Rachel Getting Married
The family get-together movie never goes out of style - in fact, if anything, it seems more popular than ever.
Last week’s A Christmas Tale gave us a Gallic spin on the usual collection of crazy relatives, resentments and reconciliations; a bit more style, a lot less sentimentality.
Mind you, Jonathan Demme’s Rachel Getting Married is not your usual Hollywood frock frolic. Kate Hudson is nowhere in sight. Instead we get Anne Hathaway in black eyeliner and a severe bob. She’s Kym, Rachel’s sister, and the wedding is her first day release after a long spell in rehab. For someone with her history of abuse (and she can dish it out too) it’s bound to be a baptism by fire. You get the feeling Kym wouldn’t have it any other way.
Cast details
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Anne Hathaway
Born: 12 Nov 1982
Brooklyn, New YorkTop rated films View all Alice in Wonderland (2010) 
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She has a way of sucking all the oxygen out of the room. Rachel is delighted to see her – of course – but apprehensive too. Their dad (Bill Irwin) fusses over her like he’s afraid she’ll shoot up in front of the priest. The maid of honor hates her guts – even before Kym insists it’s her job by birthright (and screws the best man in the laundry room).
Demme is the estimable director of Silence Of The Lambs, Philadelphia, and, once upon a time, Roger Corman exploitation quickies like Crazy Mama (*Corman gets a screen credit for a role that lasts a fraction of a second – look for a grey haired gent with a video camera).
Demme’s been a bit out of touch lately, though some of us like his Manchurian Candidate remake he’s generally done better work over the last decade in documentaries and concert films. Perhaps that’s why he and Director of Photography Declan Quinn opt to shoot in a spontaneous, documentary style with a handheld camera and lots of jump cuts. It feels like reality TV or one of those those jittery cop shows, though I’d guess the inspiration was the Danish film Festen (The Celebration), the most effective of the Dogme movies (and another film about a large family gathering on the point of going nuclear).
Rachel Getting Married: Anne Hathaway, Rosemarie DeWitt, Bill Irwin,
The vérité style puts the onus on the actors, and if they deliver the results can be startlingly authentic. That’s very much the case here – Anne Hathaway seems like a different actress than we’ve seen before, much edgier and more alive. As Rachel, Rosemarie DeWitt – an actress who’s new to me (she looks like Elizabeth Shue’s sister) – is even better in a more difficult and nuanced role. And then there’s Debra Winger, in her first mainstream release in many a year, underplaying with rare precision as the sisters’ mom, who is now divorced from their dad, and who seems in full-scale emotional retreat from the family.
Kym is her mother’s opposite. One is running away from attention, the other can’t stop herself from stealing even her sister’s big day. She’s a nightmare wedding guest, a time-bomb waiting for the moment of maximum impact. Hathaway’s performance is a flurry of darting jabs and imagined sleights. She’s hyper-sensitive and utterly insensitive at the same time, her obvious smarts crushed under years of smarting.
So what’s her problem anyhow? There’s the rub – and the point where this fresh, lively picture falls in on itself. Without going into particulars, Kym is living with years of guilt. It spills out of her at the rehearsal dinner and washes over the room like toxic shock – and it doesn’t stop there. The whole movie is contaminated with the psychological fall-out. In the last act, the script, by Jenny Lumet (Sidney’s daughter), turns into something whiny and conventional when for two thirds of the running time it seemed so unforced and fresh.
It doesn’t help (or does it?) that the family is well-heeled Connecticut with artsy associations. The film’s score is supplied by live performances from various guests – many of whom will be familiar to fans of previous Jonathan Demme soundtracks: they include Robyn Hitchcock, Sister Carol East and a posse of Brazilian drummers. The bridegroom is Tunde Adebimpe, from TV on the Radio. The only surprise is that Neil Young doesn’t show up.
It’s debatable whether all this music stalls Rachel in its tracks or serves as a welcome counterpoint to the finger-pointing. A bit of both maybe. But it’s disappointing that a movie so intent on immersing us in the moment should sink into such a swamp of back-story.
