The Other Sister
Encyclopedia
The Other Sister is a 1999 romantic comedy
film starring Juliette Lewis
, Giovanni Ribisi
, Diane Keaton
, and Tom Skerritt
. Garry Marshall
directed the film. Lewis was nominated for a "Worst Supporting Actress" Razzie Award for her performance.
The movie was filmed in Long Beach
, Pasadena
, and San Francisco, California
.
high school to earn her diploma. Her mother is less than adamant about her daughter's decision. When she meets Daniel McMann on the first day of school, they become friends and soon fall in love. Carla envies Danny's freedom and finally convinces her parents that she is capable of living on her own, and moves into her own apartment. Carla's mother is very hesitant and fraught with anxiety about letting Carla move out.
At a Christmas holiday party, Daniel inadvertently consumes too much alcohol. In an attempt to make his sincere feelings of love for Carla known to everybody, he grabs the microphone and tells everyone at the party about Carla and their first time making love. A humiliated Carla bursts into tears and shouts at everyone to stop laughing at her. Although Daniel did not intend to embarrass Carla, she is nonetheless devastated and refuses to see him. Carla later realizes how much she is still in love with Danny and wants to see him again despite her Mother advising her otherwise. At Carla's sister's wedding, Danny surprises Carla by showing up at the church unannounced and asking Carla to marry him, in a scene mimicking "The Graduate
", the couple's favorite movie.
Everyone supports their wishes except for Carla's mother who is unsure that Danny can take care of her. Carla's mother has always been uneasy about Carla doing anything, due to her disability. Carla gets angry with her mom and tells her that she is sick of her trying to tell her (Carla) what to do. Carla's family supports her decision, and her dad walks her down the aisle
. Carla's mother has a change of heart and she shows up at the wedding
. Outside the church, Danny surprises Carla with a marching band, which plays a song from The Music Man
.
, which opened at the top spot. It ultimately grossed less than $28 million domestically, barely bringing back its $35 million budget.
. Roger Ebert
rated the film at one out of four possible stars, and said the film was "so over-the-top maudlin that it makes Patch Adams
and Stepmom
look stoic and reserved."
was "The Animal Song
" by Savage Garden
. The music video for the song featured scenes from the film. It peaked at #109 on the Billboard 200
albums chart.
Romantic Comedy
Romantic Comedy can refer to* Romantic Comedy , a 1979 play written by Bernard Slade* Romantic Comedy , a 1983 film adapted from the play and starring Dudley Moore and Mary Steenburgen...
film starring Juliette Lewis
Juliette Lewis
Juliette Lewis is an American actress and musician. She gained international fame for her role in the 1991 thriller Cape Fear for which she was nominated for both an Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress...
, Giovanni Ribisi
Giovanni Ribisi
Giovanni Ribisi is an American actor. His film credits include Gone in 60 Seconds, Boiler Room, Saving Private Ryan, The Mod Squad, The Gift, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, Lost in Translation and more recently, Public Enemies and Avatar...
, Diane Keaton
Diane Keaton
Diane Keaton is an American film actress, director, producer, and screenwriter. Keaton began her career on stage, and made her screen debut in 1970...
, and Tom Skerritt
Tom Skerritt
Thomas Roy "Tom" Skerritt is an American actor who has appeared in over 40 films and more than 200 television episodes since 1962.-Early life:...
. Garry Marshall
Garry Marshall
Garry Kent Marshall is an American actor, director, writer and producer. His notable credits include creating Happy Days and The Odd Couple and directing Nothing In Common, Pretty Woman, Runaway Bride, Valentine's Day, and The Princess Diaries.-Early life:Marshall was born in the New York City...
directed the film. Lewis was nominated for a "Worst Supporting Actress" Razzie Award for her performance.
The movie was filmed in Long Beach
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
, Pasadena
Pasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
, and San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
.
Plot
After receiving a well-earned certification from a Special Education school, Carla Tate, an ambitious and mildly mentally challenged young lady, returns home to her domineering, bossy and slightly irritating mother and dentist father. Carla's ambition is to seek to be more independent from her family. One means by which she can accomplish this is by attending the polytechnicInstitute of technology
Institute of technology is a designation employed in a wide range of learning institutions awarding different types of degrees and operating often at variable levels of the educational system...
high school to earn her diploma. Her mother is less than adamant about her daughter's decision. When she meets Daniel McMann on the first day of school, they become friends and soon fall in love. Carla envies Danny's freedom and finally convinces her parents that she is capable of living on her own, and moves into her own apartment. Carla's mother is very hesitant and fraught with anxiety about letting Carla move out.
At a Christmas holiday party, Daniel inadvertently consumes too much alcohol. In an attempt to make his sincere feelings of love for Carla known to everybody, he grabs the microphone and tells everyone at the party about Carla and their first time making love. A humiliated Carla bursts into tears and shouts at everyone to stop laughing at her. Although Daniel did not intend to embarrass Carla, she is nonetheless devastated and refuses to see him. Carla later realizes how much she is still in love with Danny and wants to see him again despite her Mother advising her otherwise. At Carla's sister's wedding, Danny surprises Carla by showing up at the church unannounced and asking Carla to marry him, in a scene mimicking "The Graduate
The Graduate
The Graduate is a 1967 American comedy-drama motion picture directed by Mike Nichols. It is based on the 1963 novel The Graduate by Charles Webb, who wrote it shortly after graduating from Williams College. The screenplay was by Buck Henry, who makes a cameo appearance as a hotel clerk, and Calder...
