Rachel Getting Married

Kym is the sort of person who verbalizes all of her baggage. Her attitudes, her fears, her cares (yes, she does have some). She doesn't filter out the observations that could bend a few egos. She'll make you adjust your collar in discomfort as she turns what should be a lighthearted pre-nuptial toast into a cringeworthy monologue disguised as an apology. Or, maybe it was a genuine attempt at an apology that instead came off as grandstanding. You've doubtless met someone like Kym at some point, and it is usually soon apparent that beneath the brashness is a wounded soul, unsure of how to express him or herself and react to others. Kym is also a recovering addict.

As played by Anne Hathaway in a bravura turn, Kym doesn't necessarily ignite the screen with her outbursts, but rather smolders in a nicely modulated performance. In RACHEL GETTING MARRIED, she does some of her best work. Director Jonathan Demme guides her away from scenery chewing and instead coaxes a very natural, seemingly intuitive performance. Yes, there are multiple emotional powderkegs, what with Kym and her sister, the Rachel who's getting married, sparring almost non-stop when the former returns home for the event. We get intense discourse, real knock down drag outs as family drama rears its head, but neither Hathaway nor Rosemarie DeWitt (the titular bride) overdo it. They're not acting like they're playing to an audience, they're just acting like sisters.

There's a lot of dysfunction in this family. Oh, they're attractive and literate and have great taste, but tainting the pretty Connecticut homestead are the common ills of divorce, death, addictions. Kym has endured a lifetime of substance abuse, so bad it once caused her to drive a car off a bridge with her little brother in tow. He did not survive. Kym also lied to fellow rehabbers about being sexually abused, a regrettable act that comes back to bite her during her weekend visit. A mistake that will set off a chain of unfortuneate events. Inevitable events, perhaps. A fateful encounter with her mother (a perfectly cast Debra Winger) is included in the fallout, and will leave a bittersweet residue throughout the remainder of the weekend.

Still, the cermony goes on. Demme shows us the rehearsal dinner, wedding vows, reception. He lets his hand held cameras catch actors when perhaps they weren't aware they were being framed in a close-up. The actors are so good, so into the flow of things that they are always ready, natural. The director covers the events with a leisurely style that may seem overlong to less patient viewers. The rehearsal dinner alone clocks in at 15 minutes, allowing several family members to salute the soon-to-bes. That's how much of RACHEL GETTING MARRIED plays; voyeuristic, like we're privvy to eavesdrop on a family as they prepare and celebrate. Many other movies have adopted this style. Many Robert Altman films are really just filmed exchanges among large galleries of actors. No wonder Altman gets a "thank you" in the credits! Demme, however, has his own relaxed m.o. that we really feel as if we are in attendance, like we are occupying the same space as these people. Not only the principals, but also the cousins, significant others, musicians. You feel like part of the party, and it's great fun to be there.

All the while Kym works through her demons. She attends support group meetings while in town and is allowed to open up in ways we don't see in front of her own family. Some quietly extraordinary stuff, her speeches. Screenwriter Jenny Lumet (daughter of the great director Sidney) supplies great dialogue to all, never a false note, in my opinion. My only possible complaint is the decision to have Rachel as a doctoral candidate for psychology. While this allows her to provide her own learned diagnosis of Kym's behavior, to say nothing of providing more pointed dialogue, it comes off as being a bit contrived.

Nothing else does, including how matter of fact everything is presented. Demme never orchestrates his camera or soundtrack for big emotional crescendoes (besides, the frequent live background music is more effective anyway). Things are messy, and probably won't be resolved be the film's end. Quiet acceptance and resignation may actually win out over a big loud finale. There will be hugs, but it doesn't necessarily make everything alright.

Life will continue. Rachel will be married; Kym will tredge uphill in her battle to remain clean. All will mourn the past, but move on, too. I love the final shot of this movie, as Rachel just curls up on a porch chair the morning after her wedding and watches as workers break down the canopies and tables of the reception. She's contented in ways that no narration or firework endings could convey. It's great acting, writing, and direction. If this scene sounds like your cup of tea, you will really appreciate this film from the moment it unfolds.