Rachel Getting Married (2008)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Lanning :

  
  You'd better be in a good mood when you see this; it is very much of a downward spiral. Beautiful example of ensemble acting. The family interaction is so real you lose yourself in their dysfunctional drama. Of course the star of the show is Anne Hathaway. I'm not big on… More
  You'd better be in a good mood when you see this; it is very much of a downward spiral. Beautiful example of ensemble acting. The family interaction is so real you lose yourself in their dysfunctional drama. Of course the star of the show is Anne Hathaway. I'm not big on movies about addiction and recovering addicts, but Hathaway has gone so deeply into the psyche of her character that you'd think she herself had lived through the experience. Without a doubt, this is Hathaway's best performance so far. I've never seen her so fully inhabit a character. Props too to Bill Irwin, the father who cares too blindly and, guiltily, too much.

• Jason R

  
  It's not that this is bad movie -- it's very very well made and the acting is excellent. Also loved the music. I guess I just couldn't relate to the "family agst" and Connecticut suburbia. Recommended, but not encouraged.

• Michael S

  
  An outstanding family drama that I hope wins Anne Hathaway an Oscar, or at the very least a nomination. One of my favorites of 2008. Loved it even more on the second viewing.

• Sajin P

  
  This is the best independent movie I've ever seen. Anne Hathaway is so unlucky not to get an Oscar for this movie. This is so far her most powerful performance, and she certainly outclassed Kate Winslet(The Reader). The movie itself deserved atleast a nomination for the best… More
  This is the best independent movie I've ever seen. Anne Hathaway is so unlucky not to get an Oscar for this movie. This is so far her most powerful performance, and she certainly outclassed Kate Winslet(The Reader). The movie itself deserved atleast a nomination for the best movie.

• erika b

  
  too dumb. weak plot. not good acting .

• Spencer S

  
  Anne Hathaway is so very brilliant. Her roles leading up to this one were a precursor, but I seriously had no idea she could deliver such an amazing performance. Kudos.

• Conner R

  
  I really enjoyed this, not really expecting it to be the way it was. The shaky cam works so well and gives you a great sense of intimacy with the characters, especially Kym and her awkwardness with the family. It creates a feeling of a home movie with all the drama and gossip put in.… More
  I really enjoyed this, not really expecting it to be the way it was. The shaky cam works so well and gives you a great sense of intimacy with the characters, especially Kym and her awkwardness with the family. It creates a feeling of a home movie with all the drama and gossip put in. It's an ever changing story that is never quite clear until the very end, when you find out it changes your entire mind about things. It's heartbreaking and also hopeful at the same time. The dialogue and relationships are all too familiar and that really gives you a connection and love for the movie. Anne Hathaway gives a flawless performance and one of the best female performances in the last ten years, it's that good.

• Randy T

  
  A remarkable exposé on family, dysfunction, tragedy and recovery (with the emphasis on <i>recovery</i>).

• ♥Robyn

  
  good acting. Anne Hathaway is memorable in a difficult role. Her experiences with a dysfunctional family, during her sister's wedding weekend, are heartbreaking.

• paul s

  
  Using a unique home movie approach, Demme makes this film all the more appealing and real. The wedding is merely the backdrop in which a tale is woven about love, and more importantly life and all the ambiguities and grey areas that make it so profound. There is an undercurrent of… More
  Using a unique home movie approach, Demme makes this film all the more appealing and real. The wedding is merely the backdrop in which a tale is woven about love, and more importantly life and all the ambiguities and grey areas that make it so profound. There is an undercurrent of a tragedy and how that effects everyone involved, but the tragedy isn't really the crux of the film either, just a bubbling cesspool that burbles just below the surface, only to erupt in a myriad of ways, alternately irritating and heartbreaking. In a typical hollywood treatment, the tragedy would be front and center and the film very staged and stagnent - which is deffinatly not the case here; as a seemingly endless ensemble cast flows in and out of the narrative, just as it would be if you were filming a wedding party. Surely, a film shot in such a unique fashion has it's drawbacks, and this film is far from perfect, with several scenes going on too long, but again, just like real life (as if you were a guest at the wedding itself). I was amazed at the way this film held together and how Demme masterfully handled all the group shots (which is nearly the entire film). I also thought his idea for the "incidental music" to be brilliant, having all the friends and musicians jamming throughout the 72 hours that the film portrays - adding to the feel of the film without shoving the music in your face - it's simply always there in the backround, part and parcel of the wedding scenery itself - wonderful! The only drawback to such an approach is that it makes some of the editing obvious; as when a song suddenly cuts out to be replaced by another different song when there is a change of scene - a minor flaw that can be easily forgiven. Demme took a lot of chances in presenting the film in the fashion that he did, and for the most part we are well rewarded for his verve. That he was able to make most all of the rehearsal dinner speaches interesting and somehow more meaningful than they deserved to be shows that he was fully in control of the film's tone from start to finish.

