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Weddings tend to bring out both the best and the worst in people—often with highly entertaining results. What better backdrop for a family drama? So, like last year’s Margot at the Wedding, director Jonathan Demme’s Rachel Getting Married chooses a family wedding as the perfect setting for a study in family dysfunction.
Despite the fact that the bride-to-be, Rachel (Rosemarie DeWitt), gets the title role, the story (along with the whole family attention) centers on Rachel’s self-centered drama queen of a sister, Kym (Anne Hathaway). Kym’s hard-partying, drug-fueled life has brought the family nothing but pain—so when she gets out of rehab and shows up for her sister’s wedding, the rest of the family is understandably on edge.
Dad (Bill Irwin) keeps a close watch on his wayward daughter (much to her dismay), while his ex-wife (Debra Winger) angers her daughter by not being there the minute she arrives home. Meanwhile, in the background—the place she’s always occupied—is anxious bride (and even more anxious sister), Rachel.
While most brides will tell you that her wedding day is her day, all Rachel wants is a little bit of peace. So when Kym throws a fit about not being named maid of honor, Rachel revokes the honor from her best friend, Emma (Anisa George). But, as with any dysfunctional family, thing will have to get worse (much worse) before they’ll get better.
Anne Hathaway shines in a surprisingly un-Cinderella role as the crazy-making drama queen, Kym. She’s often so cute and sweet that she tends to fade into the woodwork of her films—but not this time. She manages to stand up and take charge of each scene, just as her character takes charge of her family. Sometimes, you’ll feel for Kym as she struggles with her addiction—and the impact it’s had on the rest of her family. But you won’t really like her—another surprise for Hathaway. Mostly, you’ll just want her to go away—so the rest of her family can get on with the rest of their lives in peace.
But the same goes for the rest of the characters. Besides, maybe, poor, unfortunate Sidney (Tunde Adebimpe), who’s about to marry into this mess, no one’s blameless here. Dad won’t force Kym to grow up. Mom doesn’t really care. And Rachel, while struggling to free herself from Kym’s crazy shadow, has hugged and groveled and cried her way right back into it.
So Rachel isn’t exactly an easy movie to watch. It’s awkward and often uncomfortable—and it’s sure to hit close to home more than once. Still, that’s what makes it so captivating. Demme captures family dysfunction in a way that feels almost achingly real. It has a gritty and almost homemade feel (without the motion sickness), and it often seems like the drama really is unfolding before your eyes. You’ll feel like an innocent bystander who’s unwittingly stumbled into another family’s loud, spontaneous free-for-all. So while it’s not necessarily a fun movie, it’s definitely an honest one.
