Rosie O'Donnell Playing a Retarded Person on Hallmark TV Movie

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Go to www.cbs.com and watch the promo for "Riding the Bus with my Sister."

― Nemo (JND), Friday, 22 April 2005 17:02 (twenty years ago)

Then go to the backyard to get some lighter fluid and matches to light yourself on fire.

― Nemo (JND), Friday, 22 April 2005 17:03 (twenty years ago)

http://www.cbs.com/specials/riding_the_bus_with_my_sister/

― Nemo (JND), Friday, 22 April 2005 17:09 (twenty years ago)

http://www.cbs.com/specials/riding_the_bus_with_my_sister/slideshow/images/101_01.jpg

― Thermo Thinwall (Thermo Thinwall), Friday, 22 April 2005 17:14 (twenty years ago)

but i don't have a backyard. can i do this in the parking lot?

― kingfish, Friday, 22 April 2005 17:16 (twenty years ago)

SO. MUCH. RAAAAAAAGE.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Friday, 22 April 2005 17:17 (twenty years ago)

you knows she's a retard because her shoes don't match

― Gear! (can Jung shill it, Mu?) (Gear!), Friday, 22 April 2005 17:17 (twenty years ago)

seriously, I'll watch this movie if it ends with Rosie accidentally killing a small boy and Andie McDowall is forced to shoot her in the back of the head to put her out of her retarded misery.

― Gear! (can Jung shill it, Mu?) (Gear!), Friday, 22 April 2005 17:18 (twenty years ago)

I will only THAT movie if I am assured that it is a documentary.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Friday, 22 April 2005 17:20 (twenty years ago)

I have a fantasy of getting all the retarded characters played by various high profile actors (Lenny DiCaprio from "What's Eating Gibert Grape", Sean Penn from "I am Sam", Giovanni Rbisi and Juliet Lewis from "The Other Sister", etc.) all getting together to form a detective agency, or a maybe a law firm, for a major network television show. Man, that would be the best show ever.

― Shakey Mo Collier, Friday, 22 April 2005 17:21 (twenty years ago)

Andie MacDowell may be the worst actress on the planet

― miccio (miccio), Friday, 22 April 2005 17:22 (twenty years ago)

"Is it raining?"

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Friday, 22 April 2005 17:23 (twenty years ago)

I guess its forgivable that she can't make a believable smile when she's got Rosie making those grimaces at her.

― miccio (miccio), Friday, 22 April 2005 17:23 (twenty years ago)

All my show needs is a title, and maybe a recurring villain/arch nemesis....

x-post

― Shakey Mo Collier, Friday, 22 April 2005 17:23 (twenty years ago)

i saw a retarded guy on the streetcar yesterday who was wearing raver shoes, a blazer, and blue snowpants. he was also toting a giant, gnarly red leather suitcase and a mail order catalogue for miniature porcelain collectables, which, unfortunately, he couldn't read b/c he was using both his hands to hold a newspaper up against the window to keep the sun out of his face. this seemed like a pretty urgent task to him, and it's how i knew he was retarded, cause the streetcar was empty and he could've just moved seats. the snowpants thing was also a clue i guess.

― mark p (Mark P), Friday, 22 April 2005 17:24 (twenty years ago)

Give them superpowers and call it Special Forces

(x-post)

― miccio (miccio), Friday, 22 April 2005 17:25 (twenty years ago)

I can't wait!

― scott seward (scott seward), Friday, 22 April 2005 17:34 (twenty years ago)

And have them battle a legion-of-doom criminal cabal headed by Dustin Hoffman as Rain Man and Russell Crowe from that "I'm a supergenius retard" math movie.

― Hurlothrumbo (hurlothrumbo), Friday, 22 April 2005 17:35 (twenty years ago)

OMG, the poll:

"has a developmentally disabled person ever touched your life?

1. yes
2. no"

― mark p (Mark P), Friday, 22 April 2005 17:35 (twenty years ago)

"has a developmentally disabled person ever touched you~~r life~~?"

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 22 April 2005 17:38 (twenty years ago)

Anjelica Huston directed this movie?

― Nemo (JND), Friday, 22 April 2005 17:39 (twenty years ago)

yes. evidently right into the ground.

― mark p (Mark P), Friday, 22 April 2005 17:40 (twenty years ago)

directed by Angelica Huston, GOOD LORD!
xpost

― Huk-L, Friday, 22 April 2005 17:40 (twenty years ago)

"has a developmentally disabled person ever touched your linus?"

― Leon Future Coffee (Ex Leon), Friday, 22 April 2005 17:40 (twenty years ago)

their venerable advisor would be Mickey Rooney from the 1981 TV movie "Bill"

x-post

― Shakey Mo Collier, Friday, 22 April 2005 17:41 (twenty years ago)

http://photos2.flickr.com/1658626_0baf8b0d52_m.jpg

― Huk-L, Friday, 22 April 2005 17:42 (twenty years ago)

The Year: 1979. My sister and I sit down in front of the television to watch the television movie *Like Normal People* starring Shaun Cassady and Linda Purl. Our lives would never be the same again.

― scott seward (scott seward), Friday, 22 April 2005 17:43 (twenty years ago)

Of course not, Scott, it was SHAUN CASSIDY, greatest human being of the age.

"has a developmentally disabled person ever touched your linus?"

