The Other Sister is about a family with a sibling who has a developmental disability also known as mild mental retardation (MMR), mild developmental disability, or mild intellectual disorder (MID). Carla Tate is our main protagonist who has MMR as a disability. She is a young woman, twenty-four years old, slim but beautiful looking. Carla has just graduated from a special education college and is returning home to her family. Carla's mother (Elizabeth Tate) is overbearingly protective and doesn't appreciate all the skills Carla has acquired. Her father (Bradley Tate) is a recovering alcoholic who is understanding and supportive of Carla, who at the same time has to deal with his overbearing wife. Carla has two sisters Heather (who happens to be a lesbian) and Caroline (who is planning a wedding). Carla's sister quickly bonds again upon Carla's return. They support Carla and her abilities. Carla's mother, Elizabeth, shows her domineering and protective attitude towards Carla throughout the film. Elizabeth, who is rich, high society, embarrassed to have an intellectually retarded son and who is ashamed of having been sent to boarding school by her and Carla's father, now wants to protect her. Elizabeth pushes Carla to play tennis, changing the look of her bedroom, wants to change Carla's clothing style to something more appropriate for a disabled person, and pushes Carla into high society. Elizabeth doesn't listen to what Carla wants and desires. While Carla strives to achieve independence by purchasing her own apartment, attending a mainstream school, choosing her own style of furniture and clothing, she meets Daniel McMahon. Daniel is also MMR/MID. Daniel goes to school with Carla. Carla and Daniel quickly become... the focus of the paper... comes her disability and she gains much of her independence from her family. Carla gets her own apartment, learns to take care of herself in the apartment, and learns to assert herself especially with her mother. We see Carla defend herself in the country club lawn scene when Carla tells her mother what she feels and expresses her desires. Carla tells her mother that she doesn't care about mothers' opinions on what Carla wants to do. Carla tells her mother, "Daniel and I can take care of each other." Daniel is determined to stay with Carla. He hitchhikes from Florida back to Carla. He shows his resourcefulness and independence on the journey home. Daniel proves himself worthy of Carla. Both main characters are great positive role models of MMR/MID. Their disabilities have not prevented them from living full lives in a non-disabled world.