Rated PG-13
Reviewed by: Chris
October 1, 2001		Released by: Columbia TriStar

Ruby (LeeLee Sobieski) and her young brother are orphaned when their parents are killed in a car accident.

They're taken in by old neighbors who moved to Malibu a few years before.  Terry and Erin Glass (Stellan Skarsgard and Diane Lane) live in a modern stone and glass house and welcome Ruby and her brother with open arms.

There are a couple of strange things that go on at the Glass House, but since the kids' only other family is an estranged uncle, they try to make the best of it.  But Ruby exhibits just the right mixture of teenage rebelliousness and stubborn determination in dealing with her new guardians.

Ruby's brother settles into his new surroundings quickly (a new CD system and video games seem to help him adapt), but Ruby has trouble in school and soon the Glass' turn from sweet and understanding to a couple of suspicious characters.

Erin begins showing signs of drug addiction and Terry is either agitated over business and money problems or acting strangely and creepy around Ruby.

The house is an important part of the story.  Sharp angles, enormous rooms with high ceilings and smoky glass panels as walls add to the overall suspense.  The thick opaque walls allow secret conversations to be overheard, yet hides the identity of an intruder.

The cat and mouse game that develops between Ruby and her caretakers is somewhat predictable, but the performances of Sobieski and Skarsgard make this a cut above the average thriller.