", the couple's favorite movie.
Everyone supports their wishes except for Carla's mother who is unsure that Danny can take care of her. Carla's mother has always been uneasy about Carla doing anything, due to her disability. Carla gets angry with her mom and tells her that she is sick of her trying to tell her (Carla) what to do. Carla's family supports her decision, and her dad walks her down the aisle
Aisle
An aisle is, in general, a space for walking with rows of seats on both sides or with rows of seats on one side and a wall on the other...
. Carla's mother has a change of heart and she shows up at the wedding
Wedding
A wedding is the ceremony in which two people are united in marriage or a similar institution. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnic groups, religions, countries, and social classes...
. Outside the church, Danny surprises Carla with a marching band, which plays a song from The Music Man
The Music Man
The Music Man is a musical with book, music, and lyrics by Meredith Willson, based on a story by Willson and Franklin Lacey. The plot concerns con man Harold Hill, who poses as a boys' band organizer and leader and sells band instruments and uniforms to naive townsfolk before skipping town with...
.
Main cast
- Juliette LewisJuliette LewisJuliette Lewis is an American actress and musician. She gained international fame for her role in the 1991 thriller Cape Fear for which she was nominated for both an Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress...
as Carla Tate - Diane KeatonDiane KeatonDiane Keaton is an American film actress, director, producer, and screenwriter. Keaton began her career on stage, and made her screen debut in 1970...
as Elizabeth Tate - Tom SkerrittTom SkerrittThomas Roy "Tom" Skerritt is an American actor who has appeared in over 40 films and more than 200 television episodes since 1962.-Early life:...
as Dr. Radley Tate - Giovanni RibisiGiovanni RibisiGiovanni Ribisi is an American actor. His film credits include Gone in 60 Seconds, Boiler Room, Saving Private Ryan, The Mod Squad, The Gift, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, Lost in Translation and more recently, Public Enemies and Avatar...
as Daniel "Danny" McMann - Poppy MontgomeryPoppy MontgomeryPoppy Montgomery , is an Australian actress. She is best known for her role as Samantha Spade on Without a Trace...
as Caroline Tate - Sarah PaulsonSarah Paulson-Career:She was a series regular on the cult television show American Gothic and the WB series Jack & Jill , playing the character "Elisa Cronkite"...
as Heather Tate - Linda ThorsonLinda ThorsonLinda Thorson is a Canadian actress, most famous for her work as Tara King in The Avengers.-Personal life:...
as Drew Evanson - Joe FlaniganJoe FlaniganJoe Flanigan is an American television actor best known for his portrayal of the character Major/Lt. Colonel John Sheppard in Stargate Atlantis.-Early life:Flanigan was born Joseph Dunnigan III in Los Angeles, California...
as Jeff Reed - Juliet Mills as Winnie the Housekeeper
- Tracy ReinerTracy ReinerTracy Reiner is an American actress. She has appeared in more than 30 movies, among them Apollo 13 and A League of Their Own....
as Michelle - Hector ElizondoHector ElizondoHéctor Elizondo is an American actor. Elizondo's first major role was that of "God" in the play Steambath, for which he won an Obie Award...
as Ernie
Box office
The film opened at #3 at the North American box office making US$6.6 million in its opening weekend behind Payback and 8mm8mm (film)
8mm is a 1999 mystery/thriller film, directed by Joel Schumacher and written by Andrew Kevin Walker. It stars Nicolas Cage as a private investigator who delves into the world of snuff films.-Plot:...
, which opened at the top spot. It ultimately grossed less than $28 million domestically, barely bringing back its $35 million budget.
Reception
The Other Sister received mostly negative reviews from critics and maintains a 29% rating at Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
. Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
rated the film at one out of four possible stars, and said the film was "so over-the-top maudlin that it makes Patch Adams
Patch Adams (film)
Patch Adams is a 1998 comedy-drama film starring Robin Williams. Directed by Tom Shadyac, it is based on the life story of Dr. Hunter "Patch" Adams and the book Gesundheit: Good Health is a Laughing Matter by Adams and Maureen Mylander. The film is generally considered a box-office success,...
and Stepmom
Stepmom (film)
Stepmom is a 1998 comedy-drama film directed by Chris Columbus and starring Julia Roberts, Susan Sarandon, and Ed Harris.The film was a commercial success, but a moderate critical success.-Plot:...
look stoic and reserved."
Soundtrack
The Other Sister: Music from the Motion Picture was released on February 23, 1999. The lead song for the soundtrackSoundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
was "The Animal Song
The Animal Song
"The Animal Song" is a song by Savage Garden, released in February 1999. The song was written for the soundtrack of the film The Other Sister, but also appeared on their second studio album, Affirmation, as well as their compilation album, Truly Madly Completely: The Best of Savage Garden...
" by Savage Garden
Savage Garden
Savage Garden were an Australian pop rock performance and songwriting duo. Darren Hayes and Daniel Jones formed the group in Brisbane, Queensland in 1994...
. The music video for the song featured scenes from the film. It peaked at #109 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
albums chart.