Rachel Getting Married

Written by: Jenny Lumet

Directed by: Jonathan Demme



There was all this talk abuot this movie being Anne Hathaway's breakout role and she'd probably be nominated for an Oscar or something and I knew Anne had done indie work cause my sister loved Havoc and I remember Anne Hathaway from that show that ran on FOX pre OC but sorta like a more grown up OC or sorts...Anyway I knew she wasn't all cutesy Princess Bride and Devil Wears Prada.



Anne plays Kym in Rachel Getting Married. She's a chronic rehaber who is out for the weekend to attend her sister Rachel's (Rosemarie Dewitt) wedding. Kym is picked up by her super sweet dad Paul (Bill Irwin) and step mom Carol (Anna Smith) and is dropped off smack dab in the middle of the chaos of setting the house up for the wedding. It's a giant multi-cultural musical bunch of friends raising a tent and setting up flowers in the house and theres black people and white people and asian people and guys playing saxaphones and a violinist and kids on drums. Its crazy. And here's Kym puffing away on her cigarettes after 9 months in rehab.



Rachel is estatic to see her sister but Emma (Anisa George) the Maid of Honor is not. The girls have been friends since kindergarten and Emma is well aware of Kym's mishaps. Kym is slighted as Rachel and Emma go about getting the Sari pinned for the wedding. They immediately get to bickering.



Kym has to keep up with Addicts Anonymous meetings, drug test, and the temptation to use while dealing with the stress from being around the family. Her dad is overbearing and worried that something will happen when she's out of his eyesight, especially behind the wheel of a car. Her mom is avoiding her, and they avoid at all costs any discussion about the family tragedy they all went through.



At first i was completely annoyed with the directors use of a handheld camera to film the movie. Im like 'what is this? Cloverfield/Blair Witch all over again" which didnt make sense because this is a dramatic movie, not scary. And i wanted more of a backstory like "why is kym in rehab" and how the hell did Rachel and Sidney get together? And i was just irritated. And i was worried i had got sucked into another "Margot At The Wedding".

But at some point in the movie the documentary style camera made you feel like you were there. Like you were at the house getting ready for the wedding. And Rachel and Kym were bickering sisters that you had to sit through the uncomfortableness of watching argue. But not sisters that hate each other, just regular sisters. And you were part of the warm, loving, Conneticuit family.

All the critics are going on and on about Anne Hathaway, and she is great as Kym, but I really loved Rosemarie Dewitt as Rachel. I guess Anne's more famous so she gets more publicity. But Rachel is the older sister who has to entertain her sisters narcisism, while trying to shine as the star in her own wedding. She can't stand Kym for always being in the way and screwing up but steps in as the older sister to take care of her. She's great.

I can see why its getting the oscar buzz. If you can get past the first 10 minutes, youre hooked. Great movie.