SIBLING RIVALRY

US, 1990, 88 minutes, Colour.
Kirstie Alley, Bill Pullman, Carrie Fisher, Jami Gertz, Scott Bakula, Sam Elliot, Ed O'Neill.
Directed by Carl Reiner.

Sibling Rivalry is amusing until the death; then it sparks up with quite a lot of plot complications. This is a black spoof about relationships, families, sex, death and the law - not to everyone's taste. The film is directed by veteran Rob Reiner (Where's Poppa, the Steve Martin films like The Man With Two Brains, The Jerk, Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid, All of Me). The cast is particularly good and Kirstie Alley shows she is a good comedienne - though Bill Pullman grimaces goofily quite a bit.

The name of the film: we have various sets of brothers and sisters who interact, clash, reconcile. Some of the comedy stays amusingly in the memory.

1. Entertaining comedy? Black comedy mixed with sentiment?

2. The reputation of the director, the quality of the cast? The screenplay, wit, black satire and tastelessness? The plot complications?

3. The title, the range of groups: Marjory and her sister, Nick and his brother, Harry and his family?

4. Marjory and the voice-over, her memories, as a schoolgirl, the clash with her sister, falling in love, the marriage, the ideal, marrying into the Turner family, their use of her - making the coffee etc. and their barging into the house?

5. Kirstie Alley's comic style as Marjorie, seeing her as the family doormat, her wanting to write, being ignored by the family? The clashes with Janine? Janine telling her off, criticising her prim life, suggesting an affair? At the supermarket, exasperated, the meeting with Charles, his smooth manner, the seduction, the comic aspects of the affair? Charles's death? Her hurried escape from the hotel?

6. Marjorie at home, the phone call to the police about the dead body, preparing the dinner, Janine's arrival and helping her? Nick's calls about the body and her trying to ignore them? His information about the wallet, her going to the hotel? Her panic, the cover-up, searching for the condoms? The phone calls and the threats to each other? The decision about the suicide, the pill samples, stuffing them down Charles's throat? Her poetry in writing the note? The traditions of humour of comedy about corpses - the macabre touch, the satiric touch?

7. Nick and his relationship with Wilbur, Wilbur's ambitions to be police chief, Nick and his incompetence, trying to sell the blinds, his boss and his eating habits, the plan to sell the blinds to the Hilton? The desk clerk and his help? In the hotel room, putting up the blinds, the accident, thinking he had killed Charles? Marjorie's running away? The phone call, the wallet, Marjorie's arrival, his not wanting the police to know, the mutual phone threats? Helping with the suicide plot, poking the pills down with the pencil? Ringing Wilbur, eventually confessing and going to jail?

8. Wilbur and the sibling rivalry with Nick? Helping him out with the money, the political advantage of a clean slate? Going to the home, meeting Janine, infatuated by her, drinking the tea thinking it was coffee? In love, Nick's arrival, the phone call and talking to Janine all night? The relationship? The phone call, Nick's plea for help, his decision to help him?

9. Harry and his primness, his being subservient to his parents, his sister and brother-in-law? The caricatures of the Turner family? The professional parents, their manners and dominance? Iris and her husband? Talking over Marjorie, making demands on her? Their comments? the preparation for Charles's return, his reputation and background? The preparation for the dinner, going out? The news, the suicide, their reactions, especially his mother? Liking the suicide note? The next morning, hearing the truth, the various ways of carrying on, the general condemnation of Marjorie?

10. Janine and her blurting out the truth, Marjorie and her preparation to tell the truth, the various reactions? Her wanting to leave, Harry leaving? Her living by herself, feeling free, writing the story, sending it away? Her success?

11. Harry's phone call, Janine sending the manuscript, his change of appearance and habit, leaving the family practice? Setting up by himself? The phone call, his arrival, asking forgiveness, the happy reconciliation?

12. The mixture of good and bad taste comedy, spoof? Humour and wit? Insight into behaviour?