# Other Sister, The (1999)

### reviewed by
Bob Bloom

The Other Sister (1999) 2 stars out of 4. Starring Juliette Lewis, Giovanni Ribisi, Diane Keaton and Tom Skerritt.

Sometimes you can tell a film has problems merely by reading its credits.

Four writers are credited with the story for The Other Sister, two of whom went on to write the screenplay. And if ever there was a clear example of that cliché about too many cooks ... this is it.

For The Other Sister lacks a definitive focus. It spreads itself too thin trying to cover too many points. It is a movie that feels more cobbled together by committee than written.

And what exactly is The Other Sister? A love story? A dramatic mother-daughter character study? A two-hour promo showcasing the abilities of the mentally challenged coping and functioning without being a burden on society?

I do not mean to sound insensitive, but at times The Other Sister seems to be all of the above. It also has a disturbing underlying aura of patronization and condescension.

The Other Sister is the story of Carla Tate, a slightly retarded young woman recently returned home from many years at a "special school." Carla (Juliette Lewis) yearns for freedom. She wants to prove to her family - and especially her mother - that she can take care of herself.

Her mother, Elizabeth (Diane Keaton), is an overprotective control freak who tries to manage Carla's every waking second.

Carla rebels, and she is reluctantly allowed to enroll at the local community college and eventually get her own apartment. She also meets Danny (Giovanni Ribisi), a mentally challenged young man, and the two fall in love.

Any student of movies can guess the rest, and despite the quartet of writers, the plot doesn't really deviate from the path you expect.

What keeps The Other Sister from being unbearable is the stellar performance by Lewis. A gifted young actress who is best known for playing troubled teens (Cape Fear, Natural Born Killers), she shows zest and heart.

Lewis creates a whole woman out of what could have been a one-dimensional stereotypical character. She is capable, yet vulnerable, sweet, yet steely, childlike and calculating.

In other words, she is a typical young woman.

Ribisi holds his own as the young man who wants to make a life with Carla. He brings a warmth and maturity to his Danny. Despite his disability, you feel confident he can and will succeed.

Tom Skerritt is wise and loving as Carla's father. He overcomes the cliched aspects of his character to breathe life into a man who sees that to hold onto his daughter he must let her go.

Which brings us to Keaton. Her Elizabeth, unfortunately, throws the movie a-kilter. Basically, she is a one-note, grating, mother from hell. She talks sweetly and professes to love her daughter. And while we don't doubt her sincerity and concern for Carla's well-being, she comes off as condescending and a bit duplicitous. She feels that the only way Carla can be safe and protected is if she listens to mother.

And while The Other Sister can be described as a bittersweet romantic comedy, Keaton's performance almost pushes it over into melodrama.

Director Garry Marshall, who also is one of the four writers as well as one of the screenwriters, could have done some trimming on the running time. At nearly two hours, The Other Sister moves at an uneven pace. There are a few dead spots, too many scenic views of San Francisco.

The Other Sister is a flawed film, made palatable by the performances of Lewis, Ribisi and Skerritt, but a more focused screenplay could have raised it higher.

Bob Bloom the film critic at the Journal and Courier in Lafayette, Ind. He can be reached by e-mail at bloom@journal-courier.com or at cbloom@iquest.net

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