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Released by: Scorpion Releasing
Released on: November 6, 2012.
Director: Steven Hilliard Stern
Cast: Pheobe Cates, Ted Wass, Pamela Bellwood, Jill Jacobson
Year: 1983
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The Movie:
In between a few of her better known projects, primarily Fast Times At Ridgemont High and Private School, Phoebe Cates starred in this little known TV movie directed by Steven Hilliard Stern, a prolific director responsible for loads of made for TV movies like Rolling Vengeance and Mazes And Monsters to name just a few. Given that this was made for a TV audience and therefore playing in a PG style playing field, those expecting her to unleash the hostages the way she did in the two aforementioned features will be disappointed but despite the lack of salacious content, the movie is well made and well acted for what is essentially a ninety minute soap opera.
The storyline follows a gorgeous nineteen year old woman named Annie Burroughs (Phoebe Cates) who drops out of college and, unsure what to do with herself or where to go from here, winds up moving in with her older sister, Marsha (Pamela Bellwood) in Los Angeles. This might be all well and good were it not for the presence of David Mitchell (Ted Wass), Marsha's long time live in boyfriend and a doctor who insists that someday he'll start up his own practice.
Before you know it, David and Annie are showing an obvious attraction to one another. It's hard to say what started it - maybe it was David's topless introduction or Annie's sultry, sweaty way of charming her way into the pad he shares with Marsha, but the attraction is there. When David offers the younger woman a job at the clinic he works at, they're soon spending more and more time together. They go for strolls on the beach, they go out on the town and generally just have a good time together all while Marsha finds one excuse after the other to not spend the time with her man that he needs her to.
This is a ninety minute romance, really. There's nothing trashy about it, not much in the way of comedy either, no horror, no suspense, no really moving drama - just some corny eighties style emotional pining between the three members of this love triangle and not a whole lot more. How much you get out of this will depend pretty much entirely on how much you like Phoebe Cates. Originally titled Tainted Love, Cates is perfectly cast here as a nubile and constantly sweaty little vixen, the kind that you just know wants to be naughty - but who never really does anything of the sort. The whole movie is a tease in that regard. Cates looks great here, and she's a halfway decent actress on top of that. She does a fine job with what little demands the material places on her and she is quite captivating. The rest of the cast, however, are interchangeable and more or less forgettable. As such, the movie really will appeal only appeal to those with Phoebe fever.
Video/Audio/Extras:
As this was a made for TV movie that originally aired in the eighties, the fullframe aspect ratio for this DVD would seem to be correct. Color and detail are pretty decent and the framing looks fine. There isn't any serious print damage to note and the disc is well authored in that there are no problems with compression artifacts or edge enhancement.
The only audio option on the disc is an English language Dolby Digital Mono track, no alternate language dubs or subtitles are provided. The clarity of the mix is fine - it's properly balanced and there are no issues with any hiss or distortion.
There are no extras on the disc outside of a static menu and chapter selection.
The Final Word:
Baby Sister is more of a curiosity item than a must see classic but Phoebe Cates' fanbase will appreciate having access to this one even if it's a fairly tepid and typical made for TV melodrama. If there aren't any extras to note, at least the movie looks and sounds quite good.
