Rachel Getting MarriedRated R
Running time: 1 hr 54 mins
Cast:
Anne Hathaway
Rosemarie DeWitt
Bill Irwin
Debra Winger
Critical Consensus:
***1/2 out of *****
(87% Fresh Rating!)
Mikey @ The Movies Official Rating:
****1/2 out of *****
The Premise:
A young woman who has been in and out from rehab for the past 10 years returns home for the weekend for her sister's wedding.
MY REVIEW
A pleasant surprise is always the best kind of surprise. That is exactly what this film was. I have to say, Rachel Getting Married is one of the best and most real movies of 2008 chock full of incredible performances. You know you see the preview, and you kind of think: this might be a softer chick flick. I mean it has the word "Married" in the title, that mean total girl sobfest right? Wrong! This movie isn't really about a wedding, even though it's about a wedding. This movie is about a very dysfunctional family full of individuals who desperately seek attention from everyone else in the family. You know I'm convinced entire families can suffer from bi-polar disorder.
What this movie does is gives an very true insight into the world of family dysfunction. You know we've seen plenty of films with families who are crazy, but usually it's shown in a lighter tone. This cuts right to true to life core. I've never seen a film display this kind of family behavior so accurately. You have the drug addict in recovery sister played by Anne Hathaway (The Devil Wears Prada, Princess Diaries); the sister getting married who just wants everything to go smoothly played by Rosemarie DeWitt (Cinderella Man, TV's Mad Men); the loving father who just wants everyone to get along played by Bill Irwin (Lady in the Water, TV's Sesame Street); and the distant mother played by Debra Winger (Terms of Endearment, Shadowlands). It really isn't to far fetched from a typical American family these days.
The story of this family is quite moving actually. This family all claims to be so loving and loves one another, but really they are deeply scarred. They all still mourn the death of their baby son and brother that happened in a tragic accident. They all try to cope with their wild daughter and sibling who just got out of rehab. All the while trying to maintain some smiles and happiness for the wedding that's right around the corner. You know I just loved the tension this family displayed. Not in a good way of course, but I loved it because it shows how any seemingly normal family can have serious issues too. Is there such thing as an absolutely perfect family? I don't really think so. If there is, they are possibly the ones who are dysfunctional. Rached Getting Married takes a happy time in someones life and turns it into a crazy battle of emotions ranging from sadness to pure hatred all in one weekend. That to me is brilliant. This movie had a very great story to tell, a very realistic story to tell.
Some I think complained about the style of fimaking, claiming that it tends to be a bit awkward. In some sense I agree with that, but for the most part the filmaking was genius. What I agree with, is that some scenes played out a little to long. Namely the reception scene that just kept going and going with no dialogue but just clips of the festivities. It seriously dragged on for maybe ten minutes. About seven minutes to long. A couple other scenes also could have been cut just a smidgeon. Some people may not like the shaky camera effect, and may not expect it in a film like this. I found it to be a perfect tool for this movie. The camera effect almost looked like a home video, which really added on to the realism of the movie and these characters. It kind of had the same look as "The Office" does, but just a little grainier, which I just loved.
What I loved the most was the performances. They certainly don't overshadow eachother or the story, they fit in so snuggly. Topping it off was the shockingly brave and brilliant performance of Anne Hathaway. She 100% leads Best Actress category for my awards at this point. Her performance was never flashy or colorful. It was sad, funny, and incredibly moving. I actually see a lot of myself in this character, which was a plus becuase I got to relate to her. She just wants people to love her and forgive her and she's doing such a hard job to accomplish that. But it just comes out that she's starving for attention and it's all about her. A solid job on her behalf, easily her greatest performance by a million miles.
Rosemarie DeWitt is an actress I've never seen or heard of. But man was she great in this movie as the sister getting married. Her character has the most conflict with Hathaway, and their chemistry was excellent. You would actually think they were sisters. She comes off as sweet and loveable but also this person who just isn't giving her sister a fair chance. She isn't listening to her sister like she should. DeWitt plays off this tension so wonderfully. She too has some very moving scenes and is absolutely one of the best supporting female performances of this year. And I just want to touch on Bill Irwin for a second. This guy apparently plays Mr. Noodle on Sesame Street. I got a kick out of that. He really is one of the most loveable movie dads I've seen in a while. He delivers such a sincere and touching performance. He just wants his girls to be happy, and he plays that role so well. I think he may be in my supporting actor list at years end.
