After Sense and Sensibility Lee chose an even "colder" subject for his next film, The Ice Storm, which is set in the 1970s and depicts the crumbling values in an American family. It was a theme that put even more distance between him and Hollywood. Says Lee, "It's an art film that overshot its budget--just what movie bosses are most afraid of."
《理性與感性》之後他選擇了一個更「冷」的題材﹘ ﹘《冰風暴》，描述美國七十年代家庭價值瓦解，主題和好萊塢隔得更遠了，「算是預算超支的藝術電影，老闆最怕的那種」，李安說。