Rachel (Rosemarie DeWitt) may be getting married, but to her irritation, all eyes are on her car crash of a sister (Anne Hathaway), who’s been temporarily released from a drug treatment facility to attend the nuptials. Their sibling rivalry is only the tip of the iceberg, and as the weekend progresses, the waters recede to reveal a family broken by tragedy, grief, and bitter recrimination.
Alternately funny and gripping, Rachel Getting Married marks a welcome return to original drama for director Jonathan Demme, who’s spent the last decade preoccupied with documentaries, concert movies, and remakes. It’s not a terribly disciplined exercise — the rehearsal dinner and wedding ceremony go on so long I felt like I was watching The Deer Hunter — but the performances are outstanding, especially Hathaway’s and Debra Winger’s in a small but devastating turn as her chilly, resentful mother.
This article appears in Nov 4-11, 2008.
