House of Sand and Fog (film)
2003 film by Vadim Perelman
House of Sand and Fog is a 2003 drama film directed by Vadim Perelman. The screenplay by Perelman and Shawn Lawrence Otto is based on the 1999 novel by Andre Dubus III. It stars Jennifer Connelly and Ben Kingsley, with Ron Eldard, Frances Fisher and Kim Dickens in supporting roles.
The tragic story concerns the battle between a former drug addict and an immigrant-American Iranian family over the ownership of a house in Northern California, which ultimately leads to the destruction of five lives. House of Sand and Fog was released by DreamWorks Pictures in the United States on December 19, 2003, and by Miramax Films (through Buena Vista International) in the United Kingdom on February 27, 2004, receiving positive reviews from critics while grossing $16.9 million against a $16.5 million budget. The film was nominated for three Academy Awards: Best Actor (Kingsley), Best Supporting Actress (Shohreh Aghdashloo), and Best Original Score (James Horner).
Plot
Abandoned by her husband, recovering drug addict Kathy Nicolo, living alone in a small house near the San Francisco Bay Area, ignores eviction notices erroneously sent to her for nonpayment of business taxes. Assuming the misunderstanding was cleared up, she is surprised when Sheriff's Deputy Lester Burdon arrives to forcibly evict her. Telling Kathy that her home is to be auctioned off, Lester feels sympathy for her, helps her move out, and advises her to seek legal assistance to regain her house.
Former Imperial Iranian Army colonel Massoud Behrani, who fled his homeland with his family, now lives in the Bay Area working multiple menial jobs. Living beyond his means, he maintains the façade of a respectable businessman so as not to shame his wife Nadereh, son Esmail, and daughter Soraya.
The public source identifies “House of Sand and Fog (film)” as 2003 film by Vadim Perelman. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around House, Sand and film.
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Attribution, date and provenance are strongest when supported by the original work, a catalogue record and documented transmission. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 17, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q508841. 3 of 3 selected statements include explicit references; 1 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 2003, 1999 and 2004.
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