SISTER, SISTER

US, 1982, 100 minutes, Colour.
Diahann Carroll, Irene Cara, Rosalind Cash.
Directed by John Berry.

Sister, Sister is a telemovie written by celebrated poet and author, performer Maya Angelou. It was directed by John Berry, veteran from the '40s who was blacklisted and made films in Europe. It has a strong cast with Diahann Carroll, Irene Cara and Rosalind Cash as three sisters who must confront the ghosts of the past as well as the meaning of their lives. The screenplay is well written, the characters are vivid and portrayed vividly. The film is critical of the idealising of the black past and the hypocrisies consequent on that. It also shows ambitions and frustrations. The background is the South, a religious family, a religious minister - and the proper and prim oldest sister and her having to face the truth.

Sister, Sister is the material of soap opera. Diahann Carroll has an excellent opportunity for portraying a stiff spinster sister in a small American town, clinging to the memory of family heritage and dignity. Her feelings and beliefs are shattered. Rosalind Cash has a showy performance as the sister who left town for Detroit. Irene Cara (from Fame) is the sister on the verge of making choices. Paul Winfield has an unusual role as the small town gambling king. The film has a great deal to say about race relationships in the United States as well as the basic themes of family. There are overtones of religion and politics. The film is also strong with its feminist point of view and the strong portrayal of three women. While primarily geared to an American audience, especially a black audience, the film has a great deal to say in an interesting way for a universal audience.

1. Impact of the telemovie? For an American audience, black audience? Universal audience? Themes of family, religion, hopes, frustrations, hypocrisies? The feminist audience? A satisfying blend of themes: racial themes, religious, political, feminist, sexual, ethical? A portrait of life in the 20th. century?

2. The South, the town, the home, the church? Audiences identifying with these locations? The atmosphere of the black South? Pride, prejudice? The musical score? The background of religious hymns? How well did the film suggest and create the atmosphere of the small town? Its people? The Lovejoy house? Its physical appearance, rooms, decor? The significance of the house and the town for the whole film?

3. The quality of the writing and characterisation, the feminine perspective? The title and its focus on the sisters, on black sisterhood? The strengths of the screenplay: the depiction of character, the memory of Mr. Lovejoy, the focal significance of the house, the focus on each of the three sisters, the relationships with the men, the integration of the broad themes? The soap opera material but treated with sentiment and strength?

5. Race themes: the origins of Mr. Lovejoy's fortune, his menial work, the significance of progress in the 19th. century, his amassing his money, buying his house and making it his castle? The black fulfilment of the American dream? The handing on of this heritage to later generations? Carolyne and her clinging to this and being unwilling to change? Her sanctifying it and seeing it unrealistically? The need for the next generation to escape? The background of the contemporary big city ghettos? The exploitation of the blacks, the use of the children in drug~running? Police encounters? Marriage? Opportunity? Wealth and the growth of fortunes in small towns? The background of the '60s and civil rights, demonstrations, imprisonment? The heroes of the time especially Martin Luther King? The political opportunities of the '70s and '80s?

6. Religious themes: religious traditions, the place of the Church, religious ceremonies, ritual, songs, sermons, enthusiastic participation, moral standards and expectations, the genteel life of the city parish, the carnival for raising money, the baking of cakes etc? The gap between religion and the problems of life? Religion reinforcing old standards and hypocrisies?

7. Feminist themes: portrayal of the three sisters, the memories of Mrs. Lovejoy and her oppression, the self-assertion of the '70s and '80s, the film and feminine sensibilities, the range of experience: careers, home life, celebrity, marriage, relationships, exploitation?

8. Political themes: the memory of civil rights activities, leadership especially for negroes, political means and Washington for political change, social rights? The type of politician elected, his personal standards? The raising of money?

9. Themes of wealth: the building up of family fortune, its over?importance, home and property, sil verware etc.? The needs for money in the big city ghettos? The importance of money for political campaigns? The selling of the house as a focal point of this them?



4. The portrait of Caroline and Diahann Carroll's screen presence: the eldest sister, devotion to her father, memories of her father and mother, her father's illness and her looking after him? Her attitude towards Freda and her leaving home? Her attitude towards Cissy and bringing her up? Her relationship with Richard - and her having to conceal it? In church, singing? The contrast with behaviour outside, meeting him furtively, the sexual liaison? His being married? The question of the money and his embezzlement? The pressure on her?

10. The portrait of Carolyne: the opening with her looking through the album with reverence, her quoting her father, the gradual revealing of the truth about him, her saying that she was used by him rather than loved? Her presence in the church, her singing? The irony of her double standards and her liaison with Richard, her wariness ? in the vestry, his visits to her home, the meting at the station and the anxiety? The discussions about money and her being appealed to for covering up the borrowings? Her strict standards especially with Cissy, her judgments on Freda, Danny and his manners, getting Danny to school? Her role as a schoolmarm? Her friendship with Harry on his visit? Her attempts to sell the silver and her discussions with the saleswoman and her assertion of dignity? Her raising money and building up the fete? Her being abused publicly by Freida? The confrontation with the truth? The melodramatics of the fight between the three sisters and the telling of the truth? Her needs, hurts? Everybody leaving her? Cissy leaving without love? Freida's return and the looking through the album? Her future could Carolyne change? Her separation from Richard?

11. The portrait of Freida: her escape from home , her extrovert style, her bringing up Danny, their life in Detroit and her having to get Danny away from the police, her story about her various jobs, her drinking at home, at Eddie Craven's place, her seeking Eddie, the outing, the drive home, the clash with him about his not marrying her, his reply about her walking out, her drinking and dancing at the fete and her abusing Carolyne, her seduction of Richard, the truth about Richard? Her having to move out after the fight. Her contribution to the fight and telling the truth? The significance of her return?

12. The briefer portrait of Cissy: the new generation, Tommy staying at the home, Carolyne's strictness with her, her disillusionment with Tomy in his trying to make her jealous, the importance of her skating and Carolyne's underrating it, her skill, Freida's support? Her memories of her father and not being wanted, her reaction to the fight, her decision to leave home, her lack of love for Carolyne? Would she make the saffe mistakes as Freida?

13. The theme of family: the irony of the name Lovejoy and this being pointed out, the enshrinement of father, the memory of his illness, the seeing of the truth about him, his oppression of Mrs. Lovejoy and her wanting to die?

14. Richard as the minister, the up-and-coming politician, separation from his wife, his power of persuasion in the church, the hidden meetings with Carolyne, his easily being seduced by Freda, his coming and pleading with Caroline? Her cutting him off?

15. The contrast with Eddie p the genial man about town, his devotion to Freda, his option to marry her?

16. Harry and the pathos of his visit, his dreams about being a musician, his awkwardness with his son?

17. Tommy and the possibility of relationship with Cissy, her leaving?

18. How satisfying an entertainment, the material of popular novels and television soap opera? How differently treated? Sentiment, sentimentality? Genuine feelings? Insight into human nature, a portrait of a cross?section of the United States?