So it wasn't so much a security blanket as a huge busted condom he dragged around. Hm.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 22 April 2005 17:44 (twenty years ago)

Buster may count as being developmentally disabled, it's hard to say.

x-post

― Leon Future Coffee (Ex Leon), Friday, 22 April 2005 17:44 (twenty years ago)

http://www.cbs.com/specials/riding_the_bus_with_my_sister/slideshow/images/101_02.jpg
I can't tell which of these people is the least convincing in their respective roles.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Friday, 22 April 2005 17:44 (twenty years ago)

Shakey, I think they should be running a basic-cable television network.

― Stephen X (Stephen X), Friday, 22 April 2005 17:44 (twenty years ago)

Scott, I completely forgot about that movie -- it was awesome! Shaun was one hot retard.

― Leon Future Coffee (Ex Leon), Friday, 22 April 2005 17:44 (twenty years ago)

I bet Rosie got completely obsessive and was "in character" even when the cameras weren't rolling.

― Nemo (JND), Friday, 22 April 2005 17:45 (twenty years ago)

I might be the only person on the planet who thinks that Andie McDowall isn't that bad of an actress.

― Gear! (can Jung shill it, Mu?) (Gear!), Friday, 22 April 2005 17:45 (twenty years ago)

omg I totally remember "Like Normal People"! That was fucking priceless! why do actors feel the need to do these movies, it's such a shamefully predictable and self-aggrandizing move ("look at what a great, compassionate actor I am!") and they're never EVER good....

― Shakey Mo Collier, Friday, 22 April 2005 17:45 (twenty years ago)

Anjelica Houston is friggin SMOKIN HOT directing this movie!
http://www.cbs.com/specials/riding_the_bus_with_my_sister/slideshow/images/101_06.jpg

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Friday, 22 April 2005 17:46 (twenty years ago)

yeah when she was yelling at interns she was spitting and drooling and peeing herself on set.

oh, that would be funny too, Ned! xxxxpost

― Gear! (can Jung shill it, Mu?) (Gear!), Friday, 22 April 2005 17:46 (twenty years ago)

for years afterword, we would laugh uncontrollably whenever one of us would repeat Linda Purl's immortal line: "ROGGGGAAAAHHHH, I want to get MAHHHH-REEEED!"

― scott seward (scott seward), Friday, 22 April 2005 17:47 (twenty years ago)

I dare Leon to start a thread called "HOT RETARDS"

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 22 April 2005 17:47 (twenty years ago)

Top of the list:

COUSIN GERI, "THE FACTS OF LIFE"

http://www.bringdown.com/issue1/mayhem/tards/geribery.gif

― Gear! (can Jung shill it, Mu?) (Gear!), Friday, 22 April 2005 17:49 (twenty years ago)

don't forget leonardo.

― scott seward (scott seward), Friday, 22 April 2005 17:51 (twenty years ago)

I liked Andie MacDowell in "Groundhog Day"! (Admittedly it wasn't much of a role.)

x-post

This thread is bringing back many cringe-inducing memories.

― Nemo (JND), Friday, 22 April 2005 17:51 (twenty years ago)

She wasn't retarded though, was she? I thought she had MS or something.

― Huk-L, Friday, 22 April 2005 17:51 (twenty years ago)

tom hulce was kinda cute in dominic & eugene. he actually did a pretty good job, if i recall. i haven't seen it in years.

― scott seward (scott seward), Friday, 22 April 2005 17:52 (twenty years ago)

I can't believe Anjelica Huston is directing this. How can a great actress pick two of the WORST, I mean, wtf?!!

― miccio (miccio), Friday, 22 April 2005 17:52 (twenty years ago)

i still can't bring myself to rent i am sam.

― scott seward (scott seward), Friday, 22 April 2005 17:53 (twenty years ago)

yeah, I'm saddened to hear of Anjelica's involvement, she should know better.

― Shakey Mo Collier, Friday, 22 April 2005 17:54 (twenty years ago)

I could barely bring myself to watch the commercials for "I Am Sam."

― Nemo (JND), Friday, 22 April 2005 17:55 (twenty years ago)

I always say I'm gonna do a big marathon of these movies and I always chicken out.

― miccio (miccio), Friday, 22 April 2005 17:56 (twenty years ago)

WTF? (scroll down for "Also Known As") http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0301503/

― Huk-L, Friday, 22 April 2005 17:57 (twenty years ago)

haha! I might actually watch that one!

― Shakey Mo Collier, Friday, 22 April 2005 18:06 (twenty years ago)

"has a developmentally disabled person ever touched your linus?"
"Show me on the doll. Show me where the developmentally disabled person touched you."

― Thermo Thinwall (Thermo Thinwall), Friday, 22 April 2005 18:08 (twenty years ago)

Regular Rosie depresses me enough. No need to see her wear day-glo clothes and fishing hats.

― Je4nne ƒury (Jeanne Fury), Friday, 22 April 2005 18:25 (twenty years ago)

why is rosie always getting typecasted?

― kelsey (kelstarry), Friday, 22 April 2005 18:32 (twenty years ago)

Why didn't she go the whole hog and black up?

(Also, I know retarded seems to be an acceptable word in the States, but it makes me really queasy.)

― Failin Huxley (noodle vague), Friday, 22 April 2005 18:34 (twenty years ago)

Staph is no Laugh

― 57 7th (calstars), Friday, 22 April 2005 18:36 (twenty years ago)

yeah, its an unnecessarily derogatory term, but the other options seem so unwieldy and not necessarily better (ie "developmentally disabled"). In my own defense I feel like the REAL source of ridicule here are the fucking dumbass actors who take these roles and the horrible disservice they do to actual real-life "mentally challenged" people.

― Shakey Mo Collier, Friday, 22 April 2005 18:36 (twenty years ago)

I can't wait until Howard Stern gets a hold of this.

