By: Wes Lawson
Daily Egyptian
‘Rachel Getting Married’
Rated R
Starring: Anne Hathaway, Rosemarie DeWitt, Debra Winger
Directed by Jonathan Demme
Run time: 114 minutes
5 out of 5 stars
There are very few movies that provide completely immersible experiences. For a film to be immersible, it has to envelop the audience in the story and make them feel as if they are part of the film itself. You forget you are in a theater and are completely emotionally involved with the film. “Rachel Getting Married” certainly falls into this category.
Essentially the chronicle of a wedding, “Rachel Getting Married” is also an examination of families, how they love each other, and how the wounds of the past influence the actions of the present. It is both heartbreaking and funny, and ultimately, a hopeful portrait of what family really.
Rachel (Rosemarie DeWitt) is indeed getting married, but the real focus of the film is Kym (Hathaway). Kym has been in and out of rehab for about a decade, and she has been granted a pass to go to her sister’s wedding from her current rehab clinic, the first one that appears to be working for Kym. In a massive house somewhere in Connecticut where Kym’s father and stepmother live, Kym descends on the wedding party like a tidal wave. Her various drug problems have made her the center of attention for many years in the family, and Rachel is concerned that she will upstage the wedding. As the family makes preparations and the wedding approaches, the wounds that Kym has caused within the family begin to surface.
That seems like a relatively simple plot description, but this is not really a film about the plot. The key to the film lies in the technique employed by director Jonathan Demme and his cinematographer Declan Quinn. The film is shot largely with handheld cameras that navigate between the various wedding attendants, like a person who would be walking through the party. It lingers on certain dramatic moments, like when Kym and her family discuss the death of Kym and Rache’s brother, but for the most part, the camera is content to be an objective observer to the proceedings. This is what creates the immersive effect. We feel as if we are part of this wedding, as opposed to casual observers to what is happening.
Though it is about a wedding, the film is also about the interactions between the family and the everyday rhythm of life. Dialogue overlaps. A wedding toast sequence unfolds in real time, which becomes painful and sad when Kym stands up to deliver her toast. A sequence involving the loading of a dishwasher provides a beautiful moment of comedy. And when the wedding finally arrives, it is a full blown affair with singing, dancing, and merriment that glows off the screen.
It can be mentioned what a delight it is that the marriage within the film is interracial and it is never made a big deal, which adds another layer of love and affection to the material. These are not people defined by their racial boundaries. These are people who love each other and who don’t care what other people think. Though the movie does not make all the characters happy, and we sense that Kym has a long way to go on the road to recovery, the ending offers a sense of hope, like one day these people could be happy and content with their lives.
It helps that the acting is uniformly excellent. The star turn here really belongs to Hathaway, who has finally established herself as an adult actress. Her performance is riveting and truthful, and she has big dramatic scenes that make us forget all about “The Princess diaries.” DeWitt does well as Rachel, and Debra Winger, as Kym and Rachel’s mother, is not in the film much but has a powerful presence when she is on the screen.
“Rachel Getting Married” is the best film so far this year. It is not a film for everyone, because it depicts life as messy, complicated, and tragic as it really is. But viewers who want to challenge themselves and have a unique motion picture experience shouldn’t miss out on it.
Wes Lawson can be reached at 536-3311 ext. 275 or w4027@siu.edu.
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