Unlike most family gathering movies, Rachel Getting Married does make you reflect on what family stand for, and indeed the marriage ritual itself. That’s a substantial achievement. Whether we needed to be subjected to every single guest’s wedding speech is another matter entirely…
Reviews
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Critics' reviews
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The defection of scrappy young indie turk Demme to the Hollywood mainstream disappointed many: its a long downhill... read more on Time Out
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Most helpful members' reviews (3)
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49 out of 50 people found this review helpful
[Highly rated reviewer]
Sometimes you need more than love...
I watched this film and thought it came across as a bit cliche'd, self important and patronising. The company I was with however, enjoyed it.
I could say that it's the kind of film that people who don't watch many films would like, but then that sentance would come across as cliche'd, self important and patronising.
It deals with some good issues - that love is all you need, but then sometimes love is not enough - and has some credible acting, mainly by 'Rachel', 'Kim' and their father - but the story was nothing new really, and there were some pretty amateurish edits, sound and camera work which in my opinion, didn't add the quirky, raw edge they were probably intended for. The pseudo-bohemian wedding scene tended to linger like a hungover morning fart and spiralled into a self-important pat on the back for the director/costume department.
One thing this movie did show me was the human embodiment of an Ipod, and he was wearing pink sunglasses. -
25 out of 29 people found this review helpful
[Highly rated reviewer]
crap
this was anns worse movie ive ever seen and i think shes good but this was utter rubbish,not worth the watch at all .
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9 out of 9 people found this review helpful
[Highly rated reviewer]
Family matters
This prodigal daughter movie has done rather poorly at the box office. A pity, because it is a rather good film dealing with the theme of a wayward daughter coping with various personal issues on the occasion of her sister's wedding. To say more would be to introduce spoilers. The acting is impressive from all the principals and Jonathan Demme directs with a sure touch. And a special mention must go to screenwriter Jenny Lumet, who, I imagine, is related to director Sidney Lumet. She has written some great and intelligent dialogue. This is a very American, wealthy, New England family and if you can handle the dynamics peculiar to these american personalities then you are unlikely to be dissappointed by this movie.
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Most recent members' reviews (2)
View all -
49 out of 50 people found this review helpful
[Highly rated reviewer]
Sometimes you need more than love...
I watched this film and thought it came across as a bit cliche'd, self important and patronising. The company I was with however, enjoyed it.
I could say that it's the kind of film that people who don't watch many films would like, but then that sentance would come across as cliche'd, self important and patronising.
It deals with some good issues - that love is all you need, but then sometimes love is not enough - and has some credible acting, mainly by 'Rachel', 'Kim' and their father - but the story was nothing new really, and there were some pretty amateurish edits, sound and camera work which in my opinion, didn't add the quirky, raw edge they were probably intended for. The pseudo-bohemian wedding scene tended to linger like a hungover morning fart and spiralled into a self-important pat on the back for the director/costume department.
One thing this movie did show me was the human embodiment of an Ipod, and he was wearing pink sunglasses. -
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful
Truly awful
It's difficult to think of any redeeming quality in this film. Bill Irwin puts in a good performance as a man with a crushed spirit; but the remainder of the characters are unbelievable and annoying. If you liked the pretentiousness of Dawson's Creek then you might like this film. For me, if this is an accurate portrayal of an American wedding, then I hope never to go to one.
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49 out of 50 people found this review helpful
[Highly rated reviewer]
Sometimes you need more than love...
I watched this film and thought it came across as a bit cliche'd, self important and patronising. The company I was with however, enjoyed it.
I could say that it's the kind of film that people who don't watch many films would like, but then that sentance would come across as cliche'd, self important and patronising.
