Rosie's a bad talk show host and a terrible actress. I tried to watch this movie with an open mind but from the very beginning Rosie overacted her role. I realize that retardation takes on many different characteristics but none of them fit what Rosie was playing. She was definitely a normal brain trying to play a disconnected brain and it was futile from the beginning. I gave it a 3 but that was generous. This wasn't Dustin playing Rainman, it was Rosie playing a normal person trying to look retarded. God, I hope Hallmark sets its standards a little higher in the future and I hope the networks won't keep giving up production control to "names" with no talent.
67 Reviews
Not a good movie.
toddreeder-241-63587813 December 2012
I did not like the movie because it did not have much of an ending. And because there was no real resolution between Beth and Rachel. Rachel went back to new york and got on with her life while Beth stayed where she was and her life remained the same. It would have been a better ending if Beth and Jesse moved in with each other and lived together. And if Rachel would have done something to help her sister to have a real life. Some of the people on the bus were right in a way. Beth should have got a life. There likely something she could have done as an occupation. She needed to learn if possible when to keep quiet and not say certain things. There is a lot she needed to learn and the system was not helping her learn. She had a case worker. But no indication she was helping her get a life.
Read the book
bandimal13 December 2007
This movie is based on a biography (book) by the same name. If you're reading this review, you should go read the book whether or not you have seen the movie. Once you've read the book, you can better judge the screen adaptation. It will give you an idea of why Rosie acted the way she did. Beth's mannerisms and speech patterns were similar to those portrayed in the book. Her boyfriend is portrayed similarly, perhaps a little more introverted. Someone else has written in their review that this is a movie about autism. Beth is developmentally disabled in some way, but neither the book nor the movie ever specifically mention autism or Asperger's disorder. The sisters, bus drivers, and other characters in this movie are all real. Enjoy your reading.
O'Donnell Redefines the term "bad actress"
jlschlesinger3 May 2005
This was basically your standard Lifetime network kind of drama, with one, horrid exception: Rosie O'Donnell. I hear she produced this movie, which I suppose is the best explanation for why no one on the production acted to remove her for another more qualfied actress.
Evidently Rosie subscribes to the "worst stereotypes of mentally handicapped persons" school of acting. She balls up her fists and hold them close to my chest, like some gigantic flightless bird. She juts her lower chin out, her face frozen with about as much depth of feeling as an extra in a George Romero "Living Dead" movie...and her voice. It is not an exaggeration to say, if it were used against Iraqi prisoners, it would be at the top of the Human Rights violations list. This combination croak / screech - Gilford Godfrey, part Pee-Wee Herman, and part "Which Way Did He Go, George?" - is in fact a talent; neither my wife nor I could actually reproduce this noise she was making. Mentally challenged folk do not look like this, do not talk like this. Her performance insults them.
She is an insult to acting. Watching 10 seconds of her insulted my intelligence as well as assaulted my senses. The actors who worked with her should have their therapy bills covered by the studio.
Evidently Rosie subscribes to the "worst stereotypes of mentally handicapped persons" school of acting. She balls up her fists and hold them close to my chest, like some gigantic flightless bird. She juts her lower chin out, her face frozen with about as much depth of feeling as an extra in a George Romero "Living Dead" movie...and her voice. It is not an exaggeration to say, if it were used against Iraqi prisoners, it would be at the top of the Human Rights violations list. This combination croak / screech - Gilford Godfrey, part Pee-Wee Herman, and part "Which Way Did He Go, George?" - is in fact a talent; neither my wife nor I could actually reproduce this noise she was making. Mentally challenged folk do not look like this, do not talk like this. Her performance insults them.
She is an insult to acting. Watching 10 seconds of her insulted my intelligence as well as assaulted my senses. The actors who worked with her should have their therapy bills covered by the studio.
that bus should have taken a right off the nearest cliff
spanky12054 May 2005
Warning: Spoilers
this movie was pure torture. i've seen a lot of bad movies, including the entire 'air bud' series, and this tops the list. if andie mcdowell's character rachel had actually hauled off and killed beth, i feel that a jury would acquit. one aspect of rosie odonell's performance that kept me riveted was her channeling of pee-wee herman. i'm a huge fan of pee-wee's big adventure, so that was sort of charming in a sick way.
what a total waste of film. if i was a film student, i'd be offended by this total disregard of resources. and where were they living that such saccharine sentiment and clichéd dialogue were the norm? HappyHappyVille? Creepy Prozac Land? i'm usually a die-hard liberal, but i was starting to agree with all the people on the bus that wanted her to shut up.
terrible acting, terrible script, terrible directing. terrible.
what a total waste of film. if i was a film student, i'd be offended by this total disregard of resources. and where were they living that such saccharine sentiment and clichéd dialogue were the norm? HappyHappyVille? Creepy Prozac Land? i'm usually a die-hard liberal, but i was starting to agree with all the people on the bus that wanted her to shut up.
terrible acting, terrible script, terrible directing. terrible.
