Mira Sorvino's acting, is the only reason I did not give this 1 Star.
Let me get this right ... one sister moves a couple miles away from her family (the Bronx to Manhattan) to escape from an abusive/suicidal mother, and using/cheating/suicidal sister. Then she creates an entire factious story about her family for her Fiancée. OK ... people reinvent themselves all the time, but typically not within the same city.
After three years, her cheating sister shows up unannounced, because the guy who she is cheating with dumps her, and she has no where to turn (except back on the subway to the Bronx, her husband and kids?). The cheater proceeds to step all over her, and breaks all her rules while in her house, with the attitude of, 'I am family. So, put up with it'.
After refusing to leave, and inviting an ex drug using friends over to the house ... it is revealed their mother has died (we find out, about 14 hours after she arrived). She died some time in the past weeks or months ... but she never told her sister, only left a message to call her (Really?)
The older sister totally disrupts the younger's life, potentially destroys her engagement ... and instead of it ending with the younger sister standing up for herself against her sister. She stands up by attacking her husband; the only one who has supported her ... and we get a short video of the abusive mother being only mildly abusive to the grandkids ... and everyone 'hugs'?!?!
The movie should have ended with the younger sister saying, "You know we are family, but I am trying to improve my life. Since you have arrived. You have me worried sick. I am not getting sleep, and have dropped all my work responsibilities. You are dragging me to night clubs, and back into the drug abusive life I escaped. I am stealing from your purse, and popping pills. I am fighting with my fiancée, and you have potentially destroyed my marriage. The video of our mother is heart warming, but Adolf Hitler has a nice video of him playing with his dogs in the Alps. A five minute video does not erase a life time of abuse. I left you behind 3 years ago. This visit has only reinforced my decision on why it was the right thing to do. People change, but they can not, when tied to people who are destructive, like yourself. It pains me to say this, but for my well being, pleased do not contact me again". This ending would have made these horrible characters worth dealing with .... or a murder/suicide ending by the one of the oblivious/emotionally detached male characters.
Let me get this right ... one sister moves a couple miles away from her family (the Bronx to Manhattan) to escape from an abusive/suicidal mother, and using/cheating/suicidal sister. Then she creates an entire factious story about her family for her Fiancée. OK ... people reinvent themselves all the time, but typically not within the same city.
After three years, her cheating sister shows up unannounced, because the guy who she is cheating with dumps her, and she has no where to turn (except back on the subway to the Bronx, her husband and kids?). The cheater proceeds to step all over her, and breaks all her rules while in her house, with the attitude of, 'I am family. So, put up with it'.
After refusing to leave, and inviting an ex drug using friends over to the house ... it is revealed their mother has died (we find out, about 14 hours after she arrived). She died some time in the past weeks or months ... but she never told her sister, only left a message to call her (Really?)
The older sister totally disrupts the younger's life, potentially destroys her engagement ... and instead of it ending with the younger sister standing up for herself against her sister. She stands up by attacking her husband; the only one who has supported her ... and we get a short video of the abusive mother being only mildly abusive to the grandkids ... and everyone 'hugs'?!?!
The movie should have ended with the younger sister saying, "You know we are family, but I am trying to improve my life. Since you have arrived. You have me worried sick. I am not getting sleep, and have dropped all my work responsibilities. You are dragging me to night clubs, and back into the drug abusive life I escaped. I am stealing from your purse, and popping pills. I am fighting with my fiancée, and you have potentially destroyed my marriage. The video of our mother is heart warming, but Adolf Hitler has a nice video of him playing with his dogs in the Alps. A five minute video does not erase a life time of abuse. I left you behind 3 years ago. This visit has only reinforced my decision on why it was the right thing to do. People change, but they can not, when tied to people who are destructive, like yourself. It pains me to say this, but for my well being, pleased do not contact me again". This ending would have made these horrible characters worth dealing with .... or a murder/suicide ending by the one of the oblivious/emotionally detached male characters.