It deals with some good issues - that love is all you need, but then sometimes love is not enough - and has some credible acting, mainly by 'Rachel', 'Kim' and their father - but the story was nothing new really, and there were some pretty amateurish edits, sound and camera work which in my opinion, didn't add the quirky, raw edge they were probably intended for. The pseudo-bohemian wedding scene tended to linger like a hungover morning fart and spiralled into a self-important pat on the back for the director/costume department.
One thing this movie did show me was the human embodiment of an Ipod, and he was wearing pink sunglasses. -
25 out of 29 people found this review helpful
[Highly rated reviewer]
crap
this was anns worse movie ive ever seen and i think shes good but this was utter rubbish,not worth the watch at all .
-
9 out of 9 people found this review helpful
[Highly rated reviewer]
Family matters
This prodigal daughter movie has done rather poorly at the box office. A pity, because it is a rather good film dealing with the theme of a wayward daughter coping with various personal issues on the occasion of her sister's wedding. To say more would be to introduce spoilers. The acting is impressive from all the principals and Jonathan Demme directs with a sure touch. And a special mention must go to screenwriter Jenny Lumet, who, I imagine, is related to director Sidney Lumet. She has written some great and intelligent dialogue. This is a very American, wealthy, New England family and if you can handle the dynamics peculiar to these american personalities then you are unlikely to be dissappointed by this movie.
-
8 out of 8 people found this review helpful
Rachel Getting Married
This is the worse and most painful film I have watched in ages. It absolutely dragged on and I had to fast forward it especially the 'who can load the dishwasher scene'...terrible! I would rather go to the dentist to have my teeth pulled without anaesthetic!! Don't bother with this movie awful awful awful.
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6 out of 6 people found this review helpful
[Highly rated reviewer]
My family is so great!
I didn't really know what to expect from this film, but I totally loved it. I wanted to rip Kim's (Hathaway) head off at times, and hit her father with it, but there is a shock confrontation near the end that totally makes you rethink your assumptions.
I loved Rosemarie DeWitt who played Rachel, she was a good mix of goodness and bitterness. I loved the music, and the whole wedding day, I wanted to be at that wedding.
Give this film a try when you are relaxed and have a glass of wine to mellow you out. It is worth a watch for the dishwasher scene alone... -
6 out of 7 people found this review helpful
[Highly rated reviewer]
Off it went!
Managed to watch about 45 mins of this drivvle before i could stand no more!
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6 out of 8 people found this review helpful
rachels getting married
Awful! I would have been better off watching one of my family's wedding videos. The saving grace is that I didn't pay to watch this at the cinema. waste of a couple of hours.
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4 out of 4 people found this review helpful
[Highly rated reviewer]
Quirky and Touching
My 4 stars means allot because I'm a harsh rater. I love the way this film is directed, allot of close up expressions are used for the director to show us the emotions of our cast who all gave impressive performances whether they had a big or small role. It is an emotional movie and maybe seen as a chick flick. Although it is not your typical wedding movie, the character focus is on the Bride's sister who is recovering from drug addiction and past family turmoil. The story and action is somewhat slow paced and this is its downfall but you get a warm feeling and the characters and family feeling is a nice change of pace.
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3 out of 3 people found this review helpful
Good but not Oscar worthy good
I am frankly amazed Anne Hathaway received an Oscar nomination for this. Sure it is a departure for her comedy/Disney sweetheart usual roles but it isn't that different. Yes she has some sad scenes but you always know it's Anne Hathaway. She never quite convinces.
That said it is a fair film. It's shot in a family camcorder kind of way and some of the scenes really touch a nerve. But all in all, it's an okay bordering good film but shouldn't be top of your list. -
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful
Truly awful
It's difficult to think of any redeeming quality in this film. Bill Irwin puts in a good performance as a man with a crushed spirit; but the remainder of the characters are unbelievable and annoying. If you liked the pretentiousness of Dawson's Creek then you might like this film. For me, if this is an accurate portrayal of an American wedding, then I hope never to go to one.
Critics' reviews
-
The defection of scrappy young indie turk Demme to the Hollywood mainstream disappointed many: its a long downhill... read more on Time Out