2 Equally Awful Performances
TallSneaky116 May 2006
I found myself torn when I was choosing a rating for this film. Of course, the easy choice (the one I went with) is to give it a 1. It is, after all, an awful, awful, awful movie. However, if you view it in the proper mindset, you may not have a better two hours watching a movie than you will watching Riding the Bus with My Sister.
First, let me explain that it's not a garden variety "let's make fun of people that are different than us" type of enjoyment. In fact, that shouldn't really be enjoyable unless you are in a room of people who know you are kidding. If you TRULY derive joy from making fun of people who are different from you, then you might want to change a few things about yourself. What makes this movie fun is that you are making fun of two HORRIBLE actors delivering two HORRIBLE performances.
Now, to expect brilliance from either Rosie O'Donnell or Andie McDowell is probably akin to Sisyphus' struggle--you're going to be disappointed repeatedly when you don't find brilliance. This film might just be the best example that Andie McDowell's best acting was in make-up commercials and Rosie O'Donnell's best acting is done with the TV on mute.
I'll start with Rosie. I believe I read somewhere that her performance sounded like an Asian comedian doing a horrible impression of a combination of Pee Wee Herman and Adam Sandler. That's pretty close, only without comedic intent that such an impression would carry with it. What makes her performance laughable is the thought that I had while watching it--she is probably proud of this performance. There is literally only one line she delivers that is NOT delivered in the same manner as all the others. Most are given with a word screamed somewhere in the middle of the sentence while she gives herself an intentional facial contortion that makes her seem like she is making fun of mentally handicapped people. She also never stops rocking or moving her feet. And her hands remain in the same position the entire film. It's a farce. I look at it and I think, "How could anyone be seriously moved by this?" But that was clearly the intent. Failure by Rosie on every possible front.
Andie McDowell. Well, she is fine (and by "fine" I mean she doesn't single handedly ruin the film) when she is only asked to be mildly attractive with a southern drawl. If you ask her to do more than that, she is going to let you down. Well, they asked her to do a whole lot more than that in this film. She failed. Repeatedly. Egregiously. I am in the camp that thinks her performance is even worse than Rosie, because at least Rosie was being different than Rosie is in real life. This was Andie McDowell as we have always seen her. Trouble is, in Groudhog Day she is required to be mildly attractive with a southern drawl, in this movie she is required to have a character arc. Her arc goes from acting like she's tired (which is my favorite of her scenes. Watch how you can almost tangibly see her say "what do I do when I am tired. I know. I yawn and stretch.") to saying she loves her sister. The character NEVER changes. She reacts to these two events with the same exact reactions. Inflection, apparently, is something she thinks you can cover up with L'Oreal.
I could go on, but what's the point. These are the two central performances in the film and they are laughably bad from start to finish. That's the key, though. They are LAUGHABLY bad. So watch this movie and laugh at it. Don't feel bad, either. You're not laughing at people who are different than you. You are laughing at AWFUL actresses, although I HOPE they are different from you as well.
First, let me explain that it's not a garden variety "let's make fun of people that are different than us" type of enjoyment. In fact, that shouldn't really be enjoyable unless you are in a room of people who know you are kidding. If you TRULY derive joy from making fun of people who are different from you, then you might want to change a few things about yourself. What makes this movie fun is that you are making fun of two HORRIBLE actors delivering two HORRIBLE performances.
Now, to expect brilliance from either Rosie O'Donnell or Andie McDowell is probably akin to Sisyphus' struggle--you're going to be disappointed repeatedly when you don't find brilliance. This film might just be the best example that Andie McDowell's best acting was in make-up commercials and Rosie O'Donnell's best acting is done with the TV on mute.
I'll start with Rosie. I believe I read somewhere that her performance sounded like an Asian comedian doing a horrible impression of a combination of Pee Wee Herman and Adam Sandler. That's pretty close, only without comedic intent that such an impression would carry with it. What makes her performance laughable is the thought that I had while watching it--she is probably proud of this performance. There is literally only one line she delivers that is NOT delivered in the same manner as all the others. Most are given with a word screamed somewhere in the middle of the sentence while she gives herself an intentional facial contortion that makes her seem like she is making fun of mentally handicapped people. She also never stops rocking or moving her feet. And her hands remain in the same position the entire film. It's a farce. I look at it and I think, "How could anyone be seriously moved by this?" But that was clearly the intent. Failure by Rosie on every possible front.
