. We’re taken into the train from Jared’s home to Sebastian’s and up and down the stairs of the underground punk club. These moments, often abruptly skipped over by other directors, create an intimate vibe as the viewer explores the town through Sebastian’s naïve eyes.
Livolsi echoed Fuller’s saying, “Integrity is the essence of everything successful,” in his director’s statement. He revealed his goal was “to present all of it with a style that never gets in the way or is concerned if it’s a comedy or drama, as long as it’s always honest.” Livolsi’s intention of creating an honest movie was clearly understood by the actors. None of the characters felt like the stale tropes they could’ve easily turned into: an eccentric old lady, a conservative Bible study leader, and a few rebellious teenagers. Instead, we’re presented all sides of the characters and their raw emotions. Butterfield and Wolff’s in-real-life friendship comes through as Sebastian and Jared realize they both have something to learn from each other – not just academically or musically, but emotionally. There’s a balance of quick, dry comedy amidst the seriousness of Jared’s heart transplant that can only have been achieved through Livolsi’s honest direction.
House of Tomorrow opens in theatres April 27, 2018, and even if you know as little about punk music as Nana or as little about Fuller as Jared, you should definitely make your way down to see it.
