Note: This title is being released by Olive Films on Blu-ray April 19th.
Growing up, director Carl Reiner made some of my favorite comedies. His work with Steve Martin on The Jerk (1979), Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid (1982), The Man with Two Brains (1983) and All of Me (1984) received a lot of play in my house growing up and I’m still quite fond of these titles.
Sibling Rivalry came along a few years later and isn’t nearly as effective, although it does offer some familiar faces in early roles and a few chuckles here and there. The plot involves a housewife named Marjorie Turner (Kirstie Alley) who finds her life in a rut. Her husband Harry (Scott Bakula) is a work-obsessed doctor who essentially ignores her and his family (including Carrie Fisher) are not only smothering, but treat her dismissively. Wanting to be more like her impulsive sister Jeanine (Jami Gertz), Marjorie meets a man (Sam Elliott) while grocery shopping for a family reunion and dinner.
Unfortunately, the affair comes with serious consequences. The man suffers a heart attack and dies while in the sack in a hotel room with Marjorie. Panicked, she hurries back to her dinner, but ends up leaving evidence behind and crashing into a vertical blind salesmen named Nick (Bill Pullman). Through a series of miscommunication and incorrect assumptions, characters attempt to cover up the crime. Coincidence brings many of them together unexpectedly, including Nick’s cop brother (Ed O’Neil).
The material is ripe for slapstick and there are amusing moments as Marjorie and Nick attempt to cover up the incident by faking a suicide. Their ruse is ridiculous and as it all goes wrong, it results in some fun banter between the leads as well as doctors. Though it may sound strange to say it, the brief autopsy scene is quite funny and the determination that he attempted to kill himself with stool softeners, vitamins, antihistamines and muscle relaxants lead to some chuckle-worthy comments. Alley is a likable lead and her increasing despondency leads to a couple of entertaining breakdowns. Pullman does solid work as an amiable goofball out of his element. The actor does his best to make the most of any physical comedy he’s given.
It’s really too bad that the humor isn’t more exaggerated as the movie never quite jolts to life. The opening act plays the scenario in too straight a manner. There’s a real emphasis on portraying the marriage in a less comedic and more dramatic fashion, particularly towards the close. It doesn’t work and results in a cheesy dénouement (the muzak-sounding score doesn’t help matters).
While the middle act has its moments, the crazy situations and shocked reactions never become as big and outrageous as they should. One almost feels like the comedic events are too muted. The trailer (included on the disc) actually captures a sillier vibe of what the tone of the film should have been. In fact, there are some sharp non sequiturs from the autopsy sequence that aren’t even in the movie and should have been reinserted.
On the plus side, the Blu-ray looks very sharp and features a strong transfer. The source is good and while the visuals retain a normal film-like appearance. There are no scrapes or damage no the print and it’s a very clean looking image.
The strangest element is the movie title. There is no “sibling rivalry” in the film. The two characters have different philosophies about life, but beyond a couple of jokey comments they’re never antagonistic towards each other or in any sort of competition during any part of the story. Frankly, it’s a strange choice and one wonders if the moniker wasn’t thought up randomly at the last minute.
Speaking of the title, perhaps the most notable bit of trivia about the movie is that while it ended up performing modestly in most parts of the world, it was a big hit in Italy. Some think it had more to do with the translation of the title than the film itself – believe it or not, it ended up being called, “Brief Fling With a Corpse.”
Sibling Rivalry is something of a misfit movie that doesn’t work as well as it should. It is funny in spurts though and interested parties will be happy to see so many recognizable faces in the cast and will also enjoy the picture quality on display.
To read about another Kirstie Alley comedy oddity that came out the same year and was recently released to Blu-ray, click here.