Rachel Getting Married (2008)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Director:

Jonathan Demme

Writer (WGA):

Jenny Lumet (written by)

Release Date:

31 October 2008 (Spain)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Plot:

A young woman who has been in and out from rehab for the past 10 years returns home for the weekend for her sister's wedding.

Plot Keywords:

Wedding | Maid Of Honor | Singer | Bridesmaid | Song

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 18 wins & 19 nominations

Cast

Sebastian Stan	...	Walter / Bowtie Party Guest
Roslyn Ruff	...	Rosa
Anne Hathaway	...	Kym
Bill Irwin	...	Paul
Anna Deavere Smith	...	Carol
Annaleigh Ashford	...	Quick Stop Cashier
Zafer Tawil	...	Violin Friend
Beau Sia	...	Wedding Czar
Innbo Shim	...	Wedding Planner
Eliza Simpson	...	Wedding P.A.
Olive	...	The Poodle
Rosemarie DeWitt	...	Rachel
Anisa George	...	Emma
Tamyra Gray	...	Singing Friend
Victoria Haynes	...	Bridesmaid

Also Known As:

Dancing with Shiva (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for language and brief sexuality.

Runtime:

113 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (DeLuxe)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

USA:R | Australia:M | UK:15 | New Zealand:M | Ireland:15A | Sweden:7 | Singapore:M18 | Portugal:M/12 | South Korea:15 | Hong Kong:IIB | Brazil:14 | Netherlands:9 | Mexico:B

Filming Locations:

Fairfield, Connecticut, USA

Company:

Clinica Estetico

Trivia:

The dishwasher scene was based on an actual event involving Sidney Lumet and Bob Fosse.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Kym and Rachel are talking as Rachel is trying on her dress, Rachel bends down to the floor and her arm disappears from the shot, in the next shot Rachel's side is visible again as if she had stood up instantly.

Quotes:

Counter Girl: [Kym walks into the convenience store] Hey! Didn't I see you on Cops?

Movie Connections:

References "Cops" (1989)

Soundtrack:

Everyday

Excellent Study of Family Dysfunction (But Please Stop Using Hand-held Cameras!)

The kind of movie that gives films about family dysfunction a good name.

Anne Hathaway plays Kym, troubled younger sister to Rachel, who's (as the title suggests) getting married. Kym gets a leave of absence from rehab in order to attend Rachel's nuptials. Once she's back home, old sores open up, sisterly resentment boils over, and the accusations and tears fly, all while ineffectual dad (Bill Irwin) tries to play referee and emotionally distant mom (Debra Winger) remains auspiciously absent.

If this sounds like a slog to sit through, don't be scared off. Unlike the recent and absolutely atrocious "Margot at the Wedding," which this film reminded me of, "Rachel Getting Married" is full of flawed but deeply sympathetic characters who I for one cared tremendously about. Anne Hathaway gives the kind of performance that will convince people she's more than just a pretty face, while she's met every step of the way by the less well known Rosemarie Dewitt, who plays Rachel. In a movie like this, it's crucial that the audience understands the back story that led the characters to their current dynamic, and it's a minor miracle that "Rachel Getting Married" does that without the use of flashbacks, voice over or even extensive scenes of plot exposition. Much of the story is told through nuance, in slight expressions or gestures, and the cast is uniformly fierce, every single member creating complex, flesh-and-blood people that aren't easy to instantly categorize. The film is an acting tour de force in every sense of the word.

Hathaway and Dewitt get the most opportunities to shine, but Irwin and Winger do wonders in their smaller roles as the parents. Winger, in particular, is devastating.

My only complaint is a big one -- an edict must be passed in Hollywood banning directors from filming entire movies with hand-held cameras. The trend is cliché and over. No, it does not add "realism" to a film. It merely distracts from all of the other elements that are good enough to stand on their own without the gimmickry. The cinematography was much less obtrusive in this film than in some others I can name, but it still served as a liability, not an asset.

Grade: A