the house of the spirit be a gripping tale of family intrigue and south american politics and super natural power . meryl streep and glenn close and jeremy iron bring isabel allende novel to life with all it passion and suspense . this and in my view and be one of the best film of the 1990s . jeremy iron a esteban trueba age and mellows very believably and while meryl streep in the role of clara maintain her gentle and love warmth throughout her relatively short life . winona ryder and antonio banderas make a handsome couple struggle for family acceptance in a racist culture . glenn close and a esteban sister and give a very moving performance . the countryside of portugal be a reasonable substitute for a non tropical latin american country . setting of clara home and esteban ranch be effective and the period u car add nicely to the post war atmosphere .