Movie Review - Rachel Getting Married (2008)

***Available on DVD***

starring Anne Hathaway, Rosemarie Dewitt, Bill Irwin, Anna Deavere Smith, Mather Zickel, Tunde Adebimpe, and Debra Winger

written by Jenny Lumet

directed by Jonathan Demme

The term voyeur carries a negative connotation.  The idea of a "peeping Tom" automatically makes one think of a creepy guy sneakily following you around watching your every move.  It absolutely conjures up a sense of uneasiness.

That's how I felt when watching Rachel Getting Married.  I was watching something I really shouldn't be privy to -- the inner workings of a family that isn't nearly as happy as they'd like you to think they are.  And as I snuck into this liberal Connecticut family's home and hid behind the doors or the sofas, I was certainly uncomfortable, but I was absolutely captivated by what I witnessed.

Kym is a recovering drug addict, leaving a stint in rehab to return home for her sister's wedding.  As a fellow friend from rehab says, seeing one's family is one of the hardest things for an addict to do.  Kym's father dotes on her profusely, going over the top in trying to make her feel at home.  The bride-to-be, her sister Rachel, greets her much more warily, unsure of "which Kym" may be arriving home.  And Kym herself finds the whole thing quite an ordeal.  There is joy in the family upon her arrival, but there is also incredible pain -- pain that is revealed ever so slowly in Jenny Lumet's truly fascinating script.  Lumet creates a family that (although unlike any family I know, and, to be completely honest, a family that would be way too "weird" for me to ever find enjoyable) feels so incredibly realistic that it truly feels like you are watching a documentary of sorts.

That documentary feel is certainly achieved, in part, because of Jonathan Demme's direction.  Although he must have shot with handheld cameras, the footage is never jumpy or shaky.  The camera is always where it needs to be in order to achieve the greatest emotional impact.  At times, it really is voyeuristic, looking at a room from afar.  Then, he'll switch things up, moving uncomfortably close to the drama.  Some really exquisite work here.

And then there are the actors.  How this ensemble was not nominated for Best Ensemble at the Screen Actor's Guild is beyond me.  This is the best collection of folks I've seen onscreen in years.  Starting with the "star," Hathaway strips herself of the sweetie-pie persona that's so well known and totally inhabits the addled recovering Kym.  Dewitt's Rachel is a perfect counter -- seemingly rational, but hiding much pain inside over a past family tragedy.  And then there's the absolutely fantastic Bill Irwin as Kym and Rachel's father.  Probably my favorite in the film, Irwin is obviously a father who wants the best for both his daughters, but is completely oblivious to what he needs to do in order to create happiness in his family.  There's a scene in the family's living room with these three great actors where Rachel confronts Kym about her role in the accident that caused her family so much sorrow that was simply riveting.  And then the scene that comes after that with Kym and her mother (Debra Winger in a tricky role)...wow, just wow.

If I had to fault the film on one thing, it would be that the wedding party scene goes on much too long.  However, that's where the voyeuristic nature of the film blasts full throttle.  We, as moviegoers, are actually there -- watching this family celebrate, watching this family cry, watching this family come to terms with what it means to be a family despite whatever cards they are dealt.

The RyMickey Rating: A