The Other Sister (1999)
- Just watched it last night. SUCH a cute movie. For those of you who have seen it, you know what I mean. For those of you who haven't...it's about a mentally-disabled young woman, Carla, who meets and falls in love with a mentally-disabled young man, Daniel. Basically the movie centers around their relationship, their lives, and how they are treated as "disabled" people. Carla is the daughter of a rich dentist or doctor (can't remember) and an overprotective mother, and she is constantly babied by her family to the point that it hurts her. Daniel is the son of a father who doesn't care about him/like him, and a mother who lives in another state. Daniel has to move with his mom when his dad won't pay his rent anymore, which obviously breaks Carla's heart. But everything is okay in the end, because Daniel turns around on his trip home and goes straight back to Carla (in the middle of her sister's wedding) and then THEY get married. SOOO CUUUTE! And yes, it is a tearjerker. You will most likely cry.

And a plus? GIOVANNI RIBISI, super-cutie, plays the part of Daniel. Other actors (not cute, by the way) are Juliette Lewis as Carla and Diane Keaton as her overprotective mom.

Definitely watch it when you get a chance. If you have Starz, Encore, or Movieplex, it'll be showing sometime this month or early next month. June 21, 9:30 on Starz Kids & Family, by the way. Yeah, I'm gonna watch it again.

Edit...here comes the "insightful" part.

Okay, so I was thinking more about this whole entry.

And I realize, maybe I think Carla & Daniel are so cute because, it's that *perfect* relationship. In a non-perfect circumstance. I mean, they're disabled! But they are definitely not disabled in the fact that they are perfect for each other.

"I would never, ever hurt you," Daniel says to Carla at one point.
At another point, Daniel gets upset and starts crying because he failed a class at the "normal" school they go to. "I'm upset because I don't want you to think I'm...dumb..." he tells Carla. Carla, obviously touched, says, "Oh...I would never, ever think that."

If someone were to say "I'm upset because I don't want you to think I'm dumb," today ("normal" people, anyway) most likely the other person would either laugh it off, or be annoyed/impatient. I mean, what is wrong with people these days? Is there no compassion left, anywhere? Is there such a thing as perfect love anymore? Is there any emotion?

What I see is a world of affairs, booty calls, Superbad situations, sex, sex obsessions (David Duchovny, anyone?), divorces, abortions, and one-night stands. Love is not what it used to be. There are no more love letters, compliments such as "I see the world in your eyes" (unless, of course, the complimenter is seeking to get some), purity, etc.

Which is why I love The Other Sister so much.
Carla & Daniel have a perfect, untainted love. They are completely devoted to each other. I just wish "normal" people could have that nowadays.

But then again...it's just a movie.