What is Carla's disability? - The Other Sister (1999) Discussion

[–] 20 years ago

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I totally disagree! I think she should have won an academy award for that movie. It was some of the best acting I have ever seen.

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[–] jillfoster2 17 years ago

Carla and Danny- great performance! They won our love and appreciation.The actors make so real characters. Them voice , speech, walking, manners are breath-taking. Juliette Lewis and Giovanni Ribisi are very, very talented actors.

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[–] 17 years ago

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[–] aglowingstarlet 17 years ago

She was not mentally challenged or psychotic in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. Just sayin. And she was amazing in this movie! So was Ribisi!

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[–] 17 years ago

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[–] LaurasaurusRex 14 years ago

Her disability was obviously left out in the open. She didn't over-dramatize her role because it was not set to begin with.
Just because your brother is a certain way does not mean that all people with disabilities are the same.
There is a WIDE range of learning/developmental disabilities and delays...

That being said... I think the writers left it out in the open for a reason. I loved the movie.

But God can be funny.. at a cocktail party while listening to a good God-themed joke

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[–] pooninator666 20 years ago

retardedness

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[–] zaclover4eva 20 years ago

dont call it that please.

its called

"mentally challenged"

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[–] 20 years ago

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[–] Impertinent 17 years ago

That was beautiful...the truth always sounds better...shine on man...shine on!

Indeed..."If Charlize Theron got american citizenship, she would legally be able to qualify for benefits given to African-Americans"

Putz's always think you have to have a bone in your nose to be a 'real' AA!

The mind, like a pool of water...Reflects best when still and undisturbed.

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[–] MusicLovePoetry 16 years ago

Too bad African-Americans do not get benefits. Just hate.

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[–] naberdy 17 years ago

To begin with, mental retardation is an umbrella term. The original poster was looking for an exact answer. People with down syndrome are mentally retarded but just saying she is mentally retarded isn't an answer. I also happen to know alot of native American's and no actually they don't want to be called Indians. You know who wants to be called Indian? People from India! I agree with what you said about black however because by calling them african-american you're assuming they are from Africa and there is alot of people who are black and not from Africa.

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[–] Livana_Faolan 17 years ago

I've often thought that portraying a mentally challenged character is one of THE most challenging things an actor can attempt to do. There's just so much that goes into it: Hand gestures and other movements; speech patterns; certain facial expressions. And then, attempting to pull it off realistically and respectfully!

If I were an actress, I don't think I'd want to take that leap. I really doubt I'd be able to pull it off.

In my opinion, Juliette and Giovanni pulled it off.

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[–] TuDiosEsMiBastardo 17 years ago

If Mosaic Down Syndrome is Down Syndrome without the looks... There's my bet...

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[–] texasturkey 16 years ago

It is now called "Developmentally Delayed". I am a Special Education Teacher.

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[–] blynnpatton 14 years ago

The term mental retardation is being replaced with intellectual disability.

Terms such as tard and retard or considered highly offensive. Please don't use them. Many people use those terms to make fun of people have intellectual disabilities, as well as other people. It is wrong to make fun of others.

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[–] pooninator666 19 years ago

What the *beep* is an "indident"?

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[–] 19 years ago

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[–] 19 years ago

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[–] selkn-asrai 19 years ago

Hey. :)

Alright.

I don't know anyone's experience with the developmentally challenged, but I've had a lot of it. And if you don't understand it, that's ok. But maybe you should at least try to understand and please, try to be less disrespectful, ok? It's offensive to the handicapped, and to the people who care for the handicapped, live with them, etc.

Anyway, Craig the Man, I think her disability is a mixture of things. Probably a level of autism--PDD (Pervasive Developmental Disorder) or Asperger's Syndrome, which is the lightest of the different types of autism. There's probably something else, though. Slight brain damage at birth, by loss of oxygen or blood.

And if not, some things are just off. Still unexplained by doctors. It may be something else altogether, but that's my haphazard guess.

Hope it helps. :)

~Asrai

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[–] GaiaMalfoy 19 years ago

there's a lot of things that can result in a person being mentally challenged. most autistic people are, or at least seem mentally challenged, like carla. it could also be cerebral palsy (though that seems unlikely as carla seems to have full use of her hands) or brain damage at birth.

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[–] 19 years ago

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[–] lythandrel 18 years ago

It did appear to be one of the higher functioning, but more severe forms of autism, since she was able to verbally communicate, and wasn't completely in her own world, but she was very averse to change, especially when her mother re-arranged her room, and ran away back to her school. Her IQ didn't appear high enough to be someone with Aspergers, as AS cases tend to be gifted, but far from neurotypical.

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[–] merrypsimon 17 years ago

WOW someone else who AUCTUALLY knows what Asperger's syndrome is NO WAY! contact me @ billiejoesmistressss yahoo messenger.

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[–] kryan0411 17 years ago

WOW someone else who AUCTUALLY knows what Asperger's syndrome is NO WAY! contact me @ billiejoesmistressss yahoo messenger. As the mom of a child with Asperger's it is so nice to see other people get it I so agree!!

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[–] aglowingstarlet 17 years ago

Have you read Dear John by Nicholas Sparks? It is about Asperger's syndrome. One of the main characters has it. It's a wonderful book.

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[–] Emily-65-Roses 17 years ago

I have both a friend and a cousin (or two) with Asperger's. *shrug*

"I'm not anti-American or anti-anything. I'm just anti-dumb***-mother****ers."

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[–] Registered_User 17 years ago

Thanks for the sensitive response, selkn. I cannot stand it when people are cruel about those with mental handicaps.