― 57 7th (calstars), Friday, 22 April 2005 18:36 (twenty years ago)

maybe, shakey, but let's not be coy about the fact that we're all being assholes on this thread either.

― mark p (Mark P), Friday, 22 April 2005 18:37 (twenty years ago)

Oh I wasn't having a pop at anybody, Shakey. Like I said, it doesn't seem to be as offensive in the US as it would be in the UK. And yeah, I do find non-disabled actors "cripping up" as it's known over here way more offensive.

― Failin Huxley (noodle vague), Friday, 22 April 2005 18:38 (twenty years ago)

http://www.wherehouse.com/amgcover/music/large/f0/03/f00327kanv0.jpg

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Friday, 22 April 2005 18:47 (twenty years ago)

I might be the only person on the planet who thinks that Andie McDowall isn't that bad of an actress.

"Goddamn you .... God-daammmmmn yewwwww!"

Cousin Geri had cerebal palsey, by the way.

― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Friday, 22 April 2005 19:00 (twenty years ago)

But we all still learned an important lesson.

― Gear! (can Jung shill it, Mu?) (Gear!), Friday, 22 April 2005 19:05 (twenty years ago)

whoa, that freaked me out for a second, my brain parsed that as 'cousin larry'.

― mark p (Mark P), Friday, 22 April 2005 19:05 (twenty years ago)

Don't be ridiculous!

― David R. (popshots75`), Friday, 22 April 2005 19:06 (twenty years ago)

http://www.sptimes.com/2003/10/27/photos/FLO_3_ex27radio_171949_102.jpg

― Amon (eman), Friday, 22 April 2005 19:44 (twenty years ago)

aaaaaaaaggghhhh! Radio! How could I have forgotten that one, every Special Detective Agency needs a token black guy. He could do a terrible rap in one episode....

― Shakey Mo Collier, Friday, 22 April 2005 19:45 (twenty years ago)

Andie MacDowell may be the worst actress on the planet

-- miccio (anthonyisrigh...), April 22nd, 2005.

i heard a rumor that she's borderline mentally challenged herself!

― latebloomer: But when the monkey die, people gonna cry. (latebloomer), Friday, 22 April 2005 19:50 (twenty years ago)

roffle @ Shakey

for the token authentic guy you could get Corky from Life Goes On!

― Amon (eman), Friday, 22 April 2005 19:51 (twenty years ago)

Cousin Geri is on "Deadwood" now!

And there's some old story about how they had to loop every single line of Andie MacDowell's dialogue in "Greystoke" because her mumbled southern accent had test audiences laughing.

― On a Strict El Cholo Diet (Bent Over at the Arclight), Friday, 22 April 2005 19:52 (twenty years ago)

Oh, and also - this takes the place of my previously most awaited TV movie, which would be "Addicted.com," about a high school student's addiction to internet pornography and how it's tearing his family apart - coming soon to Lifetime!

― On a Strict El Cholo Diet (Bent Over at the Arclight), Friday, 22 April 2005 19:53 (twenty years ago)

Santa!

― kingfish, Friday, 22 April 2005 19:53 (twenty years ago)

Addicted.com will be released in the UK as Not Without My Kleenex.

― Failin Huxley (noodle vague), Friday, 22 April 2005 19:57 (twenty years ago)

Lest We Forget

http://home.a-city.de/guido.wanner/filme/fgpark.jpg

― latebloomer: But when the monkey die, people gonna cry. (latebloomer), Friday, 22 April 2005 19:58 (twenty years ago)

where's that thread with all the great Lifetime Channel TV movies & their titles?

― kingfish, Friday, 22 April 2005 20:00 (twenty years ago)

LIFETIME IS THE BEST!!!!! God I hope that movie is true.

― Allyzay do not obtain to make download of yours MP3 (allyzay), Friday, 22 April 2005 20:02 (twenty years ago)

Forrest could try and steal Juliette Lewis away from G. Rbisi in a "special love-triangle" sub-plot.

x-post

― Shakey Mo Collier, Friday, 22 April 2005 20:02 (twenty years ago)

(apart from the minor issue of the assured unattainability of the cast), this show practically WRITES ITSELF! where are you, TV executives???!?

― Shakey Mo Collier, Friday, 22 April 2005 20:07 (twenty years ago)

What the hell is wrong with Forrest's groin area in that photograph?

― roxymuzak (roxymuzak), Friday, 22 April 2005 20:09 (twenty years ago)

What was that French movie with all the Dow's Syndrome people, and they jump off a roof or something? At first I was like, "How did they teach them French? I can't even speak French." I'm obviously not so bright myself.

― andy --, Friday, 22 April 2005 20:13 (twenty years ago)

i heard a rumor that she's borderline mentally challenged herself!

rumor or theory?

― miccio (miccio), Friday, 22 April 2005 20:14 (twenty years ago)

Andie MacDowell is sometimes dubbed in whatever-cosmetic-company-she-shills-for's adverts in the UK.

― Failin Huxley (noodle vague), Friday, 22 April 2005 20:16 (twenty years ago)

"What the hell is wrong with Forrest's groin area in that photograph?"

That's where he keeps his "box of chocolates."

― Nemo (JND), Friday, 22 April 2005 20:20 (twenty years ago)

The Lifetime internet movie is totally for real! It was in today's Hollywood Reporter!

