Review: Rachel Getting Married

Excuse me for my ignorance when it comes to Jonathan Demme’s films, but the first movie that comes to mind is Silence of the Lambs. There is also Philadelphia, but I commonly forget he directed that moving piece, and the remake of the Manchurian Candidate but I prefer the original. Either way, my expectations for a Jonathan Demme picture are anything but what Rachel Getting Married delivers. It is totally indie from script to screen, but what it does have is the performances I would expect from Jonathan Demme to get out of his actors, and what performances they are.

Rachel Getting Married is about Kym, a drug addict recently released from rehab just in time for her sister’s (Rachel) wedding. But Kym does not receive the warm welcome she expected, for everyone’s attention is on Rachel. Kym must suffer with the lack of attention and the family history that is brought up by their all coming together again. The question is whether her guilt over the past will topple over and ruin her sister’s wedding or whether Kym can hold on long enough not to spoil Rachel’s moment.

The script is well written and smart, with witty yet dark dialogue. Screenwriter Jenny Lumet (daughter of director Sidney Lumet) is able to bring the discomfort and pain to the audience, having all of the raw emotions become palpable. However, Rachel Getting Married is difficult to get through.  It lacks a clearly though out through line and forward momentum, despite knowing that it is working up towards the wedding. Remember the title is about Rachel getting, as in her preparation towards being, married and therefore you have to watch all of the planning and pre-jubilation that befits such an occasion. The scenes do not run with the typical cause and effect found in most films, but follow each other as events do in real life. The script does have some momentum when it comes to the drama, in which more and more secrets are revealed as the film peels back layers of emotions from the family. But another problem with the script is that everyone is well spoken. It breaks the verisimilitude by having everyone in every scene be so witty or erudite. The dialogue, though funny, also dragged the pacing.

From the very first shot, we know this is not the Anne Hathaway we have come to know and love. In this tour-de-force performance, Hathaway steals each scene, just like her character Kym should. Her character turns every mundane event into a soap-opera drama. You’ll never see Anne Hathaway the same way again. The entire cast, no matter how well they performed, had no chance in standing up with Academy Award nominee Hathaway. Only Debra Winger, as Kym’s mom, was able to rise to the occasion and stand toe to toe with her. There were other incredible works of acting from the rest of the cast, just none as astonishing or remarkable as Anne’s. Rosemarie Dewitt, playing a character unsympathetic to her sister, brought anger and ferocity to the screen while their father (played by Bill Irwin) delivered ignorance and unyielding positivity. Even the small bit roles felt like real people.

The camera guy must have been fit because there does not seem to be a single shot that used the tripod. The film is shot like a documentary, or even a wedding video at times, and this style of filmmaking crosses over even into the editing. But the audience quickly gets used to the lack of fancy camerawork and focuses on the characters.

Just as the cinematography is atypical, so is the score. Most of the music for the film comes from source sounds on camera and is used sparingly, rarely to add another level of emotion to a scene. The music is quite eclectic, with everything from jazz to international sounds.

If you like indie films then you will enjoy Rachel Getting Married. If you are a fan of Anne Hathaway, try seeing her in a new light. And if you are getting married, avoid this film.  It will give you nightmares. Just kidding….a bit.