Most weddings have those inevitable tense moments: the drunken toast from a distant relative, the mother-in-law's last ditch effort to abort the wedding, the clash of personalities that arise when families come together for the first time.
Those issues pale in comparison to the problems surrounding the nuptials in the movie "Rachel Getting Married." The latest film from Academy-Award winning director Jonathan Demme juxtaposes the emotional strain caused from years of dealing with an addict in the family with the joy that comes from a wedding.
"Rachel Getting Married" gives us a look at a family strained by guilt and on the edge of exhaustion. The centerpiece of this dysfunctional family is Anne Hathaway, who plays a struggling addict named Kym. Hathaway, whose performance garnered a Best Actress Oscar nomination, has just been released from rehab and arrives home just in time to participate in her sister Rachel's wedding festivities.
While arguments over seating assignments and maid-of-honor duties pop up like any other wedding, Kym's family is forced to deal with the repercussions and memories of a decade of drug abuse as the wedding day approaches. Frayed nerves lead to fights as wedding events become overshadowed by issues from the past that have never been resolved.
The film is remarkable for the intimate view it gives into these characters' lives. Details and back story are gathered through rehearsal-dinner speeches and conversations at the beauty shop. The complicated family relationships are explored through living room sit-downs and hallway shouting matches. What adds to the ambiance is the utilization of the hand-held camera. The shaky shots and lack of editing proved difficult at the film's start, but as it progressed, the camera work gave a home-movie feel to the wedding experience. It puts the viewer in the middle of the action, allowing the audience to confront the emotional baggage of the characters' pasts as they do.
Hathaway gives a strong and nuanced performance. Her ability to make a drug addict who can't come to terms with her own guilt seem vulnerable, and at times the injured party, carries the film. The tough subject matter and bleak situation will turn some viewers off, but the movie gives a rare glimpse of a family pushed to the brink by years of tragedy that stays together, for better or for worse.
