FINDING LOVE IN SISTERS

FINDING LOVE IN SISTERS is a drama on Tubi TV about 31-year-old Esperanza (Espie) Barboza and her Cuban family, who have grown distant from one another after her parents’ divorce. The story emphasizes the importance of relationship restoration and subliminally implies that happiness is hard to find without family nearby.

The movie starts with Espie getting promoted to junior partner at her law firm, but to her surprise, this doesn’t make her feel happier. A few months later, her mother suddenly dies, and she halts her career to go back home to Sisters, Oregon. When she gets there, she finds that her mother gave her house to her, which comes as a shock, as Espie never asked for it. There’s a condition that comes with the house. Espie has to stay there for one year before she can keep it forever, or it will be donated to charity. The unexpected gift adds tension to the already icy relationship she has with her two sisters. The movie has a strong moral message that maintaining relationships is important, even if they come with a cost.

Wanting to honor her mother’s last wish, Espie tries to stick it out while keeping her job in Seattle. She runs into an old friend or two, and as she works on her new home renovations, she also tries to build better relationships with her sisters and their children. Meanwhile, her younger sister feels frustrated with her situation as a housewife and wants something more. Also, the eldest sister recovers from a divorce and struggles to parent her independent-minded teen.

The local town lawyer, Lewis, Espie’s childhood friend, is clearly attracted to her, as she is to him, but her feelings are mixed. When she was in Seattle, she was going out with Curtis, a wealthy man with expensive tastes. As Espie tries to patch things up with her family and develop a fulfilling life, things don’t go smoothly. She’s eventually left with a choice. Should she stay, or should she go?

FINDING LOVE IN SISTERS leaves something to be desired concerning quality. The film’s components don’t exactly come together to work like a well-oiled machine, which leaves a result that doesn’t impress. Overall, it’s somewhat dull as it fails to engage. The plot is predictable, and there are many scenes where the acting appears unnatural or has awkward delivery of lines, which are sometimes due to weak writing. The story isn’t particularly unique and contains several clichéd elements, like the oldest sister’s divorce due to her husband running off with a “twentysomething”, and the moving from a big city to a small town trope. It also has music playing constantly in every scene. While the score actually sounds very good, it’s sometimes intrusive and a tad distracting.

There is a lot of arguing throughout the movie between Espie and her family, but it’s done without any name-calling, to the writer’s credit. There are three scenes that show one character’s mild cleavage. At one point, the sisters go to a bar and dance, but alcohol isn’t shown. In another scene, two characters sit with filled wine glasses, but it doesn’t show them imbibing. There is brief, semi-sensual dancing. “OMG” and its Spanish equivalent are uttered several times throughout, but there is no other foul language.

FINDING LOVE IN SISTERS has a positive outlook. While it lacks overt spirituality, its worldview is strongly moral and lightly Christian. The movie’s main theme is the restoration of family relationships and making things right, with some redemption included. Espie is very forgiving. She takes everything with a grain of salt. Her sisters unfairly attack her twice. Each time, however, Espie doesn’t point fingers back at them but remains calm as she waits for them to cool down until she can speak with them. Her actions are also in line with the biblical command to honor one’s parents. Staying at her mother’s house isn’t what she wants to do, but she does it to honor her mother’s last wish.

FINDING LOVE IN SISTERS is appropriate for adults and older children. Those who appreciate heartwarming themes and a touch of romance will enjoy it. Caution is advised for younger children, primarily due to mild foul language, some adult settings and brief, semi-sensual dancing.