Andie McDowell. Well, she is fine (and by "fine" I mean she doesn't single handedly ruin the film) when she is only asked to be mildly attractive with a southern drawl. If you ask her to do more than that, she is going to let you down. Well, they asked her to do a whole lot more than that in this film. She failed. Repeatedly. Egregiously. I am in the camp that thinks her performance is even worse than Rosie, because at least Rosie was being different than Rosie is in real life. This was Andie McDowell as we have always seen her. Trouble is, in Groudhog Day she is required to be mildly attractive with a southern drawl, in this movie she is required to have a character arc. Her arc goes from acting like she's tired (which is my favorite of her scenes. Watch how you can almost tangibly see her say "what do I do when I am tired. I know. I yawn and stretch.") to saying she loves her sister. The character NEVER changes. She reacts to these two events with the same exact reactions. Inflection, apparently, is something she thinks you can cover up with L'Oreal.
I could go on, but what's the point. These are the two central performances in the film and they are laughably bad from start to finish. That's the key, though. They are LAUGHABLY bad. So watch this movie and laugh at it. Don't feel bad, either. You're not laughing at people who are different than you. You are laughing at AWFUL actresses, although I HOPE they are different from you as well.
So bad it goes beyond good and back into bad
riderpridethemovie7 June 2005
Rosie O'Donnell can act. She was great as the wiseacre in A League of Their Own and passable in a similar role in the sequel to Stakeout. Since I'm being generous, her talk show was even entertaining at times, if you go in for that celebrity-fawning type of thing. But this performance is so embarrassingly awful you might question whether she is indeed acting or if she has been struck with what her character suffers from. How else to explain her choices? Mismatched pastel Chuck Taylors with a Tweety Bird T-shirt? A voice somewhere between Pee-wee Herman and Yoda, but without the likability? If Rosie really wanted to do something for the mentally challenged, she would have stuck to executive producing and hired an actual mentally challenged actor. It's not like they could do any worse. From the Forrest Gump pose on a bench on the DVD cover to the Rainmanesque quips, she seems to be changing her characterization every scene. And let's not forget who directed? John Huston's very own daughter. I mean Anjelica Huston must have watched her dad's films. She was practically married to Jack Nicholson so she must have watched his films. Do you not think just a little bit of that talent might have rubbed off on her? This is clearly ego run amok. High-profile celebrities trying "to make a difference" but just demonstrating how woefully out-of-touch they are.
Wow..... I mean really.... wow.
bobfingerman3 May 2005
Watching "Riding the Bus with My Sister" was a life-changing experience for me. Before it started I was a dyed-in-the-wool hardcore atheist, but now, having watched it, I believe Satan is real. There's simply no other explanation for the existence of this cinematic turd. Everyone involved should be deeply ashamed. It made me feel sorry for actors in general, because who else would be desperate and needy enough to be seen publicly humiliating themselves like this? People do some strange things for money, but being in this outdoes any stunt Fear Factor challenged its contestants with. "Go on, we dare you to be in a Hallmark TV movie with Rosie O'Donnell playing a retard." "Uh, no thanks." Anjelica Huston proves directorial talent isn't necessarily hereditary, but honestly what could she do with this material (other than the smart thing, which would have been run like hell in the opposite direction)? Rosie O'Donnell is horrible as a rule, but in "Riding the Bus with My Sister" she is the face that launched a thousand nightmares. I am afraid to go to sleep tonight. During one of the many sappy Hallmark commercials peppered throughout the broadcast, a woman visits her newly independent Downs syndrome brother. He has a quiet dignity and speaks well. Rosie O'Donnell, on the other hand, plays an obnoxious braying freak. But she's not alone. It was an interesting choice to include nary a sympathetic or even mildly likable character. Maybe Richard T. Jones's Jesse, but only because I like that actor and felt bad he was in this. Really bad.
And I never thought I'd write these words, but there's actually something worse than the output of Nicholas Sparks. The writing, the acting, the everything is horrendous. A+ for homogeneity, I suppose.
Like many of the other posters here I tuned in for "the wrong reasons." I did not want my heart warmed (thought heartburn was resultant); I wanted laughs. I did get them, but the pain became almost unbearable midway through. Like a marathon of masochism, my wife and I made it all the way to the bitter, completely devoid of revelation enda true endurance test that left us questioning our sanity. We clearly lack good sense.