PROJECT: ADDICTED.COM (Lifetime / MOW)
PRODUCTION COMPANY(S): Jaffe / Braunstein Films, LLC
PRODUCER(S): Michael Jaffe, Howard Braunstein, Michael Bremer, Paul Goff
DIRECTOR: Tom McLoughlin
CAST: TBA
LOCATION(S): Toronto
TENTATIVE START: April 25, 2005
DESCRIPTION: When high school swimming champion Justin Petersen becomes addicted to online pornography, the erotic images infest his mind and poison his life, destroying his relationship with his parents, his friends, and his girlfriend.

― On a Strict El Cholo Diet (Bent Over at the Arclight), Friday, 22 April 2005 20:21 (twenty years ago)

Did anyone else see that BBC2 thing with Christoph3r Ecclest0n where he finds out his birth parents are mentally retarded? I felt really bad laughing at it, since it was so earnest.

― jocelyn (Jocelyn), Friday, 22 April 2005 20:23 (twenty years ago)

You know, I remember when all we had to infest our mind and ruin our young lives was Dungeons and Dragons.

― Failin Huxley (noodle vague), Friday, 22 April 2005 20:23 (twenty years ago)

jocelyn you heartless git, that film made me sob like a baby.

― Failin Huxley (noodle vague), Friday, 22 April 2005 20:24 (twenty years ago)

Erotic images... infesting my mind...

― On a Strict El Cholo Diet (Bent Over at the Arclight), Friday, 22 April 2005 20:24 (twenty years ago)

can't .... stop .... masturbating ...

― Shakey Mo Collier, Friday, 22 April 2005 20:27 (twenty years ago)

Episode 3: Gilbert Grape (L. DiCaprio) is worried when he catches Sam (S. Penn) looking at Internet porn on the office computers.

― Shakey Mo Collier, Friday, 22 April 2005 20:28 (twenty years ago)

must...skip...school...to...look...at...bra...section...in...sears...catalog...

― Gear! (can Jung shill it, Mu?) (Gear!), Friday, 22 April 2005 20:28 (twenty years ago)

Man when your PARENTS know about your porn habits, you know you've got a problem.

― Allyzay do not obtain to make download of yours MP3 (allyzay), Friday, 22 April 2005 20:28 (twenty years ago)

The mountain of soiled tissues that buried his mother when she opened his bedroom door was the giveaway.

― Failin Huxley (noodle vague), Friday, 22 April 2005 20:30 (twenty years ago)

I wonder if it affects his high school swimming champion status, though.

― Allyzay do not obtain to make download of yours MP3 (allyzay), Friday, 22 April 2005 20:31 (twenty years ago)

No way, he's got forearms like Popeye.

― Failin Huxley (noodle vague), Friday, 22 April 2005 20:32 (twenty years ago)

"No mom, I swear, I've just got this weird cold! Only difference is it's not my nose that's running! Haha, isn't that somethin..."

― Gear! (can Jung shill it, Mu?) (Gear!), Friday, 22 April 2005 20:32 (twenty years ago)

i heard a rumor that she's borderline mentally challenged herself!
rumor or theory?

-- miccio (anthonyisrigh...), April 22nd, 2005.

SHHH

i've heard/seen the rumor elsewhere as well, but can't place exactly where i saw it. of course it's probably not actually true, but by all accounts she doesnt seem to be the brightest bulb.

― latebloomer: But when the monkey die, people gonna cry. (latebloomer), Friday, 22 April 2005 20:35 (twenty years ago)

Robbie Benson, of course.

― Stephen X (Stephen X), Friday, 22 April 2005 21:00 (twenty years ago)

ooh! Robbie benson, star of "King's Quest VI"!

― kingfish, Friday, 22 April 2005 21:09 (twenty years ago)

This is turning into the thread of the century.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 22 April 2005 21:11 (twenty years ago)

http://www.reel.com/content/boxart/vhs/91.GIF

I think a young Helen Hunt was in this'n.

― andy --, Friday, 22 April 2005 21:20 (twenty years ago)

who is this Robbie Benson...?

― Shakey Mo Collier, Friday, 22 April 2005 21:22 (twenty years ago)

why isn't mos def in this?

― cutty (mcutt), Friday, 22 April 2005 21:29 (twenty years ago)

as the bus driver?

― cutty (mcutt), Friday, 22 April 2005 21:29 (twenty years ago)

Bill was awesome. And so was Bill 2: Attack Of The High-Waisted Pants. At least, I think there was a sequel. The Mick roxx.

― scott seward (scott seward), Friday, 22 April 2005 21:34 (twenty years ago)

wait - has Mos Def ever played a "mentally challenged" character? Also, can't have too many black people in one show! That would scare America....

― Shakey Mo Collier, Friday, 22 April 2005 21:34 (twenty years ago)

hah, i'm talking about the original rosie made-for-tv movie, not your fantasy retard show!

― cutty (mcutt), Friday, 22 April 2005 21:37 (twenty years ago)

that hollywood a-list site is amazing! warren beatty is a manslut and kate bush is "the most stoned woman in britain"!!

― joseph (joseph), Friday, 22 April 2005 21:38 (twenty years ago)

All I can think about is that "special" award ceremony skit from Mr.Show.

― Thermo Thinwall (Thermo Thinwall), Friday, 22 April 2005 21:39 (twenty years ago)

what, the Cyrus Dewey Brave Choice Award?

― kingfish, Friday, 22 April 2005 21:46 (twenty years ago)

"my shoes hurt"

― Shakey Mo Collier, Friday, 22 April 2005 21:48 (twenty years ago)

"i love you"

― cutty (mcutt), Friday, 22 April 2005 21:48 (twenty years ago)

YES! What were some of the movie titles from it? They were brilliant!

