Review of The Opposite of Sex (1998) by Eileen B — 30 Dec 2012

Written and directed by Don Roos (who did the screenplays for Single White Female (1992) and Diabolique (1996)), this grew out of another film Roos was working on that was ultimately abandoned, a frustrated Roos let it all out into this angry but hilarious black comedy, which showed a couple of actors playing against type.

It's good fun as well with a good plot and some hilarious dialogue. Dede Truitt (Christina Ricci) hails from Louisiana, and runs away to Indiana to live with her gay half-brother Bill (Martin Donovan), who lives with his boyfriend Matt (Ivan Sergei).

Bill is grieving over his late boyfriend Tom (Colin Ferguson), and Tom's sister Lucia (Lisa Kudrow) still visits. However Dede infuriates everyone by having a sexual affair with Matt, and becoming pregnant, Bill's life is in tatters, and then Matt's ex-boyfriend Jason Bock (Johnny Galecki) turns up to cause trouble and ruin Bill's reputation as a teacher.

Then Dede steals Tom's ashes, holding them to ransom, while she and Matt runaway to Canada to have their baby, but Bill finds them. It's a clever comedy which also manages to be quite touching as well.

Ricci is brilliant as the tartish Dede, who wrecks havoc on her loved ones. We all have teenage angst when we're growing up, but not like this!! It's a shame Roos hasn't been able to grow on the success of this film.