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The Other Sister

The Other Sister

List Price: $14.99
Your Price: $11.24
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: RIBISI OUTSHINES REST OF CAST
Review: this is an example of hollywood filmmaking and marketing. its a predictable, clean cut fantasy story of a mentally challenged ,but lets not forget priviledged ,young woman and her quest for respect from society and most of all her mother. juliette lewis is the title role of carla, and the role smacks of her. lewis hams it up with the same facial gestures and inflections as she does any other rloe shes ever had. she always sound like shes drunk. and this time shes added an effect to her voice that makes it sound like she has a quarter under her tongue thru out the picture. so, for the first part this movie was going down in camp history right next to "mommy dearest" for scene chewing performances. then giovanni ribisi enters the screen and from the get go his performance as daniel,carlas (also mentally challenged) soon to be love interest,is wonderful! this performance is reminisent of leos in "whats eating gilbert grape" and even surpasses that with subtle body language and stuttering that grows with the characters nervousness. hes sweet, tender, vulnerable and hints at childlike innocense and charm. his is the sublime performances that clearly outshine lewis. which brings me to the second half of my argument. lewis is given top billing becasue shes a big name, which leaves ribisi in fourth billing but by far his is the superior ability,typical hollywood. ribisi, try indi films, you deserve it! diane keaton and tom skerrit round out the major players as carlas parent and as always these two make the most of their parts. each is a simmering pot of pent up emotions and hints at self destruction over the torment they carry from having a disadvantaged child. keaton exceptionally comes across as a hardass mother thats itching for a slap! watch this movie for ribisis and keatons performance above all else and dont be afraid to cringe at some nervewrackingly embarrasing scenes. ribisis and keatons performances are so good when they clash you feel each of their thoughts and that makes for an uncomfortable experience but worth it.character acting at its best.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A reveiw for The Other Sister
Review: The Other Sister was an excellent and hillarius movie. A heart-warming plot, with unforgettable characters.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: TOUCHING
Review: An amazing film, another film centered around a mentally challenged adult.... This is definitely one of those movies in which "love conquers all", as it conquers mental retardation.

..

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The Other sister
Review: The Other Sister is a wonderful story of a mentally handicapped girl who goes to college and meets a mentally handicapped soul mate. This will always make you laugh and smile every time you watch it. This video has a special place in my collection!

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Garry Marshall What Happened?
Review: How I dreaded seeing this one, especially so soon after the cloying (how could any reasonable person have liked it?) "Patch Adams". But, as Albert Popwell said to Clint Eastwood in the original "Dirty Harry"--"I gots to know."

Exactly what happened to Garry Marshall? What attracts him to tripe like "Exit to Eden" and "Dear God"? I don't knock the idea of portraying two mentally retarded characters falling in love, but why do it in such a hokey, phony way? This movie rings so false, regardless of how much "authenticity" went into it, how much "research" the actors did to make their characters "real"...

Here is another (yawn) movie that is hung up on "The Graduate". There's a truly embarrassing scene here inspired by that classic. Early in this overlong film, one character talks about dignity. "The Other Sister" denies its characters the dignity they deserve; if the movie doesn't care about them, why should I?

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Give me a frikin' break
Review: Okay, let's take the same crappy seen-it-before love story formula and add a twist: have the lovers be mentally retarded! This movie is awful due to the fact that it seems like it was made to cash in on the viewers emotions. And please, don't have people who can't act retarded do so. It wasn't believeable at all. Garry Marshall is a no talent director and will never even come close to being a great director due to this pile of trash. PLEASE don't be fooled by the falseness this movie carries.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A movie that expects recognition
Review: This movie was truly one of my favorites, and the person thatI think gave the best performance was Giovanni Ribisi. He really made me believe the position he was in, and how hard it must have been. The other actors and actresses definitly deserve recognition as well. Great movie, and I definitly recommend it. I luv u Giovanni!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: WONDERFUL & REAL
Review: 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.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: So sweet
Review: This movie is so sweet, sad, and funny and dramatic all rolled up in one. Lewis and Ribsi should've been nominated for Oscars or rewarded somehow, because they give unbelievable performances. You just feel for these two characters. Very sweet movie.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A Teacher Must!
Review: The first time I saw this movie, I fell in love with it. As a special education major, I was touched by it's reality and bluntness. Some say that it was sugar-coated, but my peers and I feel that this movie speaks to us. The time that Carla runs away from home back to the boarding school is a testament to the way that she feels at home, that it is not a home. When Carla helps Danny at registration, you know she is a caring person who will survive in this world. She is ready to become independent and that is the best thing for her. I applaud the director, writers and Diane Keaton, for her role as an overprotective mother, which most mothers are, especially if they are a parent of a mentally-challenged child. The movie showed the benefits Carla has and Danny does not. This movie is a very good way to gently introduce people to the mentally-challenged population.


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