Search - The Other Sister on DVD

More sensitive the more often viewed

Grady Harp | Los Angeles, CA United States | 01/09/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"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."

The only movie I may ever BUY instead of just rent.

Ardell Coulter | California | 12/18/1999

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I have seen many reviews here already, so I will stick to what others haven't already said. For those who think this is drivel or offensive, I can say it is most poignant. I am buying it and my sister is buying it as a case study and therapy tool. It helps us understand our Mom who had seven children, one of whom is severely retarded from menengitis as a baby, and one of whom is gay (both also women). It helps us understand how challenging it is for our Mom to overcome natural instincts to be over protective of our retarded sister. Also, natural feelings of embarassment toward both the retarded child and the gay child, which the mom hold's back with great effort. While this movie was about the sister, much can be learned about Mom's and their special challenges and limitations. The film's unrealistic portions involved the Dad and the straight sister. The straight sister would probably have freaked out about her wedding being ruined. The Dad would have been worse at dealing with all of this than the Mom. But, I expect these two roles were downplayed and plasticised to make the others stand out. For those of you who feel real life is not represented here, I can tell you that you are wrong. Outcomes and day to day experiences may not be broadly represented, but the issues were clearly addressed with many of the true emotions experienced by family members. The gay friend coming/not coming to events, the retarded person disrupting, sometimes comicly - sometimes with hysterical outbursts, anything and everthing that happens in the family. This is all very, very real. The ability of the retarded woman to be more caring and understanding of the gay sister than the Mom was right on target. I never laughed so hard; I never cried so hard."

WONDERFUL & REAL

Cheryl Fields | Topeka, Kansas | 04/20/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"While watching this movie, my emotions were running crazy. I was sad, mad, happy, etc. I have worked with people who were mentally retarded. I was deeply touched by this movie.I liked how the producers made the movie, the entire family has some type of problem. The father used to drink (heavy), the mother is obessed with trying to have a "picture-perfect-Kodak-moment family", one daughter is gay, etc. The movie shows that even with money there are problems. I felt the movie could have went deeper in terms of showing how hateful people can be toward people with mental retardation. I mean a little more should/would have happened to Danny in real life at a public school, than just having gum in his helmet. Also, while I liked the characters, I would have liked to see Danny & Carla, with more facial features that the public (non-mental health professionals) associate with mental retardation, such as a "Down's Syndrome" type of look. Danny might have dressed differently, since his income was different than Carla's. Danny's "drinking" problem was never "handled", I assume it just got better? This was unrealistic, since Danny says "I like to drink". It would have been nice for Danny to go to some type of treatment program and "pass" it, showing that he could pass "something" (since he failed most of his attempts to do anything else) and it would show that Danny is trying to be a man of good character. (This part could have been left out totally).The wedding of Carla and Danny was the best part of the show, I cried. It was so nice to see two people who love each other get married and be determined to fight the odds. Actually this is what "marriage" was/is supposed to be about anyway.Diane Keaton gives a wonderful performance. While Ms. Keaton may appear to be "mean". She is actually concerned and scared for her daughter. Letting go is always tough, she has one daughter that is getting married, one daughter that is gay (and she is dealing with the issues of that) and one daughter that has mental retardation. Ms. Keaton's character has a lot on her plate to deal with, not to mention the relationship with her husband and all the pressures of being "well-to-do". Ms. Keaton plays a type of person the general public (non-mental health professionals) can relate to. But there is a change in Ms. Keaton's character and she does "turn-the-other-cheek" if you will. She begins to see (what others need to see), that her daughter, Carla, despite mental retardation is a PERSON, and is capable of making her own decisions (or at least most of them) and leading a normal life, including marriage (which is what almost every mother wants for her daughter).The father was a little too passive for me. I could tell he loves Carla, but I think it would have been more interesting if more conflict were shown between him and Ms. Keaton (one of my favorite actors).The two sisters were wonderful with Carla. The conflicts between the sisters were with their mother. It is interesting all three sisters had problems with their mother in some way or another, this also makes Carla more of a central player---------she is not a problem----her mother is a problem to almost everyone in the house at some time or other.Everyone overlooked the housekeeper, Winnie. Who is very supportive of Carla and who Carla shows more affection and attention to when she arrives home from school the first time. Winnie is very patient. The "food pack" Winnie sends home with Carla to share with Danny is very nice. But another question, why wasn't Danny invited to the family dinner? It was impressive how Danny and Carla planned their wedding and paid for it with their own funds. Another minor problem, I was surprised not to see Danny's father at the wedding? However, I do remember that Danny's father hung up during a telephone conversation with Danny.I would have also liked to have seen Danny "struggle" more. Let the public or general viewer see what is like to be mentally retarded and try to get a job or find a new house/apartment. It was a little unrealistic for Danny to travel back to see Carla from his train ride by dangerously hitchhiking back. I was really concerned for this safety.All and all I felt this movie was wonderful. Diane Keaton is wonderful, as are all of the other members of this wonderful cast. Ms. Keaton's expressions and behaviors are similar to someone who has not been around mentally retarded persons. Wonderful. I would recommend it highly. I would also recommend it to professionals that work in the mental health field, it's a must-have."

One Of The Sweetest Movies of 1999

Eileen Visconte | new york city | 01/30/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I remembr when I saw this movie exactly! It was an early screening with Rushmore being the second film(it was two movies in one kind of deal). I sat 6 rows back from the screen and absolutely loved the movie. Giovani Ribisi is a great actor with so much talent. And it is wonderful to see Juliette Lewis back in the movie buisness and being "clean" again. They story is absolutely sweet and shows how love can happen to everyone. I will not give away the ending, but I loved it :) Garry Marshall is a brillant director. I definately recommend that you watch this movie with the one you love :)"