Review of Our Very Own

Bustling upper-middle-class suburban family attempts to deal with the new tension which has descended into the household after one of the daughters discovers her older sister is adopted--and lets her know it for the first time after throwing herself at her sister's boyfriend. What begins as a light domestic drama takes a sharp left turn midway, nearly becoming a soapy stew. Thankfully, screenwriter F. Hugh Herbert keeps his story on track emotionally for much of the way, resulting in a fascinating saga about parental responsibility, petty behavior between siblings, secrets and lies between loved ones. Some of the situations are dramatically heady; credit director David Miller with carefully maneuvering the piece from one episode to the next, also the cast for nimbly keeping their balance. Perhaps in an attempt to smooth out the ruffled feathers, the big finale at graduation is topped off with too many happy ribbons. Still, this is an absorbing, unusual, enjoyable film, with good work from Ann Blyth, Jane Wyatt, Donald Cook, and Natalie Wood; excellent support from Ann Dvorak as Blyth's 'real' mother. **1/2 from ****