"The Lake House," also known as "The Magic Postbox" in Australia, is a 2006 American fantasy romance film directed by Alejandro Agresti and written by David Auburn. It is a version of the 2000 South Korean film Il Mare. The film features Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock, who previously acted together in the 1994 action thriller Speed. The story follows an architect in 2004 and a doctor in 2006 who meet through letters left in the mailbox of a lake house where they both lived at different times. They continue writing to each other for two years, even though they cannot meet because of the time difference.

Plot

In 2006, doctor Kate Forster moves out of a lake house near Chicago and begins working at a hospital in the city. She leaves a note in the mailbox for the next person who lives there, asking them to send her mail. She also explains that the painted paw prints on the front path and the box in the attic were already there when she moved in.

Two years earlier, in 2004, architect Alex Wyler moves into the same lake house. He finds Kate’s letter, which puzzles him because he does not see any paw prints. While he fixes up the house, he befriends a dog that accidentally runs through paint, leaving the paw prints mentioned in Kate’s letter. He writes back to her using the mailbox, asking how she knew about the paw prints since no one had lived in the house before him. He also notices the date on her letter is 2006.

On Valentine’s Day in 2006, Kate is having lunch in Daley Plaza when she sees a man hit by a car. She tries to help but cannot save him. Feeling sad, she returns to the lake house and finds Alex’s letter. They begin writing to each other, raising the red flag on the mailbox each time they send a letter. Over time, they learn they are living two years apart but can communicate quickly through the mailbox.

Kate asks Alex to find a copy of Jane Austen’s Persuasion that she left at a train station. He finds it for her. Alex also takes Kate on a tour of his favorite buildings in Chicago. They eventually meet at a birthday party for Kate, hosted by her boyfriend, an attorney named Morgan. They share a kiss, but Alex does not tell Kate about the letters.

Alex’s father, Simon Wyler, a well-known architect, becomes seriously ill and dies. Kate finds a book of Simon’s unpublished photos, including one of Simon and young Alex at the lake house. She leaves the book in the mailbox for Alex, hoping it will comfort him. This act makes Alex and Kate realize they should try to meet.

Alex books a table at a restaurant for himself two years in advance, and the next day for Kate. She arrives, but he does not show up. Heartbroken, Kate ends her relationship with Alex and stops visiting the lake house, choosing to focus on her future with Morgan. Alex stores their letters in the attic, as Kate had described in her first letter, and moves in with his brother, Henry, who is also an architect. Alex tries to move on but continues to think about Kate.

On Valentine’s Day in 2006 for Alex, he remembers Kate mentioning Daley Plaza and hurries to the lake house to retrieve their letters. In 2008, Kate and Morgan meet with Henry, who they hired to design renovations for a house they bought together.

When Kate sees a drawing of the lake house in Henry’s office, he says it was made by his brother, Alex. She realizes Henry’s brother is the Alex she wrote to, so she asks about him. Henry explains that Alex died two years earlier on that same day.

Kate realizes Alex was the man she failed to save at Daley Plaza. She runs to the lake house and writes a message to Alex, asking him to wait two years and meet her there. Alex sees her at Daley Plaza but stops himself from approaching her after reading her letter.

At the lake house, Kate is upset, thinking she failed to save Alex. She kneels at the mailbox, and the red flag falls. A truck arrives, and Kate is happy to see Alex, who is alive and well. They share a kiss and walk into the lake house together.

For Kate, two years have passed (2006–2008), but for Alex, four years have passed (2004–2008).

Cast

• Keanu Reeves plays Alex Wyler, a young architect who designs suburban condominiums. He has a difficult relationship with his father, Simon, a famous but self-centered architect. Alex moves into the lake house, even though he dislikes its impractical design.
• Sandra Bullock plays Dr. Kate Forster, a doctor who begins a new job at a Chicago hospital. She was the previous tenant of the lake house. Her boyfriend is Morgan, whom she later becomes engaged to and then ends the relationship with.
• Christopher Plummer plays Simon Wyler, Alex’s estranged, self-centered father. He is a well-known Chicago architect and the original designer of the lake house.
• Ebon Moss-Bachrach plays Henry Wyler, Alex’s brother. He later starts his own architectural firm called Visionary Vanguard Associates.
• Shohreh Aghdashloo plays Dr. Anna Klyczynski, Kate’s older boss, mentor, and friend.
• Dylan Walsh plays Morgan Price, Kate’s boyfriend who becomes her fiancé. He is pushy and makes decisions for Kate. She later ends their relationship.
• Willeke van Ammelrooy plays Mrs. Forster, Kate’s mother and close friend.
• Lynn Collins plays Mona, Alex’s assistant who is romantically interested in him. He does not respond to her repeated attempts to start a romantic relationship.

