The Lake House (2006)
12-month trend
12-month trend
Monthly article views
2025-09 to 2026-08
Two people living in the same house at different points in time communicate through a mailbox.
The story
In 2006, physician Kate Forster leaves a note in the mailbox of a lake house she has been renting near Chicago. Two years earlier, architect Alex Wyler moved into the same house and finds her letter. Despite being separated by a two-year time difference, the two begin a correspondence through the mailbox. They share their lives and experiences, unaware of the temporal gap between them. As they grow closer through their written words, they attempt to find ways to bridge the distance and eventually meet in person, while navigating the complexities of their respective lives in the same location but different years.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Kate Forster (2006) and Alex Wyler (2004) live in the same lake house two years apart and communicate via a mailbox. They exchange letters, and Kate eventually tries to find a book for Alex, while Alex takes Kate on a tour of Chicago's architecture. They eventually meet at a party, but Alex keeps their correspondence a secret. After Alex's father dies, Kate leaves a book of photos for him. They agree to meet at a restaurant, but Kate arrives and finds him missing. She eventually moves on with her life, while Alex remains haunted by her memory. In 2008, Kate discovers that Alex's brother, Henry, is alive and that Alex died two years prior. She realizes she failed to save him at a plaza in 2006. She rushes to the house and sends a frantic message. Alex, who saw her in 2006 but didn't approach her due to his letter, sees her at the mailbox in 2008. They finally reunite in the house.
- First release year
- 2006
- Runtime (minutes)
- 99
- Production countries
- United States; South Korea
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Alejandro Agresti
- Writers
- David Auburn · writer
- Cast and characters
- Keanu Reeves · Alex Wyler; Sandra Bullock · Dr. Kate Forster; Christopher Plummer · Simon Wyler; Ebon Moss-Bachrach · Henry Wyler; Shohreh Aghdashloo · Dr. Anna Klyczynski; Dylan Walsh · Morgan Price; Willeke van Ammelrooy · Mrs. Forster; Lynn Collins · Mona
- Genres
- fantasy; romance
- Themes
- longing; time; connection
- Tone and mood
- soft; subdued; romantic
- Premise and plot tags
- time travel; romance; magical realism
- Source material / true-story basis
- Il Mare
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews from critics, with some praising the score and performances while others criticized the pacing and logic.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 5.00 · scale: 10 · review count: 157; Metacritic · score: 52 · scale: 100 · review count: 34
- Awards and nominations
- Choice Liplock · between Bullock and Reeves · 2006 · won
- Production trivia
- The lake house was built on dry land and then flooded to appear that it was in the lake.; The film was the first to be simultaneously released on DVD, Blu-ray Disc, and HD DVD on the same day.; The film is a remake of the 2000 South Korean film Il Mare.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
Your lists
Loading your lists…