2xpost

― Thermo Thinwall (Thermo Thinwall), Friday, 22 April 2005 21:48 (twenty years ago)

"The Crack'd Mirror" and the sequel "Goin' Crackers."

going back to Addicted. Com:
Dad: "Where did you learn this? Answer me!"
Son: "I learned it by watching you, okay?! I learned it by watching you!"

― Amon (eman), Friday, 22 April 2005 22:44 (twenty years ago)

This documentary looks sweet.

― efil4zelffor (deangulberry), Friday, 22 April 2005 22:46 (twenty years ago)

oh and I formally request for somone to tape Addicted.Com and somehow make it downloadable for us po' folk without cable.

― Amon (eman), Friday, 22 April 2005 22:49 (twenty years ago)

http://www.lifetimetv.com/movies/archive/index.html

― graper button, Friday, 22 April 2005 22:58 (twenty years ago)

http://www.lifetimetv.com/movies/info/move2408.html

― graper button, Friday, 22 April 2005 22:59 (twenty years ago)

http://www.lifetimetv.com/movies/info/move2592.html

― graper button, Friday, 22 April 2005 23:00 (twenty years ago)

don't just post links, dammit. post plot summaries.

― kingfish, Friday, 22 April 2005 23:13 (twenty years ago)

ding ding ding!

The Lifetime channel

― kingfish, Friday, 22 April 2005 23:16 (twenty years ago)

http://wwwimage.cbs.com/specials/riding_the_bus_with_my_sister/images/spe_riding_the_bus_hp_photo.jpg

― kingfish maximum overdrunk (Kingfish), Saturday, 23 April 2005 04:30 (twenty years ago)

Look at her hand! God, that's fucking retarded! RIDE ONE BUS

― efil4zelffor (deangulberry), Saturday, 23 April 2005 04:31 (twenty years ago)

i've been looking at that hollywood a-list
gossip site for an hour now.

wait...matthew br o derick *killed* a mother and daughter by accident??? holy sh it is that common knowledge?

― piscesboy, Saturday, 23 April 2005 13:15 (twenty years ago)

Very common. It was quite a news story back in the late eighties, even to the point that when he hosted SNL when the Sugarcubes played, there was controversy given the song "Motorcrash."

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 23 April 2005 13:18 (twenty years ago)

my god, its like a different country over there.

― piscesboy, Saturday, 23 April 2005 13:50 (twenty years ago)

I like on how Billy Baldwin and Beau Bridges are on that Hollywood A-List with nothing next to their pictures.

― miccio (miccio), Saturday, 23 April 2005 15:12 (twenty years ago)

They are perfect.

― Nemo (JND), Saturday, 23 April 2005 15:16 (twenty years ago)

NEW YORK TIMES REVIEW IS KLASSIK!!!!!

"This isn't going to be easy. If you're going to even think about watching "Riding the Bus With My Sister," which appears Sunday on CBS, you're going to have to know what it's about. And once you find out, instantly, you're going to form a heartless first impression.

But if you read on, you'll have to suspend that first impression, and warm to the subject, and even then, in the end, I might ultimately tell you that your first impression is right and that this is a profoundly embarrassing movie.

Ready? "Riding the Bus With My Sister" is about a developmentally disabled woman played by Rosie O'Donnell. That's right: As Beth, Ms. O'Donnell dresses in wacky childish clothes and talks in a volume-inappropriate way and wears mismatched shoes and rides a hilarious bus around and around with her motley bus family. She annoys and enlightens the people she meets. And at times she shouts, in a voice you can probably imagine, "I am a person!"

Directed by Anjelica Huston, with music by Stewart Copeland, "Riding the Bus With My Sister," a Hallmark Hall of Fame presentation, also shouts "first-class production" and "Emmy bid." And yet. As usual in movies about the mentally handicapped, the character of Beth is never given a coherent pathology; we can't tell whether she has physical problems, exactly, or cognitive ones or behavioral ones or all of these, or Down syndrome.

Instead, like Tom Hanks's Forrest Gump in "Forrest Gump" and Sean Penn's Sam in "I Am Sam" and Juliette Lewis's Carla in "The Other Sister," Beth is mostly a constellation of misfit affectations - funny clothes, bipolar outbursts, a forced, garbled voice - and goofy physicality. Beth seems to be wrapped in a loose, superfluous layer of flesh, a symptom of some kind of metabolic disorder (she also gobbles sweets). As a character, she doesn't make sense: she's socially awkward, but not consistently disabled. She's less poignant or tragic than merely clamorous and bothersome.

But if she bugs you, it's your problem. This underhanded movie makes Ms. O'Donnell into an appalling cartoon only to pretend innocence - or, no, moral superiority - when the viewer is appalled. Is Beth's voice deafening on your television set? Is her lumpy form in a Tweety Bird T-shirt depressing? Is her nascent sexuality hard to contemplate? You must have no heart. And you will have to come around to her innocent wonders.

Fortunately, the other actress in the film, Andie MacDowell, plays a surrogate for the uncomfortable viewer, so at least you're not alone. She's Beth's uncomfortable sister, Rachel. (The movie is based on the book "Riding the Bus With My Sister: A True Life Journey," by Rachel Simon.)

A hotshot fashion photographer who lives in an overdesigned apartment in New York with her boyfriend, with whom she doesn't have time to have children, this devil-woman is very vulnerable to a Hallmark turnaround, and sure enough, she gets one when her father dies and she's stuck taking care of Beth.