• Tony G

  
  Solidly plotted and performed; mind-numbingly paced.

• Leigh R

  
  Fabulous! Great performance by Hathaway. Well directed and written... all around good movie.

• Lewis C

  
  After watching Rachel Getting Married, I was left with two very strong impressions. Jenny Lumet is an outstanding writer, and Anne Hathaway has more acting ability than I ever would have expected. The writing really is artful. Lumet clearly has a clear understanding of family… More
  After watching Rachel Getting Married, I was left with two very strong impressions. Jenny Lumet is an outstanding writer, and Anne Hathaway has more acting ability than I ever would have expected. The writing really is artful. Lumet clearly has a clear understanding of family relationships and and dynamics, and that's a big part of what makes this movie so good. None of the characters seem inauthentic, and none of the dialogue feels contrived. Everything an everyone makes sense within the story, and it lends the movie a level of realism that could almost be from a documentary. I loved it. As for the actors, as I said before, every role is wonderful. Each actor turns their character into a real, breathing person, and you feel lie you're peering into the lives of some actual people in Stamford, CT. Anne and Rosemarie DeWitt are charged with most of the heavy acting, and they hit it out of the park. Outstanding, all around. The story is sad, uncomfortable, funny, and joyous. I like movies that can invoke a variety of different emotions from the audience, and Rachel Getting Married is a prime example of that. If you like complex characters and compelling family dramas, then this is the movie for you.

• Dan S

  
  An extremely well-acted, deeply emotional look of a troubled family celebrating a joyous occasion - a wedding. Anne Hathaway gives an extremely rich performance as a recovering drug addict who is breaking down at the wrong time. This is, by far, the best collective acting job put… More
  An extremely well-acted, deeply emotional look of a troubled family celebrating a joyous occasion - a wedding. Anne Hathaway gives an extremely rich performance as a recovering drug addict who is breaking down at the wrong time. This is, by far, the best collective acting job put forth in the year 2008 by a cast of virtually unknowns. Debra Winger, Rosemarie DeWitt, and especially Bill Irwin give tremendous supporting performances. It's not a fun movie to watch, as expected when the story is dealing with a recovering addict. However, the way it is shot (hand-held camera style), plotted, and acted makes this a must-see movie. One of the better ones (I have it in my Top 5) of 2008.

• Elvira B

  
  <p>I liked Demme's up-close approach to the family drama surrounding Rachel's wedding. The weight of the film lies almost exclusively on the charisma of the performances, which -independently of whether or not we think their characters' actions are realistic-… More
  <p>I liked Demme's up-close approach to the family drama surrounding Rachel's wedding. The weight of the film lies almost exclusively on the charisma of the performances, which -independently of whether or not we think their characters' actions are realistic- ultimately is not a disappointing decision; the dialogue almost tries too hard to sound real, but the actors do a good job with it.</p> <p>I think it is simply irresponsible to say -this wouldn't have happened, this isn't realistic enough, this person would have never said that.. because family dynamics are usually pretty weird to by-standers and that's what I was to this film, a spectator. The film tries to be involving, and succeeds to a certain degree, but there is a well- established limit to its intimacy (I can't tell whether it was intentional or not). Rachel Getting Married is as intimate as a homemade wedding video. If you watch it, you feel that you have access to very personal memories of the couple, but that's it. A wedding video doesn't include insights, only registers behaviors and dialogue, without backgrounds, or wanders off in contemplation or lingers on anything that isn't very obviously concerned to the wedding.</p> <p>The film has some very cute moments, sad moments, and good music. It has a lot of color and plenty going on, there's always someone singing or talking... I would say it stays very basic in the possibilities of telling a story cinematically, and this stands out simply because it is evident that it could have gone further. </p> <p>Anne Hathaway's performance is good, but I wouldn't say any better than Rosemarie DeWitt's, or any of the cast for that matter. Jonathan Demme did find himself fine actors, and that's the main attractive. </p> <p>Rachel Getting Married is enjoyable but -in spite of some visceral moments- it stays a little shallow. Showing people talking like people in "real life" is entertaining but it isn't enough to secure a profound film; it's a good way to get a message across in a compelling way, but it isn't brilliance.</p>

