Synopsis

After seventeen years away, Lee returns to Florida with her troubled son Hank when her sister Bessie reveals that she has leukemia and needs a bone marrow transplant. As the estranged sisters reunite around their ailing father Marvin, old resentments surface alongside unexpected humor, forcing the family to confront illness, responsibility, and the possibility of reconciliation.

Factoids & Trivia

• The film adapts Scott McPherson's 1990 stage play. McPherson completed a screenplay adaptation before his death from AIDS-related complications in 1992; John Guare later updated the screenplay for production.

• McPherson drew on personal experiences involving illness, caregiving, and family life when developing the play.

• The story's Disney World sequence was filmed at the actual Walt Disney World resort in Florida. At the time, it was reported to be the first use of a Disney theme park in a feature film.

• Much of the Florida material was shot in and around Brevard County, including Rockledge, Cocoa, Merritt Island, and Cape Canaveral. Some footage filmed at a Cape Canaveral health-food market was ultimately not used.

• Carly Simon wrote and performed the theme song "Two Little Sisters," with Meryl Streep providing background vocals.

• Diane Keaton received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress for her performance.

• The project went through major casting changes during its long pre-production period. Anjelica Huston was initially associated with Lee, while Meryl Streep was at one point attached to Bessie before the roles were rearranged.