Rachel Getting Married has taught me a very valuable lesson. It is important to be who you are, not who other people want you and expect you to be. Don't mold yourself off other people because they want you to. Live your life they way your life is meant to be lived. The love and acceptance of your family and friends is very important, but it also important to be yourself. Don't cater to people's needs and don't expect to be catered. It's amazing that a movie has taught me this. But that just shows how good this movie really is, bravo!
What this movie does is gives an very true insight into the world of family dysfunction. You know we've seen plenty of films with families who are crazy, but usually it's shown in a lighter tone. This cuts right to true to life core. I've never seen a film display this kind of family behavior so accurately. You have the drug addict in recovery sister played by Anne Hathaway (The Devil Wears Prada, Princess Diaries); the sister getting married who just wants everything to go smoothly played by Rosemarie DeWitt (Cinderella Man, TV's Mad Men); the loving father who just wants everyone to get along played by Bill Irwin (Lady in the Water, TV's Sesame Street); and the distant mother played by Debra Winger (Terms of Endearment, Shadowlands). It really isn't to far fetched from a typical American family these days.
The story of this family is quite moving actually. This family all claims to be so loving and loves one another, but really they are deeply scarred. They all still mourn the death of their baby son and brother that happened in a tragic accident. They all try to cope with their wild daughter and sibling who just got out of rehab. All the while trying to maintain some smiles and happiness for the wedding that's right around the corner. You know I just loved the tension this family displayed. Not in a good way of course, but I loved it because it shows how any seemingly normal family can have serious issues too. Is there such thing as an absolutely perfect family? I don't really think so. If there is, they are possibly the ones who are dysfunctional. Rached Getting Married takes a happy time in someones life and turns it into a crazy battle of emotions ranging from sadness to pure hatred all in one weekend. That to me is brilliant. This movie had a very great story to tell, a very realistic story to tell.
Some I think complained about the style of fimaking, claiming that it tends to be a bit awkward. In some sense I agree with that, but for the most part the filmaking was genius. What I agree with, is that some scenes played out a little to long. Namely the reception scene that just kept going and going with no dialogue but just clips of the festivities. It seriously dragged on for maybe ten minutes. About seven minutes to long. A couple other scenes also could have been cut just a smidgeon. Some people may not like the shaky camera effect, and may not expect it in a film like this. I found it to be a perfect tool for this movie. The camera effect almost looked like a home video, which really added on to the realism of the movie and these characters. It kind of had the same look as "The Office" does, but just a little grainier, which I just loved.
What I loved the most was the performances. They certainly don't overshadow eachother or the story, they fit in so snuggly. Topping it off was the shockingly brave and brilliant performance of Anne Hathaway. She 100% leads Best Actress category for my awards at this point. Her performance was never flashy or colorful. It was sad, funny, and incredibly moving. I actually see a lot of myself in this character, which was a plus becuase I got to relate to her. She just wants people to love her and forgive her and she's doing such a hard job to accomplish that. But it just comes out that she's starving for attention and it's all about her. A solid job on her behalf, easily her greatest performance by a million miles.
Rosemarie DeWitt is an actress I've never seen or heard of. But man was she great in this movie as the sister getting married. Her character has the most conflict with Hathaway, and their chemistry was excellent. You would actually think they were sisters. She comes off as sweet and loveable but also this person who just isn't giving her sister a fair chance. She isn't listening to her sister like she should. DeWitt plays off this tension so wonderfully. She too has some very moving scenes and is absolutely one of the best supporting female performances of this year. And I just want to touch on Bill Irwin for a second. This guy apparently plays Mr. Noodle on Sesame Street. I got a kick out of that. He really is one of the most loveable movie dads I've seen in a while. He delivers such a sincere and touching performance. He just wants his girls to be happy, and he plays that role so well. I think he may be in my supporting actor list at years end.
Rachel Getting Married has taught me a very valuable lesson. It is important to be who you are, not who other people want you and expect you to be. Don't mold yourself off other people because they want you to. Live your life they way your life is meant to be lived. The love and acceptance of your family and friends is very important, but it also important to be yourself. Don't cater to people's needs and don't expect to be catered. It's amazing that a movie has taught me this. But that just shows how good this movie really is, bravo!
To view this film's theatrical trailer, click this link: Rachel Getting Married*This is the 148th new film I've seen and reviewed this year.
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