Film
What's on at the cinema plus reviews of the latest movie and DVD releases
The Other Sister (1999)
Director: Garry Marshall
Movie review
From Time Out Film Guide
Formerly a reliable purveyor of glossy tearjerkers (Beaches, Frankie & Johnny) and polished romantic comedies (Pretty Woman, Overboard), director Garry Marshall has been through a rocky spell recently. Exit to Eden was universally panned; Dear God went straight to video, and immediately after shooting The Other Sister, Marshall covered his back with Runaway Bride. Here the mentally challenged daughter of upper middleclass parents (Keaton and Skerritt), Carla requires Juliette Lewis to accentuate all her most irritating mannerisms: the nervous tics, slackjawed naivety and mangled speech patterns. Carla is, literally, barking. Mrs Tate doesn't want to allow her 24-year-old out into the world, and when she relents, Carla immediately goes and falls in love with the similarly 'challenged' Danny (Ribisi). Next thing you know they're planning to have sex. Marshall has always taken his emotions straight, but there's something so shameless about a man who'd pep up his 'sensitive' drama with a musical montage to the Fine Young Cannibals' 'She Drives Me Crazy', the appropriate response can only be awe. A touchy-feely hotchpotch of good intentions, dishonourable manipulation, smug laughs and uncomfortable half-truths.Author: TCh
Cast & crew
Director: Garry Marshall
Producer: Mario Iscovich, Alexandra Rose
Cast: Juliette Lewis, Diane Keaton, Tom Skerritt, Giovanni Ribisi, Poppy Montgomery, Sarah Paulson, Linda Thorson, Joe Flanigan, Juliet Mills, Hector Elizondo full cast
Duration: 130 mins
Most popular on this site
Top Stories
Has David Cronenberg turned tame?
Has director David Cronenberg veered too far from his radical and bloody roots with new film 'A Dangerous Method'?
The 10 worst date movies
Just in time for Valentine's Day, we present ten of the least romantic films ever made
Where to watch this year's Oscar-nominated films
Find out where to watch 2012's Oscar-nominated films in London cinemas
10 unlikely badboy biopics
Featuring Phil Collins, Jeremy Clarkson, Nick Clegg, David Starkey and a host of other unlikely subjects
Interview: Sean Durkin on 'Martha Marcy May Marlene'
The first-time director of the brilliant new thriller discusses religious cults and robot boxing
Pop-up cinema for Valentine's Day
Side-step romantic clichés with some alternative Valentine’s viewing






What do you think?
Post your review now