And actually, it sort of deserves two ratings: 1 out of 10 in terms of genuine merit, but 10 out of 10 on the "so bad it'll blow your mind" scale.
Can we start taking up a collection to jettison Rosie into space? Please? Side note: 3 cast members of the remake of "Dawn of the Dead" were in this. Go Canada!
Additional side note: having just attended the Diane Arbus retrospective at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, I wonder if the decision to make Andie MacDowell's character a photographer who gets a solo show featuring shots of her retarded sister was a misguided homage to Arbus and her "Untitled" series of photos of retarded women. Nah, I'm giving credit where credit isn't due.
And I never thought I'd write these words, but there's actually something worse than the output of Nicholas Sparks. The writing, the acting, the everything is horrendous. A+ for homogeneity, I suppose.
Like many of the other posters here I tuned in for "the wrong reasons." I did not want my heart warmed (thought heartburn was resultant); I wanted laughs. I did get them, but the pain became almost unbearable midway through. Like a marathon of masochism, my wife and I made it all the way to the bitter, completely devoid of revelation enda true endurance test that left us questioning our sanity. We clearly lack good sense.
And actually, it sort of deserves two ratings: 1 out of 10 in terms of genuine merit, but 10 out of 10 on the "so bad it'll blow your mind" scale.
Can we start taking up a collection to jettison Rosie into space? Please? Side note: 3 cast members of the remake of "Dawn of the Dead" were in this. Go Canada!
Additional side note: having just attended the Diane Arbus retrospective at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, I wonder if the decision to make Andie MacDowell's character a photographer who gets a solo show featuring shots of her retarded sister was a misguided homage to Arbus and her "Untitled" series of photos of retarded women. Nah, I'm giving credit where credit isn't due.
a total contrived aberration of a TV movie, not because of its sincerity, but...well, maybe that is a big part of it
Quinoa19847 June 2007
Riding the Bus with My Sister is a shameless attempt to put up such an insane sequence of events into a two-hour-plus-commercials time slot to total up to this: Beth (Rosie O'Donnell) is inspiring and courageous and livens up those lives of people around her, and anyone who doesn't see otherwise can shove it. But the opposite is true, particularly due to the performance, though the writing doesn't help. It's not within the power of a filmmaker to make something that doesn't draws the viewer compassionately in, as LONG AS it doesn't try and think the viewers themselves are, to use the word bluntly, retarded. But Angelica Huston, who doesn't seem to do her late-father proud when it comes to taking the director's chair, plops on the sentiment when really what is being revealed is the wildly contrived story of a control freak who's mean and annoying and, at the end of it all, unsympathetic. This might be passing a lot of judgment on O'Donnell's character, who was based on a real person, but it's not without some notice. Beth might be one of the most irritating characters in recent memory, in TV or elsewhere.
This doesn't mean some (totally unintentional) laughs aren't to be had at the expense of the totally dingbat turn from O'Donnell. Maybe it's method, maybe it's just playing it in a very horrific one-note way, but she doesn't do anything to help make this big goose who doesn't seem to notice that the ones who point out that she's loud and obnoxious might be the correct ones. No, the point of view of the filmmakers control that more than anything, wherein it's all either black or white: either people really respect and care for her (the black tae-kwan-do student who has the Isaac Hayes look is never explained really as to why he's with her aside from 'she makes me laugh, I love her, blah blah'), or they're dismayed by her rude quality, like when she's at the cafeteria the bus drivers are at and, after the umpteenth time she's been there, is yelled at by one of the other drivers to get out as it's the BUS DRIVERS section. It would be one thing if the writer tried to make this as some legitimate dramatic scene, but it's all played up like "people just don't understand," which is accentuated by the whole relationship between the two sisters.
Now, it's not that McDowell doesn't try a little with the part, but what is there to be given to her anyway? Her part is meant as a lazy counterpoint to Beth's half-crazy half-stupid mindset. She's a career woman who is a photographer (not very well apparently, even when she makes "arty" photos in black and white), who puts aside her career, and her boyfriend, to stay with Beth after the death of their father. Rainman, however, this surely is not; the story has very little in the way of actual development, except for the most base and totally, despicably predictable points, with O'Donnell grinding on through in a performance that gives cringe-worthy a bad name (or a good name, I guess). Even the flashbacks are ridiculously inept at showing anything aside from 'I didn't really care for my sister then, and I should've, as it took my father about my entire adolescence to move out of the house', in a gray Flags of Our Fathers tint of course. This is all capped off with a final section where Beth tries to contemplate having children. At this point, against my better judgment, I soldiered on to the end, with rests on a shot of Beth, her sister, and the "hot" bus driver all in a goofy pose.
