One-Shot Wednesday

The Lake House (2006) is a romantic fantasy drama starring Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock. The plot centers on an architect (Reeves) and a physician (Bullock) who exchange letters across a two-year time gap while living in the same unique lake house at different times.

In the above screenshot, Bullock’s character collapses by the mailbox, overcome with grief that one of her letters didn't reach Reeves' character in time. Moments later, her sadness turns to joy when he appears. The two kiss and then walk toward the lake house together, as shown in the film’s final shot. 

Chicago locations, mostly in the Loop, are evident in the movie: the Fine Arts Building, Auditorium Theater, Millers Pub, and Daley Plaza, for example. 

Cast and crew also ventured out to Chicago's western suburbs for several scenes. Featured are Riverside, Aurora, and most memorably, Willow Springs, where the lake house sits—or once sat.

The glass house featured in The Lake House was constructed on dry land at Maple Lake in Willow Springs, IL, and then flooded to appear as if it was on the water. After production, the house was removed and replaced with a fishing dock. This decision was a major disappointment to several prospective buyers who reportedly showered the movie’s producers with inquiries about purchasing the house.

The Lake House marks the second Chicago-based movie for both Bullock and Reeves. About a decade earlier, she starred in While You Were Sleeping (1995), he in Chain Reaction (1996).