The Other Sister (1999): Dir: Garry Marshall / Cast: Juliette Lewis, Giovanni Ribisi, Diane Keaton, Tom Skerritt, Hector Elizondo: Misguided comedy about the struggles and issues facing the mentally handicapped. Juliette Lewis plays the other sister and the title seems to suggest her lack of recognition and her eagerness to become more than she is. She wishes to free herself from her mother's apron string and seek opportunities in life, choices and romances. She arrives home from a special school to the news that her sister is engaged and her other sister is gay. She enrols in a computer course and meets a mentally challenged male who works at a bakery. Fine setup is reduced to predictable elements and a dumb financial explanation in the conclusion. It is disturbing watching these two experiment with sex. Directed by Garry Marshall who often deals with films where outsiders aim to fit in. He previously made Pretty Woman and Dear God. Convincing performances by Lewis and Giovanni Ribisi who pull through even when the material is uneasy. Tom Skerritt and Diane Keaton play her annoying parents in what isn't their best moment. Hector Elizondo plays the landlord and friend to the Ribisi character but the role is one note and flat. Arguments surface regarding handicaps and their level of freedom but viewers may be divided as to whether the execution is a success. Score: 6 / 10
Review of The Other Sister
