| 75 |
San Francisco Examiner
Marshall has an astounding instinct for popular entertainment. He's done it again with The Other Sister.
|
| 50 |
USA Today
Consider The Other Sister emotional quicksand. [26 February 1999, Life, p.5E]
|
| 50 |
Christian Science Monitor
Skillfully acted, idealized, uneven.
|
| 50 |
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)
The movie is, however, generous in its condescension: Given enough tolerance, cash and a good sex manual, it says, even the mentally handicapped can be just as middle-class and cute as you or me.
|
| 50 |
Chicago Tribune
Falls into a familiar trap, resembling a neatly wrapped made-for-TV homily. [26 February 1999, Friday, p.A]
|
| 50 |
San Francisco Chronicle
Neutralizes these characters, makes them cute and one-dimensional like fluffy dolls.
|
| 50 |
Variety
Lael Loewenstein
A sweet, at times cloying confection enlivened by strong performances in the central roles.
|
| 50 |
TV Guide
Sandra Contreras
Attempting to force the story into a romantic comedy template compels Marshall to gloss over the disturbing aspects his characters' disabilities, frequently forcing Ribisi and Lewis to act the part of noble fools.
|
| 40 |
Washington Post
The humor works beautifully until Marshall decides to beat the comedy over the head and drum us, once again, with this relentless message: "Mentally challenged people in love say the darndest things!"
|
| 40 |
The New York Times
What redeems the film…are its three outstanding performances.
|
| 40 |
Chicago Reader
Oscillates bewilderingly between contrived and insightful, mechanical and sincere, clumsy and graceful.
|
| 38 |
ReelViews
Two agonizing hours of lifeless, mind-numbing hogwash.
|
| 30 |
Washington Post
The Other Sister is sanctimonious, sanitized fare primarily preoccupied with patting its own back and plucking our heartstrings.
|
| 30 |
Austin Chronicle
There's little to recommend this movie, which is part and parcel with Marshall's schlock-dominated body of work.
|
| 25 |
Entertainment Weekly
Gillian Flynn
Still, there's no mistaking the central message: Slow people have much to teach us. Or is it: Slow people -- aren't they funny? Either way, it's pretty vile stuff.
|
| 25 |
Chicago Sun-Times
Shameless in its use of mental retardation as a gimmick, a prop and a plot device. Anyone with any knowledge of retardation is likely to find the film offensive.
|
| 20 |
Village Voice
Plunging headfirst into mush at every opportunity, Marshall brings out the worst in his actors.
|
| 20 |
Los Angeles Times
By coddling viewers and micromanaging our responses, The Other Sister shows almost as little respect for the audience as Elizabeth does for her feisty, underappreciated daughter.
|
| 20 |
Film Threat
I'm going to beat my head into a wall until I relieve myself of the memory of this film that was, well, retarded.
|
| 12 |
Rolling Stone
Staff (Not credited)
It's not the emphasis on tics and grimaces that mars their essentially well-meaning performances, it’s the sitcom crassness of director and co-writer Garry Marshall.
|
| 0 |
The Onion (A.V. Club)
Contrived, clueless, reprehensible.
|