If you have the guts to go through it, just make sure to know there's many "laughs, tears, hugs, etc", complete with the sappiest guitar pluckings this side of Eric Clapton after watching a puppy die, and an atmosphere of total dread where there should be some rays of happiness for these people for the audience. No such luck; it's a Hallmark movie at its most exploitative.
This doesn't mean some (totally unintentional) laughs aren't to be had at the expense of the totally dingbat turn from O'Donnell. Maybe it's method, maybe it's just playing it in a very horrific one-note way, but she doesn't do anything to help make this big goose who doesn't seem to notice that the ones who point out that she's loud and obnoxious might be the correct ones. No, the point of view of the filmmakers control that more than anything, wherein it's all either black or white: either people really respect and care for her (the black tae-kwan-do student who has the Isaac Hayes look is never explained really as to why he's with her aside from 'she makes me laugh, I love her, blah blah'), or they're dismayed by her rude quality, like when she's at the cafeteria the bus drivers are at and, after the umpteenth time she's been there, is yelled at by one of the other drivers to get out as it's the BUS DRIVERS section. It would be one thing if the writer tried to make this as some legitimate dramatic scene, but it's all played up like "people just don't understand," which is accentuated by the whole relationship between the two sisters.
Now, it's not that McDowell doesn't try a little with the part, but what is there to be given to her anyway? Her part is meant as a lazy counterpoint to Beth's half-crazy half-stupid mindset. She's a career woman who is a photographer (not very well apparently, even when she makes "arty" photos in black and white), who puts aside her career, and her boyfriend, to stay with Beth after the death of their father. Rainman, however, this surely is not; the story has very little in the way of actual development, except for the most base and totally, despicably predictable points, with O'Donnell grinding on through in a performance that gives cringe-worthy a bad name (or a good name, I guess). Even the flashbacks are ridiculously inept at showing anything aside from 'I didn't really care for my sister then, and I should've, as it took my father about my entire adolescence to move out of the house', in a gray Flags of Our Fathers tint of course. This is all capped off with a final section where Beth tries to contemplate having children. At this point, against my better judgment, I soldiered on to the end, with rests on a shot of Beth, her sister, and the "hot" bus driver all in a goofy pose.
If you have the guts to go through it, just make sure to know there's many "laughs, tears, hugs, etc", complete with the sappiest guitar pluckings this side of Eric Clapton after watching a puppy die, and an atmosphere of total dread where there should be some rays of happiness for these people for the audience. No such luck; it's a Hallmark movie at its most exploitative.
RIDING THE BUS WITH MY SISTER was a pleasant surprise.
dofino12 May 2005
I was expecting sappy sentimentality and was pleasantly surprised by the 'realistic' approach to the story. I understood photographer/artist Rachel's reluctance to step into a caregiver position with sister Beth that even their own mother had abandoned. Beth was not a cutesy, "help me" character. She had her life and was living it much like Rachel. I've heard the true measure of a movie is a "willing suspension of disbelief" by the viewer. When I kept hoping for someone to sit soda swilling, donut eating Beth down and explain the horrors of diabetes, I knew the story had pulled me in. I wanted to know more about the characters in RIDING THE BUS WITH MY SISTER. I am going to read the book in hope of finding out more about Beth and the people in her life.
Maybe the worst movie ever. You'll love it!
orindad10 May 2006
Anjelica Huston has given enough good acting performances and directed at least one very good film (Bastard out of Carolina), that she can perhaps be forgiven for this. But there is no forgiving Rosie and Andie, who give two of the most godawful performances ever put on film. You'd think Rosie would win the bad acting competition hands-down, since she has the over-the-top, tug-at-your-heartstrings role and plays it with such zero-talent gusto; but, if possible, Andie is worse in that expressionless, monotone, "but she's pretty" way that somehow keeps getting her cast in movies. Unintentional laughs throughout...a real pleasure if you throw out all expectations and just revel in the awfulness.
