Hallmark hits meaningful marks in 'My Sister's Keeper'

Tonight the "Hallmark Hall of Fame" presents "My Sister's Keeper," the story of a woman forced to care for her schizophrenic sibling after their mother dies. If this story line sounds a wee bit familiar to you, congratulations. You have a long memory. "My Sister's Keeper" echoes the 1986 "Hall of Fame" production of "Promise," in which the James Garner character took over the care of his schizophrenic brother (played by James Woods) after the death of their mother. "Promise" won every award a television show could win, including the Emmy and a Peabody. Since then, daytime talk shows and newsmagazines have increased public awareness and understanding of schizophrenia. Given that, and the fragmenting of television audiences since 1986, it's unlikely "My Sister's Keeper" will have anywhere near the impact that "Promise" did. That said, there hasn't been a "Hall of Fame" production this emotionally honest or unsentimental in a long time. This is due in large part to virtuoso performances from Kathy Bates and Kimberly Brown, each of whom brings fresh energy to a familiar acting challenge: portraying the invisible torment of the mind. But "My Sister's Keeper" is about a more universal theme. The film asks and unflinchingly answers the question: What if the one person you'd spent your life avoiding suddenly became your dependent? It happened to Margaret Moorman, who wrote the 1992 memoir on which "My Sister's Keeper" is based. She is depicted in the movie as Judy (Elizabeth Perkins), a successful magazine editor who lives in New York, far away from her sister, Christine (Bates). The sisters have been estranged since adolescence, when Christine first began to manifest the angry and erratic behavior associated with her disorder. Before Bates or Perkins makes an appearance, the movie is nearly stolen by Brown as a teen-aged Christine. With the aid of sound effects, we hear the angry noise of schizophrenia as it roars through her head like a freight train from hell. Brown effectively evokes the terror of that ride, as well as the depressing air of resignation that marks her re-entry into a "normal," medicated life. (Brown's performance seems to have passed muster with the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill. The advocacy group is urging people to watch "My Sister's Keeper.") Time passes. Judy leaves home as soon as she is able, urged by her mother (Lynn Redgrave) to "have a life" and not be consumed, as she is, with the care of Christine. As one might expect, this only postpones the inevitable. When Mom passes, Judy must finally come to grips with Christine and the cloud of unresolved issues that hangs over their relationship. Many "Hall of Fame" presentations are set in the not-too-distant past. This one is set in the present, and it admirably steers clear of the sentimental mush in which Hallmark sometimes indulges. Only the scenes involving Christine and a neighbor boy - who is precocious in the way most TV neighbor boys are precocious - strike a false note. In the movie's decisive scene, Christine goes off on a manicky tirade while Judy listens uncomfortably. It's as though an invisible remote control is changing Christine's channels every few seconds, from brutal frankness to stunning clarity to grandiose delusions. Yet there is a signal pulsing through all the static, and Judy eventually dials it in. Though we discover this only in later scenes, Christine's outburst has decisively shifted the balance between the two women. "It was very different from the other moods I had to play in the film," Bates said in a phone interview. "(Christine's) mind is moving very fast. But I think that's what she enjoys about her manic phase - her mind is so nimble. She's multitasking. Her ideas and visions for the future are limitless." And though it's not apparent until well into this film, Judy desperately wants a vision for her future as well and is unconsciously relying on Christine to give it to her. "My Sister's Keeper" is, in the end, a story of interdependence, and disability is the red herring that distracts people from showing each other the empathy, respect and devotion they deserve. To reach Aaron Barnhart, phone (816) 234-4790 or visit the TV Barn Web site at www.tvbarn.com "My Sister's Keeper" airs at 8 tonight on Channel 5. @ART CAPTION:Kathy Bates (left) plays a woman who has schizophrenia, and Elizabeth Perkins portrays her sister in the 212th Hallmark Hall of Fame production. @ART CAPTION:Kimberly Brown (left) and Hallee Hirsh play the sisters as children. @ART:Photos (2, color) @ART CREDIT:MICHAEL TACKETT