AMB Reviews

Rachel Getting Married: 9.5/10 Stars

Release Date: October 3, 2008

Content Advisory: Rated R for language and brief sexuality. One brief sex scene (no nudity) and about 20 profanities (at least half of them being f-words). Two women briefly exchange blows.

Review:

Although the title says otherwise, Kym (Anne Hathaway) is really the star of this whole show, despite her engaged sister, Rachel (Rosemarie DeWitt) who wants to say otherwise.

In Short:

"Rachel Getting Married" is a heartfelt, gripping, brutal, honest, and completely realistic look into the life of one dysfunctional family. Although Rachel's life seems to be going good, as she prepares for her glorious wedding day, Kym, her drugee sister who has been in and out of rehab for a good many years, is about to bring a storm along with her. She brings a whole past of troubles with her, and through tears, struggles, and many screaming fights, those truths are brought out onto the table for all to see. Through the brutality and realism of all of this, hope is to be found by the movie's end credits, however vague it may sometimes seem.

In Full:

Anne Hathaway has been categorized too often as today’s “good girl,” starring in such flicks as “The Princess Diaries” and “Ella Enchanted.” That stereotyping began to break down when she appeared in “Brokeback Mountain,” and it was completely crushed when she starred in the explicit film “Havoc.”

Now, in “Rachel Getting Married,” Hathaway shows a side not many have seen ­before. Although it was hard for me to picture her in such a role, she overcame my worries. Indeed, this is her finest work to date, and it earned her an ­Oscar nomination.

Of course, Hathaway (as Kym) is certainly not the only star of the film. Her ­sister (played wonderfully by Rosemarie DeWitt) fits right in as Rachel. Debra Winger and Bill Irwin finish off the terrific cast as their divorced parents. The ­story, although simple, is laid out so realistically that I felt part of the wedding celebration. I was Kym as she walked down the dark hallways of the house and accepted everyone’s weary stares. I was in Rachel’s shoes as she tried to make her wedding a glorious day, despite fighting with her sister.

As the story unfolds, we learn a dark secret from the family’s past, and the true ­brutality of a dysfunctional family comes to light. You feel searing pain as Kym reveals that dark secret. You experience an even deeper pain as Rachel admits that she hates her sister. Then, in one of the most emotional scenes in the film, you watch as Kym and her mother argue over that secret.

To realistically capture the drama, the movie is filmed with a handheld camera, making it seem like a home video. Although many will find this adds realism, if you tend to get motion sick, you may want to skip seeing this one on the big screen. The film does portray drug use, though it is not looked upon in a positive light. In addition, they could have trimmed some scenes to ­shorten the film a bit. But no objections can counteract the pros of this film.

As depressing as this story is, hope is not forgotten. As the last scene fades and the credits roll, despite their brutality and stinging honesty, you can’t help feeling hopeful for Rachel and Kym’s family. Even though they fight and say hateful things, deep down they love each other.