Insightful, Entertaining and Moving
bron170110 November 2007
I thought this was a very touching and human story. I cannot even begin to comprehend why it has received such a poor rating on this site, but my family and I loved it and I would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys decent and honest stories with very real, human characters and very insightful and at times confronting observations on life. I agree with the comment made by another user who thought that Rosie O'Donnell deserves an Oscar for her portrayal of Beth. This film made me laugh and cry! I thought it was simply wonderful and entirely endearing. Well done to everyone who created it and love to the real people behind its characters :)
Riding The Bus With My Sister.
dianesaks2 May 2005
Warning: Spoilers
If I didn't know the true story, I probably would have liked it better. Why did they have to change Rachel's profession which in real life is an English Professor and a writer? I don't want to be a spoiler so I will present this as delicately as I can. I don't see why they had to kill off a character who wasn't dead in the book?
I confess that I taped this movie, editing out the commercials as I went along, making the film only 96 minutes long. I have been dying to see it. It is a nice little film that follows the book except for a few things that I mentioned earlier.
As far as judging Rosie's acting goes, one would have to be able to compare the real-life Beth to Rosie's portrayal of her to give a fair assessment.
I confess that I taped this movie, editing out the commercials as I went along, making the film only 96 minutes long. I have been dying to see it. It is a nice little film that follows the book except for a few things that I mentioned earlier.
As far as judging Rosie's acting goes, one would have to be able to compare the real-life Beth to Rosie's portrayal of her to give a fair assessment.
Give the audience some credit....
MarieGabrielle2 September 2006
for intelligence. Tripe like this again falls into a category where a mediocre actor (O'Donnell), with money and too much fame, feels like doing something altruistic (a TV movie) and pretends to have one iota of medical knowledge or empathy (she was on several talk shows, discussing Asperger syndrome) and she even mis-pronounced it!.
Why, oh why do we in the US have to be subjected to this garbage?- In Europe, I do not see the TV being inundated with mediocre TV actors/talk show hosts. Actors seem to know their place, and concentrate on art, not media hype, curing cancer, or discussing mental illnesses (which they have no business doing).
I see I am not the only reviewer sick of this trend; Do not waste your valuable time or money on this film. It is not educational, is mere publicity fodder for O'Donnell to add another notch on her "social consciousness" belt. Enough already. 0/10.
Why, oh why do we in the US have to be subjected to this garbage?- In Europe, I do not see the TV being inundated with mediocre TV actors/talk show hosts. Actors seem to know their place, and concentrate on art, not media hype, curing cancer, or discussing mental illnesses (which they have no business doing).
I see I am not the only reviewer sick of this trend; Do not waste your valuable time or money on this film. It is not educational, is mere publicity fodder for O'Donnell to add another notch on her "social consciousness" belt. Enough already. 0/10.
Really Is the Worst Movie of All Time
burgerific3 May 2005
I am somewhat of a bad movie connoisseur. I love MST3K, TROMA offerings, and 80s direct- to-video atrocities. They are charming in their own right, especially if they have high camp value, and don't take themselves too seriously. "Riding the Bus with My Sister" is a different creature altogether. It exacts a price. There is no aspect of viewing this movie that can be deemed entertaining, insightful, or moving. Not only is it bad (and by bad I mean horribly produced, directed, shot, written and acted), but it is also pretentious, preachy and resides in the out-most boundaries of political correctness. Everyone associated with this film, right down to the extras and craft service people, should be ashamed of themselves for putting this putridity into the world. Granted, it does appeal to the absolute lowest common denominator of "film" viewers, people who eagerly anticipate TV movies of the week, but for anyone with even a whisper of discernment, this film will leave you feeling depleted, confused, angry and dirty.
One of the worst movies I have ever seen!
moviefan101-14 May 2005
I watched this movie on CBS the other night and thought it was really stupid. The preview looked stupid. I did like the commercials though. I want to know in every seen when Rosie O' Donnel the worst of the worst was always eating a doughnut I thought that was so stupid. Plus To see her do that type of role was hilararious. I also thought it was funny that her character ate paint and mud and all her sister did was laugh. But I am still trying to get over the whole doughtnut thing though. That made her look worse in my book. But keep in mind I am not making fun of handicapped people I am making fun of her!! I give it zero stars.
Abbott and Costello would be proud...
castboy1 May 2005
Director Angelica Huston should know better. Her father was the master of encouraging subtle performances. So why did she allow Rosie to go so far over the top? Could it be because someone allowed Rosie to produce this heartless piece of twaddle? The screaming Lou Costello voice (I kept expecting her to blurt out "Abbbbbbottttttt!"), the annoying affectations with little or no basis in reality, the face-making...Rosie should be embarrassed. Her performance is an insult to the mentally challenged everywhere. Andie MacDowell's comatose counterpoint of a performance was nearly unwatchable. At least I was able to snooze during her scenes - that is, until Rosie started hollering again.
