The Keys to the House
Lions Gate Films | Release Date: December 22, 2004 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
74
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 13 Critic Reviews
Positive:
12
Mixed:
1
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
90
The Hollywood ReporterMichael Rechtshaffen
Outstanding, entirely unique father-son portrait. Read full review
88
Chicago TribuneMichael Wilmington
Though "Keys" is not Amelio's best, it has an emotional power almost equal to anything he's done. Read full review
80
L.A. WeeklyKim Morgan
There is nothing obvious about this subtle yet powerfully subversive look into the emotional toll and confusion of dealing with a disabled child. Read full review
80
VarietyDeborah Young
Radiates a warm humanity and uplifts the spirit. Subtle rather than sentimental, it lacks easy tears though attentive viewers will find it lacerating enough. Read full review
80
Los Angeles TimesKenneth Turan
Though it is a work of fiction, we have the sense every minute that we are watching something real, something with the unmistakable taste of life. Read full review
80
The A.V. ClubKeith Phipps
Rossi (who is handicapped himself) gives the film a magnetic presence, playing the part as a mix of sweet-natured good intentions and frustrating limitations. Read full review
75
New York PostV.A. Musetto
Kim Rossi Stuart gives an excellent performance. Read full review
70
Village VoiceLeslie Camhi
If the film's redemptive ending is a fairy tale, it's one we willingly embrace. Read full review
70
The New York TimesManohla Dargis
The kind of quietly unassuming tear-jerker that works its way into your heart despite the occasional cries of protest emanating from your head. Read full review
70
Wall Street JournalJoe Morgenstern
An unusual amalgam of formulaic feel-goodism and shocking tough-mindedness, a movie that allows us to decode the inner life of its hero while he's decoding the world around him.
70
TV Guide MagazineKen Fox
Even more astonishing that the superb acting is the simple fact that director Gianni Amelio has managed to craft a touching tale of a father reunited with his disabled son without the slightest whiff of sentimentality. Read full review
63
New York Daily NewsElizabeth Weitzman
Both Rossi and Charlotte Rampling, as the mother of another young patient, do fine work. But the only surprises come at the end, too late to move us the way they should. Read full review
60
Chicago ReaderJ.R. Jones
The drama is hampered by a vague screenplay that takes its sweet time explaining the characters' past and never specifies the nature of the boy's palsy and apparent retardation. Read full review
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