Sibling Rivalry (film)

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Sibling Rivalry

Sibling Rivalry is a 1990 American black comedy directed by Carl Reiner. The cast includes Kirstie Alley, Sam Elliott, Jami Gertz, Bill Pullman, Carrie Fisher, and Scott Bakula.

Plot
Marjorie Turner is unhappy in her eight-year marriage to Harry, who ignores her and is surrounded by his snooty doctor relatives. Her sister Jeanine urges her to break out of her rut and have a fling. At a grocery store, Marjorie starts a short affair. The man dies during sex, and it turns out to be Harry’s long-absent brother Charles.

A blinds salesman named Nick becomes involved when a pole of blinds slips and hits Charles, who is already dead from other causes. To avoid trouble, Marjorie and Nick try to make it look like a suicide. Marjorie calls 911, and the police arrive. Nick’s brother Wilbur is a police detective investigating the case and meets Marjorie’s sister Jeanine, with whom he falls in love.

The autopsy shows pills in Charles’s stomach and possible signs of cardiac arrest. Nick confesses that he accidentally struck Charles with the blinds. In a family meeting, Marjorie admits the truth, and Harry reacts badly, leaving his practice and moving away. Months later, life improves: Nick thrives selling blinds, Wilbur becomes police chief, and Jeanine and Wilbur live together. Marjorie’s affair becomes a published story, and Harry starts over with a new practice.

Production
Filming ran from April 16 to June 21, 1990, in Los Angeles and Marin County, California, with interior scenes at Warner Bros. Studios.

Release and reception
The film opened October 26, 1990, in 1,448 theaters. It debuted at number two, earning about $4 million in its first weekend and roughly $8.4 million in its second. It ultimately grossed about $17.9 million on a $16 million budget. Critics gave mixed to negative reviews; Rotten Tomatoes lists 25% from 12 reviews. Roger Ebert criticized the film for lacking energy, while TV Guide praised its humor and Kirstie Alley’s performance.