The Canadian cast was flat and uninspired and the north-of-the-border locations didn't help, giving the production a feeling of being phony and just a little bit out of sync. Why can't Hollywood make movies in the US? Music was schmaltzy, production values were unremarkable. I did, however, like some of the commercials. At least those featured American actors, were shot in the US - and nobody was yelling like a wounded walrus.
The Canadian cast was flat and uninspired and the north-of-the-border locations didn't help, giving the production a feeling of being phony and just a little bit out of sync. Why can't Hollywood make movies in the US? Music was schmaltzy, production values were unremarkable. I did, however, like some of the commercials. At least those featured American actors, were shot in the US - and nobody was yelling like a wounded walrus.
Does more to hurt the cause then help it
cinamalover7 March 2017
Riding the Bus with My Sister fails at a moral that can be taught within 30 minutes. Not only does this movie fail as a film but as a political statement as well. I don't think it's much of a secret that this movie is about society not accepting a mentally handicapped women, and is clearly on the side of us needing to accept those with mental illnesses. Now don't get me wrong I know many people like that with hearts of gold that I love. This is all the more reason that I'm disgusted by this film. To say the least it is a horrible depiction of what this movie try's to defend.
1/10
1/10
brain dead
eyefire643 May 2005
this movie made my head hurt and left me mentally challenged as well by the time the credits rolled. Rosie should never be allowed on TV again. if I had a gun near by while I was watching this movie, I would have probably pulled the trigger the moment she belched out her first line to end the suffering. the only good that this movie brought was the sound clips that the don and mike show use during there show. but even then, after the comedic repetition of her loud satanic bellowing, it still managed to hit a nerve. i'm sad to think that Huston had anything to do with this movie. i always liked her, i still do i guess but i have to admit, i did lose a little respect for her.
Rosie.... stay away from the camera. all camera's.
Rosie.... stay away from the camera. all camera's.
Worthwhile film
shari-252 May 2005
I usually like Hallmark Hall of Fame films. This one was no different. Looked forward to it and wasn't regretting the investment of time to watch it. I found this movie worthwhile. I have known a couple "chanllenged" (or retarded) folks and I think Rosie's portrayal was done well. Geeeze whats with the "pick on Rosie" stuff, anyway? Rosie played a very realistic retarded person.. hands down (at least the ones I've come in contact with). Good performance Rosie. I enjoyed everyone in the film actually. I will keep watching Hallmark movies and Rosie. I admire her. She's her own person and God bless her for being so. Thanks for bringing the movie to us.
John Huston would be livid
TheMarwood2 December 2014
Unfortunately the directing gene was not passed down from John Huston to his daughter Anjelica Huston, who clearly has no idea what the hell she is doing and can't modulate Rosie O'Donnell's performance from reaching heights so over the top, it soars through the stratosphere. Hallmark films don't scream quality, but this scrapes some truly horrible depths. The film can never rise above Rosie O'Donnell, who belts out every line and seems to be channeling the worst stereotypes of mentally disabled people, that the film ends up feeling like a parody of the disabled. It's like she ate a handful of amphetamines before each scene and was let loose, never being told to bring it down about 50 notches and that she's making a fool of herself. The script is derivative nonsense, but it's her monstrous performance that makes the film worth viewing for condescending laughs - without Rosie O'Donnell this film would never have become the morbid curiosity it is.
O'Donnell is a well-known and proud thespian
gregjake25 September 2012
Heroic! Courageous! Brave! Daring! These are all words I would use to describe you, if you were able to sit through this tour de force of a performance by Rosie O'Donnell. Not because it's so bad as some have suggested, but because you will NEVER forget this film.
Rosie has not only elevated her acting skills, she elevates the viewer as well to a place I like to call "Rosie O'Nirvana." I have always been a fan of Rosie's super subtle, light on humor standup act, but her performance here puts her in the company of Dustin Hoffman and Daniel Day Lewis. If they were in the same airport bus.
Her performance is never so cloying and over-the-top that I have to catch my breath after her scenes because they are uncomfortable to view. And to those out there who suggested it, NO This should not be rated X due to the fact that it may shock you, disgust you and disturb you. It will, but in a good way.
I also want to salute Angelo Tsarouchas for his performance as Mean Eugene though -- it was superior.
Rosie has not only elevated her acting skills, she elevates the viewer as well to a place I like to call "Rosie O'Nirvana." I have always been a fan of Rosie's super subtle, light on humor standup act, but her performance here puts her in the company of Dustin Hoffman and Daniel Day Lewis. If they were in the same airport bus.