At first Rachel is mad, but she gets used to it, even the constant bus-riding that occupies her sister's days; after some setbacks, she sees what a bad, bad workaholic she is, and learns about love.

Ms. MacDowell has some lovely scenes. She's ardent as an actress, and her sad smile is as sad as ever. Only her happy smile, which she flashes toward the end of the movie, to mark her redemption, falls short of convincing.

Ms. Simon has said that Ms. O'Donnell looks like her sister, who is the model for Beth. And certainly there's nothing vain in Ms. O'Donnell's performance; she consented to forgoing makeup and having her hair thinned for the occasion. But the character is unevenly written. Beth is sentimental and rash and levelheaded by turns, as if all qualities were permissible under the rubric of erratic. Ms. O'Donnell, who is also an executive producer of this movie, does the best she can with the material, but some scenes must have made her cringe.

The viewer, meanwhile, is sure to cringe - and often. This is another inexplicable effort by an actor to overplay a slow, strange character and teach everybody lessons. The sanctimonious old stunt is not fair to viewers. This is a deeply - even thrillingly - embarrassing movie."

― scott seward (scott seward), Friday, 29 April 2005 13:35 (twenty years ago)

"DEEPLY THRILLINGLY EMBARRASSING"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

― scott seward (scott seward), Friday, 29 April 2005 13:38 (twenty years ago)

MUSIC BY STEWART COPELAND!!!!!!!

― teeny (teeny), Friday, 29 April 2005 13:42 (twenty years ago)

Man, now I imagine O'Donnell standing in the shadows next to a car with The Equalizer music playing...

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 29 April 2005 13:44 (twenty years ago)

that's one of the best reviews i think i've ever read.

― kelsey (kelstarry), Friday, 29 April 2005 14:05 (twenty years ago)

(she also gobbles sweets)

What a retard!

― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Friday, 29 April 2005 14:33 (twenty years ago)

i like how the reviewer says that the andie mcdowell (age 47) character is supposed to be too busy to have children.

― dan (dan), Friday, 29 April 2005 14:38 (twenty years ago)

As opposed to too childlike to get busy.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 29 April 2005 14:40 (twenty years ago)

review is ROFFLICIOUS! I kind of have to watch this now.

― Shakey Mo Collier, Friday, 29 April 2005 15:49 (twenty years ago)

I dare Leon to start a thread called "HOT RETARDS"

Somebody I once knew from AOL told me that some friends of his were fond of a kind of "retard" role-playing: they'd go to gay bars and one of them would act as if he was developmentally disabled, with the other acting as his charge/boyfriend. Together they'd try to pick up guys.

― Michael Daddino (epicharmus), Friday, 29 April 2005 16:03 (twenty years ago)

http://www.moviecovers.com/DATA/thumbs/films-i/LES%20IDIOTS.jpg

― mark p (Mark P), Friday, 29 April 2005 16:08 (twenty years ago)

Ohhh yeeeaaahh...I forgot von Trier tackled a similar subject in another one of his cinematic attempts at shitting on humanity.

― Michael Daddino (epicharmus), Friday, 29 April 2005 16:10 (twenty years ago)

my favorite von trier movie by faaaaaaaar.

― mark p (Mark P), Friday, 29 April 2005 16:12 (twenty years ago)

where IS that lifetime movies thread? i think i may even have started it. the lifetime movies web site is the greatest thing ever.

also:

1. andie macdowell is not really that bad, people.

2. there was a review of this rosie o movie in the NYT today. i think words like "embarrassing" and "grotesque" came up.

― Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Friday, 29 April 2005 16:20 (twenty years ago)

oh duh scott just posted the NYT article. that's what i get for skimming the thread.

― Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Friday, 29 April 2005 16:20 (twenty years ago)

'the idiots' is one of my favourite movies by faaaaaaar.

― cozen (Cozen), Friday, 29 April 2005 16:27 (twenty years ago)

I just looked up The Other Sister on IMDb:

"Tagline: A love story for the romantically challenged"

CORRECT, 'TARDS CANNOT FEEL LOVE CORRECTLY.

― Just between you and me, we cannot assume, Friday, 29 April 2005 17:15 (twenty years ago)

Oh and the end of the film Radio is a huge punchline: You see the real Radio who isn't 1/100th as fucked up as Cuba's version

― Every time you placed a bet, Friday, 29 April 2005 17:35 (twenty years ago)

The Lifetime channel

― Leon Jones Reynolds (Ex Leon), Friday, 29 April 2005 17:36 (twenty years ago)

my dad knows the real-life Radio.

my dad teaches jrotc at the high school that is 'rivals' with radio's high school, so he sees radio at football games all the time.

sadly Radio's house burned down not long after the movie came out, but he's ok apparently.

― latebloomer: But when the monkey die, people gonna cry. (latebloomer), Friday, 29 April 2005 18:26 (twenty years ago)

SO! who watched this tonight?

― kingfish maximum overdrunk (Kingfish), Monday, 2 May 2005 04:47 (twenty years ago)

In the print ads Andie McDowell looks like she is waiting for the bus to pick her up and take her to a better movie.

― Hurting (Hurting), Monday, 2 May 2005 04:51 (twenty years ago)

one of my LJ friends has been doing a running commentary tonight:

Project: Retardo

Start there, then click thru the next few entries.

