House of Sand and Fog (film)

House of Sand and Fog is a 2003 drama film directed by Vadim Perelman, with a screenplay written by Perelman and Shawn Lawrence Otto. It is based on the novel of the same name by Andre Dubus III. 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 (Ben Kingsley), Best Supporting Actress (Shohreh Aghdashloo), and Best Original Score (James Horner).