Rachel Getting Married :: Wessex Scene Online

Rachel Getting Married

14th March 2009
Stephen O'Shea

About this film

Title	Rachel Getting Married
Director	Jonathan Demme
Release Date	23 January 2009
Certificate
Genres	Drama, Romance
Our Rating	4.5/5.0
Shown at Union Films Sunday 10th May 2009 8:00pm

Rate this story

Nov 09 - Zombieland
Nov 09 - Couples Retreat
Mar 09 - Gran Torino
Mar 09 - Milk
Mar 09 - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

More by Stephen O'Shea

Rachel Getting Married

With its leading lady being nominated for an Oscar and under the expert direction of Jonathan Demme this piece of cinema was always lining up to be an interesting watch.

However it was unsure how such an off beat piece of drama would play especially with its central actress not really being known for her emotional and dramatic roles.

Rachel getting married revolves, rather surprisingly given the title, around Hathaway’s character Kim who has been in and out of rehab over the last ten years following a history of drug abuse and some particularly painful incidents. However she has come out in order to attend the wedding of her sister, Rachel, portrayed by Rosemarie DeWitt. Although a seemingly innocent and even simple plot it is the actions of Kim that drive the story forward and almost seek to derail at least the bonds between the characters if not the wedding itself. Sleeping with the best man and arguing almost constantly with most of the main characters show why Kim may not be anyone else’s maid of honour any time soon. And so for one hundred and thirteen minutes the audience is treated to an enormous amount of social awkwardness and stressful situations all shot through a mix of hand held camera and traditional cinematography. Thankfully this blend works perfectly and an expertly shot and performed film is produced.

Demme’s cast does not let him down either. There are strong performances from all the main focal characters in the film and in the wedding. Through almost perfect acting the audience feels in the midst of a family in crisis and yet at the same time every piece of wedding business is incredibly real without being the slightest bit dull or boring. All of the parental figures in the film give sterling performances but no more so than Bill Irwin who plays Paul, the father of Rachel and Kim. Irwin convincingly plays a man troubled by his past and trying to keep his family happy and together, a task which seems almost pointless and fruitless at many points during the film. DeWitt also provides an excellent counterweight to Hathaway in this film as the sister who is tired of being ignored because of her fragile sister’s state and who just wants her wedding day to go perfectly. The constant bickering between the two is as convincing as the love that binds them all the way through.

Without a convincing performance from Rachel this film would have fallen flat on its face but it does not and although DeWitt is slightly overshadowed by Hathaway she provides a confident and concise performance. Of course the real star of this film is the one that the academy has recognised and that is Anne Hathaway. Obviously more well known for her roles in ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ or ‘The Princess diaries’, Miss Hathaway would have appeared as an unusual choice for many for a gritty emotional role but it is one that the young actress clasps with both hands. Hathaway is beautifully cruel and blunt and surpasses all expectations. It is her performance that makes this film great and once drawn in by her powerfully genuine role the only question that is asked about her piece is why has she not been doing films like this all her career. Hopefully this is a sign of great things to come for the young American and this reporter is definitely looking forward to anything as remotely enthralling as this in the future.

This is an absolutely brilliant film and it does it without the need for a massive budget or huge explosions. It explores the pure emotions behind human beings and their relations. For this reporter ‘Rachel Getting Married’ has not been promoted enough, especially when compared with other awful films that stretch across our screens week in week out. Films such as this should be celebrated and I encourage all to seek it out and watch it.