Having seen 'House of Cards' a number of times now, I never fail to find this film a involving and intriguing on every viewing. The film revolves around the Ruth Matthews, whose husband dies in a fall and who risks also losing her six-year-old daughter Sally when she retreats into her own world falling the death of her father. As child psychologist Jake determines that the best way to treat Sally is to use therapies similar to how he counsels his autistic patients, Ruth resorts to more eccentric methods of reaching out to her daughter.

A number of people seem to dislike 'House of Cards' because they feel it portrays easy cures to autism. However, like other fans of the film, I never believed Sally was autistic but instead was deeply grief-stricken and mentally withdrew from the traumatic world around her, taking on autistic-like traits, so she could try to devise ways to contact her dead father. This theory meant that, for me, this film was not about autism but rather a family coping with loss and grief in different ways and that was what made it both touching and engaging.

The adult actors-- Kathleen Turner who played Ruth and Tommy Lee Jones who played Jake-- were both brilliant and you genuinely felt that they both loved this child and were determined to do to whatever it took to help her, albeit in different ways. However, it was the child actors who were truly excellent. For such a young child, Asha Menina was perfect in portraying Sally's emotional distance as she retreated into her own little world. And Shiloh Strong delivered a strong performance as Sally's teenage brother, who was fiercely devoted to his mother and sister and determined to be the man of the family.

This film truly succeeded in reminding us that young children can view death very differently from adults and in showing us that there tradition psychological treatments are not always right for everybody. Combined with the haunting soundtrack, 'House of Cards' is enjoyable and will keep you thinking.

I found the story engrossing and especially enjoyed how the characters put the pieces together as the movie progressed. I also thought parts of the soundtrack were excellent. There is one scene that has stayed with me years after I saw the flick.

This is not a documentary. One reason I rented the movie is my clinical experience with autistic children. If you are the kind of person who requires movies even tangentally reflect how it is in the real world then don't watch it. If you think Hollywood will educate the public about autism this movie will upset you.

This is a thinking person's movie.

This is a multi-faceted story with so many nuances that it doesn't surprise me that so many people who watch it miss most of them.

While watching this on IFC (Independent Film Channel),I was perusing the user comments and wondering where I'd fit in, once I'd reached the end of the film. I don't fit anywhere, really. I knew from about 45 seconds into the film where this child was going (to the moon, for her father). Exactly 44 minutes into the film Ruth tells the doctor her daughter is NOT autistic. He says "No, she's not, but..." So you see never once is this child "diagnosed" autistic. Jake the doctor and Ruth the mother are seeking the same goal, from completely different points of reference. They are BOTH right - but in the end it's the mother (who is herself "special") who has the better instincts - and it's that wondrous architectural "House of Cards" that ultimately brings her daughter back.

Key scenes? There are so many I hesitate to list any of them, but here are a couple: The American Indian construction worker who "rescues" Sally from the beam (or whatever it's supposed to be) and communicates with her on some silent, almost mystical, level was beautiful to behold.

Sally's softball catch was a REAL clue, as was her retrieval of older brother Michael's plane from the roof and her foray back onto the roof for the softball. From her fearless internal world she was able to do what most of us cannot.

All of the actors were terrific, but I think Tommy Lee Jones' portrayal of the troubled doctor was superlative, as most of his portrayals are.

If you decide to give this film a shot - PLEASE - pay real attention to the details. Without them you'll never get "the point."