The Other Sister

Synopsis:

Carla Tate has never been like her sisters. Sent at a young age to a school for children with intellectual impairments, a maturing Carla returns to her family home in San Francisco. Her overbearing mother, Elizabeth, and patient father, Radley, struggle to come to terms with Carla’s growing independence as she embarks on her dream of attending college and pursues a romance with Danny, a young man with a similar disability.

Quick Thoughts:

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started watching “The Other Sister”. But I simply loved it! They risked a sensitive subject and handled it beautifully. Everyone did a phenomenal job in portraying their roles, but Juliette Lewis and Giovanni Ribisi treated their roles as Carla and Danny respectfully. I do agree with other reviewers that the overall story is not quite realistic, but who cares? Everyone is entitled to having a bit of a fantasy romance!

The only thing that I found a bit disappointing is how it handles the “other” sister, Heather, and the only reason this film is included. Heather is a lesbian and in a relationship with Michelle, but her mother doesn’t accept her throughout the film. Yes, she finally comes around in the last few minutes, but this sideline story is so far away from the field, you could’ve removed it entirely and not changed the key points of the film. Regardless, “The Other Sister” is an enjoyable movie to watch. Just not sure I’d call it a queer film.