The House of Yes

Toronto International Film Festival Program Book
1997

The House of Yes
Mark Waters
USA, 1997
80 minutes Colour/35mm
Production Company: Bandeira Entertainment
Executive Producer: Robert Berger
Producer: Beau Flynn, Stefan Simchowitz
Screenplay: Mark Waters, based on the play by Wendy MacLeod
Cinematographer: Mike Spiller
Editor: Pamela Martin
Production Designer: Patrick Sherman
Sound Mixer: Dan Monahan
Music: Rolfe Kent
Principal Cast: Parker Posey, Josh Hamilton, Tori Spelling, Freddie Prinze, Jr., Genevieve Bujold, Rachael Leigh Cook
Production: Bandeira Entertainment

Faithfully adapted from Wendy MacLeod’s acclaimed play, The House of Yes is a witty black comedy that probes the mysteries of family and sex. Director Mark Waters has assembled a wonderful cast, and the film features a whirlwind performance by Parker Posey that must be seen to be believed.

The privileged Pascal family has been carrying a terrible burden: on November 22, 1963, at the same time JFK was shot in Dallas, Mr. Pascal mysteriously disappeared. It is now 1981, and Marty Pascal (Josh Hamilton) is coming home to Washington, D.C., for the holidays with his fiancée Lesly (Tori Spelling), who works as a waitress in a donut shop. Since Marty only warns the simple Lesly about his family by casually mentioning that they have a few quirks, she is totally unprepared for the Thanksgiving Day visit.

At the Pascal residence, Lesly meets Mrs. Pascal (Genevieve Bujold), an elegant yet eccentric woman who believes that “conversation only leads to trouble,” and Marty’s younger brother Anthony (Freddie Prinze, Jr.), a recent drop-out who has no idea what he does all day. And then there is Marty’s twin sister (Parker Posey), a barely repressed bundle of hysteria who has recently been de-institutionalized. She goes by the name of Jackie-O.

No sooner have Marty and Lesly arrived than the lights go out, a power failure due to inclement weather. Since their plans for a formal turkey dinner are dashed, the Pascals, rum-and-Pepsis in hand, sit and reminisce by candlelight. It isn’t long before dark secrets and shocking revelations are unleashed, and poor Lesly hears more than she ever wanted to know about her future in-laws.

In this wonderfully directed, highly stylized film, Waters takes this family dynamic of dysfunction and pushes it to Gothic extremes. Posey delivers the performance of a lifetime. Her Jackie-O is witty yet cruel, hysterically funny yet frighteningly unstable and helpless. The House of Yes is a disturbing, hilarious and highly original black comedy.
—Noah Cowan