Oh, awesome, childhood flashback. Young Andie is laughing at Young Rosie eating dirt, and Mom scolds her for laughing and says she has to take care of her sister FOREVER.
Rosie's sad retard voice is more like...hmm. There's a note of Barney Gumble in it.
They just tried to explain Rosie's retardedness with another flashback. The mom is telling her to breathe. I don't know if she was choking or having a seizure or what.
Rosie wants to go to Super Save for the big soda sale, and Andie promised to take her! "It's just you and me now, Rachel." GAAAAAAAH! RUN, ANDIE! RUN BACK TO THE BUSY SUCCESSFUL CAREER THAT DOESN'T LEAVE YOU TIME FOR PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS, AS BRIEFLY SKETCHED OUT IN THE OPENING EXPOSITORY SCENES!
Ha ha! Rosie's trying to remember the words to "99 Bottles of Beer On the Wall," and she sings "take it down, pass it around, then there's less drinks on the wall."
Okay, they're shopping at Super Save, and Andie says to Rosie, "Look at all this junk [food], you're getting fat." GETTING fat. Rosie is GETTING fat.
Oh ha ha! Rosie's shoes are two different colors, because she's too retarded to match her shoes!
Her retard voice is slipping, it's getting a little more like her real voice, only Muppety.
More childhood flashbacks tracing the history of their relationship. Andie is shamed and moved by memories of love into looking after Rosie as an adult. She says Rosie has to start eating better. Why, the Simpsons just dealt with this very issue in the preceding episode. Let's see retarded Rosie get sent to Bart's fat camp and be forced to draw a chariot while the fat-camp commandant cracks his whip and makes her explain how she got fat...

― kingfish maximum overdrunk (Kingfish), Monday, 2 May 2005 05:30 (twenty years ago)

I have been told about the best part of all this, which is that Rosi O'Donnell has a blog, and that blog gets comments, comments from her fan base. You guys, comments from her fanbase!

― Dan I. (Dan I.), Monday, 2 May 2005 06:35 (twenty years ago)

oops. get one 'e'. also I forgot how to do html and had to make three attempts at that post. I AM ALSO RETARDED

― Dan I. (Dan I.), Monday, 2 May 2005 06:36 (twenty years ago)

...oh dear god...

― kingfish maximum overdrunk (Kingfish), Monday, 2 May 2005 07:19 (twenty years ago)

I hate to say it, but the movie really wasn't as embarrassing as I though it was gonna be. I mean, it was cliche and dopey and all that, but it was pretty typical t.v. movie fare and rosie didn't even make me cringe that much. Probably because her character wasn't that far removed from how she used to act on her talk show! And I have known people like that. It really wasn't that far removed from the behaviour of a lot of ladies I used to see in Philly. Kinda cool/funny wacky ladies who are loud and obnoxious. See, that was one of the things that Times review didn't like, but it was true though. People like that can be REALLY obnoxious even if they are generally nice and all that. Sometimes they are really funny and sometimes you want to bonk them over the head (or at least i did, in my many years of cashier work in Philly corner stores.) Which, come to think of it, describes a lot of people. So, all in all, I thought she was pretty believable.

― scott seward (scott seward), Monday, 2 May 2005 10:04 (twenty years ago)

but yeah, overall, the movie was pretty bad for lots of reasons, but rosie didn't have me on the floor laughing like i thought she would. when her dad died it was actually pretty sad.

― scott seward (scott seward), Monday, 2 May 2005 10:07 (twenty years ago)

Andie MacDowell got Rosie's hair done at a beauty shop, and then Rosie washed the 'do out once she got home. Andie exclaimed, "What happened to your hair?" and Rosie said in some sort of Marvin-the-Martian voice, "I didn't like it! I like it better this way!" Then Andie said something like "I guess I have to just accept you the way you are..."

Then I got up and took the dog out for a walk because I couldn't stand the sight of my television for awhile.

― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Monday, 2 May 2005 15:15 (twenty years ago)

My wife and I were trying to decide what kind of "syndrome" she was supposed to be suffering from - in the end we settled on "Obnoxious Bitch" syndrome. Seriously, it was truly bizarre how unsympathetic her character was - they never really showed her being nice or helpful or anything, just demanding and LOUD. (I thought it was overall hilarious personally). Barney Gumble comparison OTM!!

― Shakey Mo Collier, Monday, 2 May 2005 15:20 (twenty years ago)

oh god, how did i miss this?!?!

i had been waiting after seeing so many ads for it on the SIDES OF BUSES

― strng hlkngtn, Monday, 2 May 2005 16:24 (twenty years ago)

I have known a few people in my life like Rosie's character. I found the other sister's character more implausible. She switched so suddenly between states of cold hard bitch and loving accepting sister and back again. I was all set to hate and ridicule this movie, but it fell short of my cringe expectations. I even had to cry a couple of times (but I'm very pregnant and I can't even watch a Hallmark commercial without shedding a tear).

― Maria :D (Maria D.), Monday, 2 May 2005 18:08 (twenty years ago)

my favorite "fan" review:
"I think it’s because Rosie was simple whoring for an Emmy. Don’t even try to tell us, the NON-RUBES, that she doesn’t care about awards or that this is about sending a message.

She’s ben out of the public light and this is her “hey I’m still here” movie for all to see.

I’m glad to see she tapped the crative thread by going as far as “wacthing a video” to get into character.

Rosie, leave these roles to the great actors who did them before you, your over acting was horrendous. As the brother of mentally challenged person, I find your exploitation for your own gain to be insulting.

You owe my little brother Connor an apology."

― Shakey Mo Collier, Monday, 2 May 2005 18:24 (twenty years ago)

haha this is win-win for me cuz either I'll hear about something insanely bad or I'll hear that an Anjelica Huston directorial work was half-respectable.