Go Cubs NL Central Champs!

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[–] 17 years ago

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[–] EllenSue 13 years ago

It's not really clear as to whether Carla is a borderline mental retardate or a mild mental retardate. It would depend upon whether her i.q. score was above 75 or below 75. (Below 70 associates to mild mental retardation. Above 70 and less than 80-85 is considered borderline mentally retarded)

The other criterion is the level of adaptive functioning. Interactions with the environment, communication skills, personal hygiene, etc.

The thing to know about people with mental retardation is that in most cases, there is no known reason or biological cause. Some studies suggest that only 25% of cases have a specific identifiable cause. That said, I have seen studies that suggest that with the available technology and will to research individuals, they are starting to assign "etiologies" to people previously considered "unclassified".

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[–] movieman_kev 19 years ago

Carla didn't have the disability, Juliette Lewis did

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[–] froggy_9172003 18 years ago

If I had to put my 0.02 in, I would say brain damage at birth. I have always thought since I've seen the movie, like when Elisabeth & Radley are in the living room talking about putting Carla in the "special school" Elisabeth says something like, "We can't wait for Carla to blossom." This make me think that she has been like that since birth. and it is something the doctors can't put their fingers on.

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[–] gcarras 9 years ago

regarding movieman_kev's comment about Juliet Lewis as retarded:

You know, that's a nice thing to say.

NOT!

Permanent avatar:Courtney Thorne-Smith
Twitter account:SJCarras
MAGIC=Sarah Silverman.

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[–] mel_anie_98 18 years ago

I think that she was simply mentally retarded, just a higher-functioning one. They even mentioned it in the movie during the flashback to when the decision was made to send her to the "special school". The father said, "I don't want her to be retarded" (direct quote) and the mother responded with, "I know you don't but she is" or something to that affect in response to what the father said.

FYI: Mentally Retarded was politically-correct until people started to use it in a derogatory manner, so please don't jump in my azz for using that name.

I would find it hard to believe that she has any form of Autism, particularly since most higher-functioning Autistics are more childlike in their behavior, unless what we saw in the movie was simply bad acting, which I find unlikely considering the quality of the actors playing the roles of Carla and Danny.

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[–] 18 years ago

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[–] 18 years ago

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[–] chidoll 17 years ago

There are different severities of Down's Syndrome, just like there are different severities in many other syndromes and defects that affect mental ability from birth. Try to do a bit of research before spewing your pseudo-scientific bullsh!t next time, kid.

And actually, inbreeding usually has to be repeated a few times before genetic mutations are apparent. A brother and sister (or cousins, or parent and child) would have to produce offspring, which would have to reproduce with a sibling, parent, or other very close relative, which would have to do the same thing yet again, before obvious defects would occur. After all, every single member of the royal families in Europe didn't/don't have genetic mutations that are obvious to the rest of the world in photographs, now do they? Nope.

Sometimes screwups in genetics are just spontaneous. There doesn't have to be a reason for a child to be born with a physical or mental defect. Just look at Harlequin Ichthyosis; there's no known cause for such a horrific defect, but it happens. Hell, if you want something well known, look at autism. There have been so many theories about what causes it, from mercury, to phenolsulphertransferase deficiency, to yeast infections, and they've all pretty much been disproven thus far.

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[–] teachr 18 years ago

I teach ESE (Exceptiona Student Education) students and have taught at all levels from the severe and multiply disabled to the slightly learning disabled earning regular high school diplomas. I have a Master's Degree in ESE. I also have a granddaughter (age 6) and a cousin (age 40) who have Down Syndrome. First and foremost, Down Syndrome is not CAUSED by anything like is mentioned above. It is, simply, an extra chromosome. There are different types, but all have genetic causes, nothing like drug use or alcoholism. There are physical and mental characteristics and there are varying ranges of functioning among those with Down Syndrome (by the way, we call it "Up" Syndrome). Early and intense intervention is the only "cure" (if you must call it that) for the Down population--as it is for any other disability.

I use the movie "The Other Sister" in my classes for several reasons:
1. to teach them some compassion
2. to show them the effects of people who have received early intervention and "embrace" their disability and have family support (Carla) vs those who do not (Danny)
3. to show them how being treated mean feels to the person with a disability
and 4. to show them just what a person who understands his or her disabilities can do

I, too, have wondered and been asked by students, just what Carla's disability is. I lean towards the autistic (PDD) label, if pressed, for the same reasons as have been mentioned before: her lack of ability to accept change, her withdrawal from people, her slow speech patterns. She is high functioning, much like my Asperger students, and is capable because her parents recognized they could not help her and sent her where she could get the education and support she needed. Slight brain damage at birth can account for her type of disability also, and persons with Cerebral Palsy are not necessarily unable to use their hands. We have a family friend who is 28, has CP, and is finishing her Master's Degree in International Business. She speaks three languages and has great skills. Her walk is affected by her CP--and she does not use crutches or braces of any sort. She has a bright mind and a great sense of humor and has lived on her own, both in her hometown and abroad, for 10 years.

Sorry--didn't mean to sound preachy but, like others who have posted, don't like to see people with disabilities being treated as second rate people. We all deserve respect and understanding. Please watch this movie and enjoy it for what it is!

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[–] celane-1 18 years ago

There is a form of Down Syndrome called Mosaic Down Syndrome. Same syndrome but the child looks completely "normal" per se. DS children usually all possess a look that we automatically recognize. The MDS children do not possess that same quality. That might have been her disability.

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[–] 18 years ago

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[–] 18 years ago

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