Last night I (Scott) had the opportunity to see “Life as a House” starring Kevin Kline and Hayden Christensen. The movie is about a divorced man who recently lost his job, has a emotionally troubled teenage son, and just discovered that he has a terminal illness. Wishing to put his life in order before he dies, he starts building a house he always wanted. He recruits his son to help him build the house. The construction project helps re-establish his relationship with his son and it improves the lives of everyone that helps out.

I have never seen Hayden Christensen act before. I haven’t seen his previous TV shows or his other movie roles. Being that he’s the next Anakin Skywalker, I was very interested to see what kind of performance he could deliver in Life as a House as Sam. His very first scene in the movie shows him rolling out of bed. He has blue hair, wears eye makeup, multiple earrings, and a lip stud. He then proceeds to inhale fumes from spray paint, then attempts to hang himself in his closet.

Needless to say, it was a shocking introduction to Hayden Christensen.

Ironically, his character in Life as a House is a mirror image of Anakin Skywalker. Anakin is a good character that slowly progresses to the Dark Side. Sam is a dark and troubled teenager who eventually sets his life straight. Hayden’s character is emotionally torn and psychologically troubled. His performance as Sam is utterly convincing and well done. The role of Anakin is going to require someone who can play a tortured soul, and Hayden shows he’s more than capable in Life as a House.

He also shows he can be a romantic lead in this film. Sam falls in love with the girl next door. Their relationship starts out as friends and eventually progresses beyond that. Hayden plays Sam as shy at first, but then later very much emotionally bonded to Alyssa (played by Jenna Malone). This is a similar kind of relationship Anakin has with Padme, so I think Hayden proves himself in that department, too.

If you see Life as a House, I think you’ll agree that Hayden Christensen will be a good Anakin Skywalker. He’s a good actor and he’s more than capable of portraying the range of emotions needed in Star Wars. Let's hope the dialogue he's given to work with is worth it.

A warning to you, though. Life as a House is rated R for language, sexuality, and drug use. Hayden utters most of the internationally recognized profanities. He pops pills and snorts fumes. He has love scenes with the girl next door and even acts as a male prostitute at one point. This is not a movie for the kiddies. If you’re going to see this film just for Hayden Christensen, it’s something you should take into account before going.