• Daniel P

  
  Filled with unlikeable characters and extended awkward moments, Rachel Getting Married is film that remains watchable despite the ever-increasing disfunctionality of the on-screen family. Anne Hathaway picked exactly the right moment in her career to doff the Disney sheen, and the… More
  Filled with unlikeable characters and extended awkward moments, Rachel Getting Married is film that remains watchable despite the ever-increasing disfunctionality of the on-screen family. Anne Hathaway picked exactly the right moment in her career to doff the Disney sheen, and the Academy (never-one to shy away from cross-cast family stars) made sure to recognize this performance with an Oscar: good choice, she is excellent, playing a vulnerable, untrustworthy character that you're sort of rooting for but - like her own family - you can't really trust to not let you down in the end. Beyond Hathaway, though, there isn't much else to watch in this film: the supporting cast is populated with types who do a decent job but who don't keep up with the star. The shooting is interesting, as by times it cuts to a relative's video camera and gives a grainy home video feel to the action, but Jonathan Demme is guilty of "just letting the camera run" a little too often: this film could have been a fair bit shorter, and it seemed that there was a lot of filler. In one sense he could be said to be exploring the varied music at the wedding, but in another sense he could've been stretching out something that might not fill an hour on TV. There are pros and cons to it, but yes, I do recommend it, even if it's little more than the chance to see one of this generation's best young acting talents separate herself from the pack. A worthwhile rental.

• Dean M

  
  A Triumph! Director Jonathan Demme's finest work since <i>The Silence of the Lambs</i>. Anne Hathaway is a revelation! This tale paints a heartfelt, perceptive and sometimes hilarious family portrait. Hathaway balances nihilistic fury and tender heartbreak as the… More
  A Triumph! Director Jonathan Demme's finest work since <i>The Silence of the Lambs</i>. Anne Hathaway is a revelation! This tale paints a heartfelt, perceptive and sometimes hilarious family portrait. Hathaway balances nihilistic fury and tender heartbreak as the trouble black sheep of the family who's been released from rehab to attend the nuptials. A tremendous supporting cast also offer strong performances, particularly Debra Winger as the estranged mother.

• Gordon A

  
  Strong showing from Hathaway carries this powerful drama about coping with guilt and grief. The family dynamic feels real when the obnoxious Hathaway reels up to her sister's wedding from another spell in rehab. What the film does exceptionally well is to get you to sympathise… More
  Strong showing from Hathaway carries this powerful drama about coping with guilt and grief. The family dynamic feels real when the obnoxious Hathaway reels up to her sister's wedding from another spell in rehab. What the film does exceptionally well is to get you to sympathise with, and more interestingly, understand her behaviours and the reactions of her family.

• Cassie H

  
  Very good movie. Anne Hathaway's portrayal of the sister who just got out of rehab and is trying to deal with her family since her sister is getting married is fanastic.

• Nate Z

  
  [font=Arial][color=DarkRed]Jonathan Demme?s dark comedy is a movie at battle with its context. At heart, there is a fantastic and engrossing family dysfunction that rears its ugly head and re-opens old wounds. Watching Rachel (Rosemarrie DeWitt, who didn?t get nominated for an Oscar… More
  [font=Arial][color=DarkRed]Jonathan Demme?s dark comedy is a movie at battle with its context. At heart, there is a fantastic and engrossing family dysfunction that rears its ugly head and re-opens old wounds. Watching Rachel (Rosemarrie DeWitt, who didn?t get nominated for an Oscar why?) unleash years of repressed pain upon the likes of her toxic, needy, narcissistic little sister Kym (Anne Hathaway), just fresh from drug rehab, is enthralling because of how raw and hurtful the emotions are. You can feel the sting of the words. Through the arguments, a picture emerges of this family?s tragic history and he emotional tug-of-war between the siblings. This is the great stuff, but then the setting of the movie overpowers the drama and sidelines it. [i]Rachel Getting Married [/i]will make you feel like you are apart of this martial extravaganza, so we see about fifteen minutes of toasting from EVERY PERSON, because, really, much of this is all exposition from characters who won?t be heard from again. We also see about 15-20 minutes of eclectic musical performances, dancing, and all the rest that comes at the close of a reception. While the wedding/reception is an interesting multicultural blend, it feels like an unyielding intermission from the terrific family drama. Hathaway is as good as advertised and soaks up the troubled life of a notorious problem child defined by little else than her problems. DeWitt is outstanding as the big sister tired of being pushed aside. Demme?s handheld camerawork, and the extensive ensemble of slightly eccentric characters, made me feel like this was an Oscar-serious version of one of the Christopher Guest mockumentaries like [i]Waiting for Guffman[/i] or [i]Best in Show[/i]. There is succulent family misfortune here, with great acting, but I wanted less wedding and more Rachel and friends. Nate's Grade: B[/color][/font]

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