Riding the Bus with My Sister
Movie Review: Riding the Bus with My Sister
Riding the Bus with My Sister is based on the autobiographical book by Rachel Simon (Riding the Bus with My Sister: A True Life Journey). Rosie O'Donnell shines as Beth Simon, a developmentally challenged woman trying to make it on her own. Andie MacDowell portrays Beth's sister Rachel Simon, a fashion photographer with a life of her own; separate from her family and has grown apart from Beth.
The story tells of the life of Rachel’s sister Beth and her life as an adult with mental retardation. It is also speaks of the struggles that Beth has to go through every day by being different. The story interweaves Beth’s childhood and adolescence and how she came to be riding the buses all day, every day except for Sunday in Pennsylvania. Though intellectually disabled, Beth is able to live semi-independently by herself in a form of supported accommodation, but she does not and possibly cannot, work. Instead, she spends her days riding buses. Every morning, she rises early and heads to one bus stop or another then crosses town to meet up with her favorite drivers. On the bus she sits in 'her' seat, cattycorner to the driver, plays music on her portable radio, and makes loud observations about life, the bus drivers, fellow passengers and whatever else excites her attention. The drivers and most of the passengers are her surrogate family. She knows all the facts about them and their loved ones. There is a mutual protectiveness.
Upon the death of Beth and Rachel’s father, the story takes a shift and Rachel feels drawn to reestablish a relationship with her sister. She admits to many faults, to being too wrapped up in her work to spend time with people, much less her troubled and troubling sister. Because of this, Beth is able to exact a promise from Rachel to spend twelve months riding the buses with her whenever possible. Rachel undertakes the year of bus riding, scrunched between daily commitments to writing, teaching and
Riding the Bus with My Sister is based on the autobiographical book by Rachel Simon (Riding the Bus with My Sister: A True Life Journey). Rosie O'Donnell shines as Beth Simon, a developmentally challenged woman trying to make it on her own. Andie MacDowell portrays Beth's sister Rachel Simon, a fashion photographer with a life of her own; separate from her family and has grown apart from Beth.
The story tells of the life of Rachel’s sister Beth and her life as an adult with mental retardation. It is also speaks of the struggles that Beth has to go through every day by being different. The story interweaves Beth’s childhood and adolescence and how she came to be riding the buses all day, every day except for Sunday in Pennsylvania. Though intellectually disabled, Beth is able to live semi-independently by herself in a form of supported accommodation, but she does not and possibly cannot, work. Instead, she spends her days riding buses. Every morning, she rises early and heads to one bus stop or another then crosses town to meet up with her favorite drivers. On the bus she sits in 'her' seat, cattycorner to the driver, plays music on her portable radio, and makes loud observations about life, the bus drivers, fellow passengers and whatever else excites her attention. The drivers and most of the passengers are her surrogate family. She knows all the facts about them and their loved ones. There is a mutual protectiveness.
Upon the death of Beth and Rachel’s father, the story takes a shift and Rachel feels drawn to reestablish a relationship with her sister. She admits to many faults, to being too wrapped up in her work to spend time with people, much less her troubled and troubling sister. Because of this, Beth is able to exact a promise from Rachel to spend twelve months riding the buses with her whenever possible. Rachel undertakes the year of bus riding, scrunched between daily commitments to writing, teaching and