Movie Review:
'The Other Sister' presents true love
Campus Times
March 12, 1999
When director Garry Marshall and producers Mario Iscovich and Alexandra
Ros teamed up for "The Other Sister," they did so to tell a story
different from that to which the public was exposed.
They brought into light the tale of Carla Tate, played by Juliette Lewis,
("What's Eating Gilbert Grape?" and "Natural Born Killers")
and her pursuit as a mentally-challenged woman to find independence and
true love.
"The Other Sister" is a sincere and sentimental film that
reviews Carla, who, since early childhood, seems to develop well on her
own. Aside from her mental limitations and slurred speech, Carla is much
like any other girl.
Time passes, however, and controlling this little girl becomes heartwrenching
and difficult for the Tates, who are well-off socialites of San Francisco.
The efforts of Carla's overbearing mother, Elizabeth, (Diane Keaton,
"First Wives Club" and "Father of the Bride") become
exhausted, and she feels there is no choice but to send the challenged daughter,
then 14, to a "special school" away from home. Carla's father,
Radley, on the other hand, prefers to soothe his own frustrations with alcohol,
and continues to do so for some time.
Elizabeth pleads to her husband that all hope is lost, and that sending
Carla to a special school is the best thing to do. At last, Radley, played
by Tom Skerritt ("Poison Ivy" and "Top Gun"), complies
with the request, signing the official documents necessary to give Carla's
future school permission to educate the girl.
Carla's story continues in the film, now 10 years later, as she returns
to the Tate household after leaving the upscale care home and school to
which she was sent. Her reintroduction to the family is somewhat awkward,
and immediately her mother's overbearingness takes over once again.
From the beginning, Carla expresses interest in being independent and
in attending regular school at a local community college. But Elizabeth
does not feel she needs any part of that anymore, and as the overprotective
mother she is, believes Carla has everything she needs at home.
Elizabeth favors Carla with mandatory tennis lessons and shopping sprees
until the mother realizes that she does not know "what's fun for her"
anymore. After some compromise, Elizabeth gives in to her daughter's request
to go to college, and 24-year-old Carla begins her life at a community college.
It is at the college that Carla meets Daniel McMahon, played by Giovanni
Ribisi ("Saving Private Ryan" and "That Thing You Do!"),
the one man who probably further sparks her desire to be on her own. Daniel,
who is also somewhat mentally challenged, lives in his own apartment --
though his father helps pay the rent -- and has two jobs, one of which is
simply a hobby. He is recognized for his love of marching band music and
marshmallows.
The story progresses, as Carla convinces both of her parents that she
can support herself in her own living environment.
Her mother still finds it difficult to let go of her "child,"
and insists that Carla's new apartment be overly furnished with fire extinguishers
and emergency phone number reminders near every door.
In due time, the friendship between Carla and McMahon develops into
much more. They agree to commit to each other as "friends ... boyfriend/girlfriend."
Carla and McMahon have their bad moments-as do all couples-but for the
most part they are completely compatible and inseparable. The remainder
of the film is even more powerful, emotional and eye opening than is the
life of Carla itself. Carla and McMahon must risk losing each other in order
to find out if they were truly meant to be.
"The Other Sister," rated PG-13, was released in movie theatres
on February 26. Among the main characters of this drama are also the Tates'
housemaid, Winnie, played by Juliet Mills, as well as Ernie (Hector Elizondo,
"Chicago Hope"), who plays the building manager of Daniel's apartment.
The film is one of the most touching dramas of the year, not only because
it is a story to which the audience is not accustomed, but because it proves
that, in fact, true love has no limitations.