― miccio (miccio), Monday, 2 May 2005 18:35 (twenty years ago)

I watched about 5 minutes of it, and then Rosie's Pee Wee Herman voice got so annoying that I had to turn it off.

― Leon Jones Reynolds (Ex Leon), Monday, 2 May 2005 18:46 (twenty years ago)

hahaha - yeah, when she did that "GOOD MORNING! HAHA!" to her reflection in the mirror my first thought was omg PEE-WEE! Unfortunately, she did not proceed to make a talking face out of her pancakes eggs and bacon.

― Shakey Mo Collier, Monday, 2 May 2005 18:51 (twenty years ago)

God, what a triumph.

― Andre Dawson (deangulberry), Monday, 2 May 2005 19:24 (twenty years ago)

Rosie's Pee Wee Herman voice

Man, imagine if Chairy were in this.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 2 May 2005 19:26 (twenty years ago)

A chair that looked suspiciously a lot like a subdued Chairy played a prominant role in last night's telecast.

― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Monday, 2 May 2005 19:55 (twenty years ago)

Then Lawrence Fishburne came in with his chaps. (Er, I'm stopping here, this is already sounding like bad slash.)

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 2 May 2005 19:56 (twenty years ago)

You know what they say - 'One man's slash is another man's pleasure.."

― Andre Dawson (deangulberry), Monday, 2 May 2005 20:01 (twenty years ago)

one month passes...

http://www.tvgasm.com/images/news/RosieClose.jpg

― mark p (Mark P), Thursday, 2 June 2005 04:27 (twenty years ago)

http://www.tvgasm.com/archives/big_brother/000842.php

― kingfish maximum overdrunk (Kingfish), Thursday, 2 June 2005 05:59 (twenty years ago)

seven months pass...

After much deliberation, I decided that this was the greatest leading performance of the year.

― Eric H. (Eric H.), Monday, 9 January 2006 21:10 (twenty years ago)

two years pass...

HOW the hell can I see this movie? Why doesn't Lifetime release cheap box sets of, say, 25 of their original movies. ????

― Abbott, Thursday, 31 January 2008 23:08 (eighteen years ago)

O
M
G

fuck

that picture upthread is one of the funniest images i've seen this week

of rosie in the field

haaaaaaa

― Surmounter, Thursday, 31 January 2008 23:10 (eighteen years ago)

I KNOW THAT I SHOULD NOT BE LAUGHING AS HARD AS I AM

― Fluffy Bear Hearts Rainbows, Thursday, 31 January 2008 23:12 (eighteen years ago)

aye

― J0rdan S., Thursday, 31 January 2008 23:13 (eighteen years ago)

my ribs couldn't take more than like :27

― J0rdan S., Thursday, 31 January 2008 23:14 (eighteen years ago)

this

is not

happening

!!!!!! omg i can't believe i haven't laughed about this before

― Surmounter, Thursday, 31 January 2008 23:14 (eighteen years ago)

I AM SAM

The NY Times review for the Rosia movie called it out for presenting the most annoying 'tard stereotypes and then trying to make you feel bad for finding them annoying.

― milo z, Thursday, 31 January 2008 23:15 (eighteen years ago)

that's a hot critique.

oh i've seen all of i am sam. i liked him in it. also michele pfeiffer.

― Surmounter, Thursday, 31 January 2008 23:16 (eighteen years ago)

I Am Sam has made me associate IHOP with Beatles-obsessed retarded fathers.

― Abbott, Thursday, 31 January 2008 23:16 (eighteen years ago)

yes

― Surmounter, Thursday, 31 January 2008 23:16 (eighteen years ago)

thing I don't get about I Am Sam - maybe I'm a cold son of a bitch, but I kinda agree with the idea that a guy who has the mental capacity of a seven-year old shouldn't be a primary caregiver.

How do they get you to come around to his side?

― milo z, Thursday, 31 January 2008 23:17 (eighteen years ago)

i don't know, the kid was super smart?>

― Surmounter, Thursday, 31 January 2008 23:17 (eighteen years ago)

They have a testimony at the trial from someone whose mother had the same issues.

― Abbott, Thursday, 31 January 2008 23:17 (eighteen years ago)

It's one of those inane trial movies, like Exorcism of Emily Rose, where a pretty female lawyer presents the case like "Well, we know the defense is completely wrong, but puppies and rainbows and faith and dreams, what would you do????" And everyone in the courtroom is like, "Gee, we were jerks."

― Abbott, Thursday, 31 January 2008 23:20 (eighteen years ago)

okay ya

except michele pfeiffer is not pretty, she's PERFECT

― Surmounter, Thursday, 31 January 2008 23:22 (eighteen years ago)

It takes a village, plus fairy dust and magical moonbeam kisses. This is what I learned from I am Sam.

― Fluffy Bear Hearts Rainbows, Thursday, 31 January 2008 23:30 (eighteen years ago)

oh haha abbott otm

― Fluffy Bear Hearts Rainbows, Thursday, 31 January 2008 23:30 (eighteen years ago)

-- Abbott, Thursday, 31 January 2008 23:20

Ahhhrrggg...

I had totally forgotten I'd even seen that godawful movie until I read that post. At the cinema even!

― Bodrick III, Thursday, 31 January 2008 23:32 (eighteen years ago)

Just in case anybody missed this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erFaoqLwod0

― Fluffy Bear Hearts Rainbows, Thursday, 31 January 2008 23:33 (eighteen years ago)

thank u, that needed a 2nd post ; )

― Surmounter, Thursday, 31 January 2008 23:36 (eighteen years ago)

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