The Other Sister | | Cast : | Juliette Lewis, Diane Keaton, Giovanni Ribisi | | Director : | Garry Marshall | | Studio : | Touchstone Video | | Format : | Color, Closed-captioned, Widescreen, Dolby | | Released Date : | February 26, 1999 | | DVD Released Date : | October 14, 2003 | | Language : | English (Dubbed), English (Subtitled), English (Original Language), French (Original Language) | | Audience Rating : | PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested) | | | BUY THIS DVD FROM AMAZON |
Customer Reviews
| Rating |  | | Date | June 19, 2005 | | Summary | Great Cast, Flawed Movie | Content
 | The acting carries the day in this one. Juliette Lewis is fascinating to watch as a mentally challenged young woman trying to establish her independence from her wealthy family (especially her overly protective mother, well played by Diane Keaton). Tom Skerritt turns in a fine performance as the young woman's equally concerned but ultimately more supportive dad. Throw in a touching performance by Giovanni Ribisi as a similarly mentally challenged suitor, and you've got the 'feel good' movie of whatever year it is that you happen to see it in.
Many critics have found the film's portrayal of the mentally challenged a bit condescending. There may be some validity to that criticism--after all, these two young people are really quite articulate given their condition. But that's the point here. These are high functioning individuals who can reach full potential given half a chance. More challenged individuals may never reach this level of independence and may never be able to accept full responsibility for their lives (e.g. or to marry as two leads in this film do). But many can and they deserve the right to pursue thier happiness in their way and to the best of their abilities.
So the film's message is a good one and the acting is solid throughout. Diane Keaton as the conflicted mom is particularly impressive. She is not just a shrew. She is a concerned and loving parent who has a lot of baggage of her own to overcome. (She is also troubled by another daughter's lesbian relationship, and ultimately overcomes some of her prejudices on that score as well.) Why doesn't the film achieve something like greatness? The answers are many and varied.
While it's true that the movie is sweet, and not overly sentimental, it's just sentimental enough to bring it down a couple of notches (or a couple of stars) in my estimation. We know that everything is going to work out just fine in the end. Juliette Lewis' Carla just radiates resiliency, and the spirit is contagious enough to bring out the best in all around her. So there's a predictablility problem there. And what isn't predictable is often just too heavy handed. Ribisi's drunken public profession of love (and admission of "doing it") at a country club celebration--followed by his interruption of Carla's sister's wedding, to effectively do the same, is all just a little too much.
There are even more fundamental problems. The film's choppy editing makes for poor pacing too. The subplots aren't given nearly enough time to develop. The gay sister's life and the complications that brings to the family deserved more attention. As a plot device, it's just one more thing the family has to deal with and one more prejudice the mother, in particular, has to overcome. We also learn, in the context of one of the parents many arguments, that the hubby once had a drinking problem. But after that one mention, that potentially interesting subplot gets dropped too.
And does it make any sense that Carla was apparently tucked away in a special school a few hundred miles away from the family's San Francisco home, and went for years without much visititation from her family members, only to be fully integrated into the family once again upon her completion of that program? If that were the case, there would likely be a lot more anger on Carla's part than there seems to be. Is she basically so sweet natured that that neglect is something she can ignore. Hard to believe that any child would accept that.
Ultimately, the acting becomes the film's saving grace. Juliette Lewis did not receive an Oscar nomination for her role in this film--strange considering the Acacemy's prediliction for films about the handicapped. Maybe it's because of the Academy's relative bias against younger actors. Or maybe it's because it was a Garry Marshall comedy, not a Jim Sheridan drama. Whatever the case, this admittedly flawed film is still worth watching--for Juliette Lewis, Giovanni Ribisi and just about everyone else in the cast. Well worth checking out.
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| Rating | | | Date | September 03, 2004 | | Summary | cute :) | Content
| I've watched this movie on TV TONS of times and in a group therapy. It's funny, too.
Tell me ... are they making a part two? If so, let me know..... |
| Rating | | | Date | June 24, 2004 | | Summary | Very Cute! | Content
| My husband and I both enjoyied this movie a lot! It is cute and funny and sweet. We both thought the acting was great and the story touching! |
| Rating | | | Date | March 02, 2004 | | Summary | Touching movie | Content
| THE OTHER SISTER is a fine movie you should add to your library. A drama starring Juliette Lewis, Diane Keaton, Tom Skeritt and Giovanni Ribisi. Carla (Juliette Lewis) is a wealthy mentally handicapped person who comes home after attending a special school for many years. Just as she arrives at home her mother (played by Diane Keaton) wants her to play tennis and do certain things, which Carla automatically objects to. She goes to school, and meets a mentally handicapped young man named Daniel (Giovanni Ribisi). Carla learns a lot from Daniel and a friendship grows between the two. She learns that he lives on his own, so she decides she wants to get her own apartment, to the chagrin of her mother. Carla and Daniel decide to deepen their friendship into a loving relationship. The movie was well done, they played every beat in the story, how it affected the family. Watching the movie you will most likely find yourself sympathizing with Carla and Daniel, and feel their struggles dealing with their handicap. There were some really sweet moments, some funny ones, overall it was just a really great movie. |
| Rating | | | Date | January 09, 2004 | | Summary | More sensitive the more often viewed | Content
| THE OTHER SISTER is one of those films that becomes a staple in the home library. With every viewing the tenderness and good qualities just improve. Though the film industry is dealing more often with the mentally challenged these days (I AM SAM, RADIO, etc) few can equal the tender love story that is created by Juliet Lewis and Giovanni Ribisi. The family setup is well paced with the skills of Diane Keaton and Tom Skerritt et al and other issues confronting the modern traditional family are certainly touched upon - obsession with public appearances, coping with a challenged child, teaching sex education, the presence of a gay sibling, to mention only a few. But it is the overwhelmingly fine performances by Lewis and Ribisi that are of the quality of commitment that seeing them on repeated viewings just fortifies the brilliance of their acting. These two people are people we readily love and grow to feel their fears, pain, frustration, and dreams. If ever there was a film that was able to read from the inside of the minds of the mentally challenged and find the mysteries and honest simplicities there, then this is the film. An outstanding cast and a very fine director in Garry Marshall make this movie a keeper. |
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