Her performance is never so cloying and over-the-top that I have to catch my breath after her scenes because they are uncomfortable to view. And to those out there who suggested it, NO This should not be rated X due to the fact that it may shock you, disgust you and disturb you. It will, but in a good way.
I also want to salute Angelo Tsarouchas for his performance as Mean Eugene though -- it was superior.
You guys are so mean
mollyyywood6 August 2005
OK, this movie wasn't the best ever, but I thought it was sweet. If you were, or knew someone that was mentally retarded, you would never say anything like that. This movie was a good movie.
This movie had a wonderful plot. A mean girl that learned things about her sister, and herself, just by spending time with her mentally retarded sister after their father died. It was kind of like her (Rosie O'Donald) father was her whole life. Rosie's character's sister, i don't remember her name, was a real mean woman, her boyfriend/fiancé, again i'm not sure which one is right, even left because she was such a witch, in my opinion...Well the woman learned so much and i thought that was special. This movie was good, and those who dis it are rude people that have no respect or taste for a good movie.
This movie had a wonderful plot. A mean girl that learned things about her sister, and herself, just by spending time with her mentally retarded sister after their father died. It was kind of like her (Rosie O'Donald) father was her whole life. Rosie's character's sister, i don't remember her name, was a real mean woman, her boyfriend/fiancé, again i'm not sure which one is right, even left because she was such a witch, in my opinion...Well the woman learned so much and i thought that was special. This movie was good, and those who dis it are rude people that have no respect or taste for a good movie.
Embarrassing for all involved!
traxinfo2 May 2005
How could CBS and Anjelica Huston think this garbage was acceptable. Rosie O'Donnell's performance was simply embarrassing. She should be ashamed of her self for perpetuating the stereotype of the mentally challenged. She's not the only one at fault here; there wasn't a single worthwhile performance in this mess. Andie MacDowell seemed a if she were asleep during most of her scenes. Where was the director? Whay didn't she guide the "actors" away from theses awful performance? Why didn't someone stop Rosie before she made a fool of her self? I will say that this was one of the funniest comedies CBS has ever aired. I laughed at every absurd moment. If it was their intention to make America laugh, I say WELL DONE!
Under the bus wheels
ahladis27 July 2005
Warning: Spoilers
Ten minutes into watching this cinematic nightmare I suddenly recalled an old joke. It's the one about the new tenants in hell checking out three different rooms of sufferingonly one of which will be where they'll spend eternity. I felt very much like the poor sap that picked the 'coffee break's over' room. Listen, I'm a big fan of 'B' movies, the ones that are so bad they're good type. This dreck is so awful it stinks on icebergs.
What was with that voice? That shameless overacting? The constant nibbling? Rosie's whiter-than-white row of lower teeth flashing every two seconds made me want to beat up my TV. Like a lot of the other contributors to this site I gave it a chance to redeem itself. That moment never came. Even the schmaltzy Hallmark commercials were interesting compared to this mess.
Andie comatose am I wrong or did she look embarrassed in a few scenes? I don't believe Angelica Houston got a moments peace on that set. I'm guessing (paraphrasing here) bossy Rosie must've showed up, with sharpened pencils and a legal padthen having written she began to direct. Too bad Rosie forgot to bring a blue pencil to cut her part back a few decibels. It must be arduous to live a life of 'know-it-all' and not do research.
Never in my life have I ever known of or met a special needs person like this. My sister (yes, we sometimes ride the bus together) works with special needs children and frankly she found this movie insulting, and so do I. Minus 10 stars.
What was with that voice? That shameless overacting? The constant nibbling? Rosie's whiter-than-white row of lower teeth flashing every two seconds made me want to beat up my TV. Like a lot of the other contributors to this site I gave it a chance to redeem itself. That moment never came. Even the schmaltzy Hallmark commercials were interesting compared to this mess.
Andie comatose am I wrong or did she look embarrassed in a few scenes? I don't believe Angelica Houston got a moments peace on that set. I'm guessing (paraphrasing here) bossy Rosie must've showed up, with sharpened pencils and a legal padthen having written she began to direct. Too bad Rosie forgot to bring a blue pencil to cut her part back a few decibels. It must be arduous to live a life of 'know-it-all' and not do research.
Never in my life have I ever known of or met a special needs person like this. My sister (yes, we sometimes ride the bus together) works with special needs children and frankly she found this movie insulting, and so do I. Minus 10 stars.
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