Production

The movie was filmed and set in Chicago. Production started in March 2005. The lake house was built on Maple Lake, located in the Palos Forest Preserves near 95th Street in Willow Springs, a southwest suburb of Chicago. The house was built on dry land and then flooded to look like it was in the lake. After filming, the house was removed, and a simple fishing dock was placed there. Scenes set in the downtown area were filmed in The Loop. The scenes where Kate and Morgan visit Henry's office and Kate exits the stairs were filmed at the Chicago Architecture Foundation. The scene where Henry and Alex talk on the street after leaving their father's office was filmed on the 400 block of South Michigan Ave, in front of the Fine Arts Building and the Auditorium Theater. The scene where Alex and Simon speak in Simon's home was filmed at the Prairie Avenue Bookshop, an architectural bookstore in Chicago that closed in 2009. Other filming locations include Aurora, Illinois (now known as Madison Park) and Riverside, Illinois, a suburb west of Chicago known for its historic homes and several buildings designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. The railway station shown in the movie is the real Riverside station. The bridge Alex crosses while chasing Jack is called the "Swinging Bridge," which spans the Des Plaines River in Lyons, IL. The scene where Kate is stood up takes place in Millennium Park at the Park Grill. The bar scene in The Loop, where Kate sits on a barstool talking to a woman at the wooden bar, was filmed at the real "Millers Pub" located at 134 S Wabash Ave, Chicago, IL 60603.

Music

An original movie soundtrack with songs from the film and music composed by Rachel Portman was released on June 20, 2006, in digital and physical formats through Lakeshore Records in the United States. The music was arranged by Jeff Atmajian, with David Snell leading the musicians. The soundtrack includes strings, piano, guitar, and cello. Chris Dibble handled the recording and mixing in London, with recording at Air Studios in Lyndhurst and mixing at Lansdowne Recording Studios, with help from Jeremy Murphy.

Other songs from the film were not included on the soundtrack:
• "I Wish You Love" – Rosemary Clooney
• "There Will Never Be Another You" – Rosemary Clooney
• "Pink Moon" – Nick Drake
• "La noyée" – Carla Bruni
• "Sentimental Tattoo" – Jukebox Junkies
• "Chiamami Adesso" – Paolo Conte
• "When It Rains" – Brad Mehldau
• "Young at Heart" – Brad Mehldau
• "Almost Like Being in Love" – Gerry Mulligan
• "O Pato" – Stan Getz
• "A Man and a Woman" – Sir Julian
• "Bitter" – Meshell Ndegeocello

The song "Somewhere Only We Know" by Keane was used in the film's teaser trailer, theatrical trailer, and TV spot.

Thom Jurek of AllMusic wrote that Rachel Portman "did a great job again" with her use of "sad-sounding strings and soft piano music" to match the film's quiet scenes and gentle tone. He noted that the music's theme of longing was "used like a painting to hold the music inside" and described the score as having "a feeling of something missing." Jurek highlighted the use of space in the music, such as a cello playing softly on tracks like "Pawprints" and "Il Mare," as a "beautiful way to share emotions."

Brian McVicker of Soundtrack.Net gave the album a positive review, rating it 3.5 out of 5 stars. He wrote that the songs and score worked well together, keeping a consistent tone throughout the album. He described the first five tracks as "pleasant and calm" and called Portman's score "a quiet but lovely and engaging effort."

Release

In its opening weekend, the film earned $13.6 million and ranked fourth in the United States box office, behind the movies Cars, Nacho Libre, and The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift. By October 1, 2006, it had earned $52,330,111 in the United States and $114,830,111 worldwide.

Critics had mixed opinions about the film. On the review website Rotten Tomatoes, the film received an approval rating of 35% from 157 critics, with a weighted average score of 5.00 out of 10. The site’s summary stated that the film’s plot was too complicated and that it did not successfully create the big romance it aimed for. On Metacritic, the film had a weighted average score of 52 out of 100 from 34 critics, which means reviews were mixed or average. Audiences who saw the film gave it an average grade of “B” on a scale from A+ to F.

Roger Ebert gave the film its most positive review, rating it 3.5 out of 4 stars. He believed the film succeeded even though its story included impossible situations, and he said the film’s strong romantic feelings made viewers hope the main characters would meet. Ebert did not mind the film’s logical problems, explaining that time travel stories work on emotional, not logical, rules. He praised the actors, saying both were very likeable. A.O. Scott of The New York Times called the film “wondrously illogical” and “completely preposterous, but not without charm.” He said the film fails if viewed with a rational mind but praised the writer and director for handling the story’s complicated parts well. Scott also noted the film’s elegant visual style and appreciation for Chicago’s architecture.

Claudia Puig of USA Today said the film was one of the more confusing movies in recent years. She believed the story made no sense and failed to be a good romance, time-travel mystery, or meditation on loneliness. She called it a slow, overly serious film that did not convince viewers. Puig acknowledged the chemistry between the actors but said their moments together were rare. Stax of IGN described the film as slow and uneventful, saying it missed chances to highlight the connection between the main characters. He criticized the story’s forced “race against time” plot and said the actors’ performances were unconvincing. He gave the film a 2.5 out of 5 stars.

David Germain of The OC Register called the film a “tear-jerker” that made people laugh more than cry. He suggested the DVD should include filmmaker commentary to explain the film’s confusing parts.

The film was nominated for Choice Liplock at the 2006 Teen Choice Awards and won.

The Lake House was released on DVD, Blu-ray Disc, and HD DVD on September 26, 2006, by Warner Home Video. It was the first film to be released on all three formats on the same day, and Warner became the first studio to do so. The single-disc DVD was initially available only in region 1 territories, in both widescreen and full-screen editions with 480i resolution. A region 2 compatible version was later released on October 9. Special features included deleted scenes, outtakes, and the film’s theatrical trailer. The Blu-ray edition was region-free with 1080i resolution and the same extras as the DVD.