This movie's heart is in the right place. The best thing about this movie is that, with one exception (discussed below), no-one is deliberately trying to hurt anyone else, and everyone in it wants everyone else to be happy. Everyone thinks about other people and tries to be considerate and thoughtful, although their flaws and stupidities mean they make mistakes sometimes. Moreover, the plot never depends on any of the characters being stupid. But the movie is a creature of its time and that creates some problems.
First, the character of the younger sister, Joan, is excellently conceived and acted -- her jealous competition with the main character, her older sister Gail, drives the film to its crisis, but then when Joan sees how upsetting it is to Gail to learn she was adopted, all the jealousy disappears and is replaced by guilt, love, and concern. From that moment she stops competing for Gail's boyfriend. Second, all the women characters are well-conceived, well- intentioned (including Joan after she goes through what I just discussed) and believable. Third, the meeting of Gail's adoptive mother and her natural mother is very well done -- I found myself thinking, why are these two women so dressed and made-up, and then I realized that that is exactly what they would do. And the tawdriness of the natural mother's attire and jewelry was really touching. Fourth, the male characters are well-intentioned but annoying in their insensitivity -- which makes them more realistic, I suppose, but stupid.
The sequence at the beginning of installing the TV -- they literally assemble the parts of the TV on-site, which I found amazing -- works well, but the actor doing the assembly was doing a shtick -- it probably worked in 1949 but it was very dated, unreal, and not in keeping with the rest of the picture.
As to technical plotting, the motivation and circumstances for Joan to discover that Gail was adopted works well and is very plausible, but the way in which the movie engineers Gail's meeting with her mother during a raucous evening of cards and beer should have been re- thought. The goal is for them to meet while the mother's husband is away -- and that is easily done when Gail's adoptive mother comes calling at the natural mother's house during the day, while the husband is at work. So why can't Gail also meet her natural mother during the day -- the next day? A reason needed to be given why that wouldn't work. Second, even if the meeting of Gail and the natural mother has to be at night, and is to be the husband's bowling night, his sudden change of plans and staying at home would not plausibly result in 30+ people arriving at the house, turning it into practically a crowded bar. At most he would have had his bowling buddies, maybe 5 or 6 guys. But the drama of Gail encountering her natural mother under really raucous circumstances was a good idea, so instead of keeping the abortive-bowling-night scenario, it needed a more plausible set-up, such as Gail choosing to surreptitiously spy on her natural mother and happening to come on a night when the natural mother and her husband were hosting this noisy gang of friends. Imagine Gail, stunned, walking into the party, and she and her natural mother lock eyes while the mother is carrying a tray of beers -- like a waitress in her own home -- and the mother realizes unexpectedly this is her daughter, come unannounced -- much more dramatic, I think. Then back at Gail's house, the youngest daughter spills the secret of Gail's secret visit, that's how Gail's family has reason to worry -- this would have worked better, I think.
First, the character of the younger sister, Joan, is excellently conceived and acted -- her jealous competition with the main character, her older sister Gail, drives the film to its crisis, but then when Joan sees how upsetting it is to Gail to learn she was adopted, all the jealousy disappears and is replaced by guilt, love, and concern. From that moment she stops competing for Gail's boyfriend. Second, all the women characters are well-conceived, well- intentioned (including Joan after she goes through what I just discussed) and believable. Third, the meeting of Gail's adoptive mother and her natural mother is very well done -- I found myself thinking, why are these two women so dressed and made-up, and then I realized that that is exactly what they would do. And the tawdriness of the natural mother's attire and jewelry was really touching. Fourth, the male characters are well-intentioned but annoying in their insensitivity -- which makes them more realistic, I suppose, but stupid.
The sequence at the beginning of installing the TV -- they literally assemble the parts of the TV on-site, which I found amazing -- works well, but the actor doing the assembly was doing a shtick -- it probably worked in 1949 but it was very dated, unreal, and not in keeping with the rest of the picture.
As to technical plotting, the motivation and circumstances for Joan to discover that Gail was adopted works well and is very plausible, but the way in which the movie engineers Gail's meeting with her mother during a raucous evening of cards and beer should have been re- thought. The goal is for them to meet while the mother's husband is away -- and that is easily done when Gail's adoptive mother comes calling at the natural mother's house during the day, while the husband is at work. So why can't Gail also meet her natural mother during the day -- the next day? A reason needed to be given why that wouldn't work. Second, even if the meeting of Gail and the natural mother has to be at night, and is to be the husband's bowling night, his sudden change of plans and staying at home would not plausibly result in 30+ people arriving at the house, turning it into practically a crowded bar. At most he would have had his bowling buddies, maybe 5 or 6 guys. But the drama of Gail encountering her natural mother under really raucous circumstances was a good idea, so instead of keeping the abortive-bowling-night scenario, it needed a more plausible set-up, such as Gail choosing to surreptitiously spy on her natural mother and happening to come on a night when the natural mother and her husband were hosting this noisy gang of friends. Imagine Gail, stunned, walking into the party, and she and her natural mother lock eyes while the mother is carrying a tray of beers -- like a waitress in her own home -- and the mother realizes unexpectedly this is her daughter, come unannounced -- much more dramatic, I think. Then back at Gail's house, the youngest daughter spills the secret of Gail's secret visit, that's how Gail's family has reason to worry -- this would have worked better, I think.