Rehabs and Romance in the Movies

           There's something romantic about fixing up a dilapidated house, and Hollywood filmmakers have tapped into this theme for decades. Home renovating is a noteworthy part of many well-known movies, so in a way you could say we’ve been conditioned to harbor passion for a seemingly unloved property. WARNING: Many movie spoilers ahead.  

George and Mary about to
vandalize their future home in
It's a Wonderful Life

It’s a Wonderful Life is a classic example of home rehabilitations in movie plots. In one memorable scene, the two main characters, George and Mary, stand outside the Granville house. It’s abandoned with broken windows and an ugly front yard, yet the young woman describes it as “full of romance,” before saying she’d love to live in it one day. George scoffs at the idea before he makes a “hatful of wishes” and flings a rock at this old house to “break some glass.” Then, Mary makes her own wish, throws a rock, and also breaks a window. Later in the film, they get married, and on their wedding night, she surprises her groom at the house saying, “Welcome home, Mr. Bailey.” As they embrace, she gazes up at her new husband and says, “this is what I wished for.” They restore the home, raise their family there, and the Bailey home is filled with friends and loved ones in the final climactic scene.

Up, up, and away...

At the heart of the animation Up is a decrepit house where young Carl and snaggletooth Ellie meet as children. The pair is oblivious to the dangers of playing in the vacant home until the boy falls and breaks his arm. This accident leads to the kids becoming close friends who eventually fall in love and marry. Then the lovebirds buy the uninhabited house and team up to renovate it. The couple is unable to have children and they pour their spare time into their quaint home. After Ellie passes away, Carl continues to live in and tend to the house without her. Over time, the city grows up on all sides of Carl’s lot, yet he refuses to sell out to developers because the little cottage had meant so much to him and his late wife. In an act of defiant determination, he attaches helium balloons to the home and flies away. Up is a love story about Carl and Ellie, but it’s also about the love that they shared for this special house that they saved together.  

Under the Tuscan Sun

Under The Tuscan Sun, written by Frances Mayes, was a New York Time’s best-selling book before it was a movie. As the title indicates, it’s set in Italy and like most home renovations, it’s a true adventure. After her marriage ends, Frances travels to Tuscany where she marks the beginning of the next chapter of her life with the purchase of a run-down villa. In the film, the property is overgrown with plants and weeds, long overdue for a rehab. Beyond the challenges, it’s easy to see the potential amongst the many assets of the property; the solid structure with generations of history, the architectural details ready to be restored, and the landscape that's begging for attention. When I watched the film, I found myself thinking, “That is my kind of house project.” Under the Tuscan Sun concludes with a different type of love as Frances finds herself falling in love with her new surroundings and the group of people that she has grown to adore like family.

Noah and his project house
in The Notebook

The Notebook is really about love in the midst of Alzheimer's disease, but a home restoration is woven into the plot making it integral to the storyline. Noah buys an antebellum mansion that needs restored and his efforts are featured in the local newspaper. The article includes a photo that captures Allie’s attention and spurs their reunion. Sparks fly, Allie realizes that she loves Noah more than her fiancé, and she forgoes the more socially ideal marriage for a lifetime of love and happiness with ambitious rehabber Noah.

Doug and his crew of duplicates in Multiplicity

Some say, “a contractor’s home is never finished.” This quirky tendency in the character of a builder is at the core of Multiplicity. However, like all the other examples, love and romantic undertones are critical. The main character, Doug, is stretched thin professionally, overseeing multiple projects. His job and family commitments make spare time non-existent. After a chance meeting with a sympathetic scientist, he clones himself so Doug #2 can work while original Doug relaxes. Things get wacky when he creates a third Doug who eventually clones himself. Meanwhile, his wife Laura has unfilled wants and needs of her own, and the story reaches a boiling point because master builder Doug won’t finish their house. With the help of his small army of cloned Dougs, he kicks things into high gear on the family’s unfinished house. Laura is amazed and overjoyed when he surprises her with the home of her dreams and they live happily ever after.

Falling Inn Love

Falling Inn Love is a romantic comedy about a young American woman, Gabriela, who wins a writing contest and travels halfway around the world to claim her prize: a New Zealand Bed and Breakfast. However, it’s a clever scam, the on-line photo was out-of-date, and she finds herself the new owner of a jacked-up house. Gabbi meets Jake, a single bloke who’s also a restoration expert. He helps her with the rehab, it’s amazing, and like Frances Mayes in Tuscany, she falls in love with her new surroundings in a foreign land. The movie ends with Gabbi and her hunky fireman running the restored inn as a team.     

The demolition scene in Instant Family

Another example of a film with home rehabbing infused within the plot is Instant Family. Besides the fact that the Wagners renovate overlooked homes, I also really enjoyed this movie because it’s based on a true story about adoption. After successfully teaming up to restore several homes, the married couple decides to adopt… an overlooked child. However, the teenager they connect with has two siblings who also need homes, and they end up adopting all three kiddos. Home renovating is the thread that loosely runs through from beginning to end.

The Money Pit house under construction

Finally, the granddaddy of all home renovation movies is The Money Pit. The beautiful palatial estate appeared to be move-in-ready, but this appearance was a deception and their home owning euphoria rapidly spirals into a zany nightmare. It’s a wild ride and hilarious to watch.  Eventually, financial pressures created by the extensive project lead to the couple’s break-up. Yet, similar to Gabriela and Jake of Falling Inn Love, the finished home that they had rehabbed as a team unites them in the end.  

Romance and rehabs on the big screen. They go together like bricks and mortar, a washer and a dryer, or my personal favorite, coffee and donuts.