Rachel Getting Married

 

Rachel Getting Married (2008)

Directed by Jonathan Demme

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Plot: Rachel Getting Married follows Kym Buchman (Anne Hathaway), a recovering addict who is released from rehab for a couple days for her older sister, Rachel's (Rosemarie DeWitt), wedding. Kym struggles to reintegrate herself with friends and family, finding herself shut out from everyone and seen as the black sheep of the family. Kym's behaviors throughout the film causes tension amongst the family, as past conflicts and years of bitterness are brought forward before Rachel's big day. 

Characters: I think when it comes to the people in Rachel Getting Married, Kym is one I should focus on. This film focuses on sensitive topics such as death and substance abuse, and it is important to recognize Kym as the character that these topics affect the most. Kym must face responsibility for the events that haunt her family, such as her tragic drug history and for a devastating loss of a family member, and these circumstances hang a shadow over her relationships and the film overall. She is painted as selfish and tone deaf by her older sister, Rachel, because she tends to make the focus of a situation be about herself, but Rachel neglects to see Kym as a woman who is in pain and seeking validation from the only people she has. Throughout the film, Kym is the driving force behind making her family confront unresolved grief, resentment, and guilt, which leads to intense, raw scenes. Kym is trying to find some sort of identity while being home, but it is difficult since her life has become strictly rehabilitation, and while we, as the audience, do not get a full resolution by the end of the film, it is safe to say that she begins to come to terms with who she is and wants to make something of herself instead of being defined by her past. She doesn't make a miraculous transformation, but she becomes less combative, more observant, giving the audience the impression that she is beginning to forgive herself even if her family isn't ready to yet. She understands that grief is a nonlinear journey. 

Cinematography: The cinematography of this film is very moving, as the movie is shot sort of documentary style, and is supposed to make you feel as though you are experiencing the events going on along with the characters. "Close-up" shots are included quite a bit in the film, and these shots carry a lot of emotional weight, setting a specific tone for the film when characters, such as Kym, are speaking. These shots are meant to make the audience resonate with whoever is speaking, as we are seeing their facial expressions up close. The "Close-up" shots also highlight the amount of tension in scenes amongst all of the characters, such as when Kym and Rachel are not seeing eye-to-eye with each other. I believe that the camera work is what should be most credited in this film, as the close up scenes and parts where the camera panned back and forth made it that much more personal and bring in multiple perspectives. The way that Rachel Getting Married is shot is specific and calculated, and helps to make the storytelling aspect of the film perceptive to the material it is focused on. 

Score: Sound is unique when it comes to Rachel Getting Married because it is largely diegetic, meaning that the music is occurring within the context of the story and able to be heard by the characters. The score is actually happening within the world of the film. It includes musicians who perform living during scenes, like in the house, during the rehearsal dinner, and the wedding itself. This style of displaying the score helps to give the film a spontaneous and organic vibe, making it so the viewers are right there with the characters. Moments of silence or minimal music also stands out, especially in emotionally heavy scenes, making it that much more real and the contrast that much more powerful. It creates an atmosphere in the film that feels like you are eavesdropping on real life events, rather than watching something that is pre-packaged. 

Underlying themes: I believe the most prominent underlying themes in Rachel Getting Married are those of forgiveness and responsibility. I touched on this briefly earlier, but this film is loaded with sensitive themes, so taking time to recognize them doesn't hurt. Kym strives for forgiveness throughout the film, and is simply not getting the closure she wants from her family, making it clear that forgiveness is not just given or owed, especially when specific trauma runs deep. Most of her attempts to take responsibility for what she has done comes off as self-centered, and she feels as though she is stuck at a dead end. This is where Kym begins to find forgiveness within herself, realizing that taking responsibility begins with her, and that apologizing profusely without change is worthless. She must come to terms with where she's at in her life to fully understand where her family is coming from, and recognize that growth and grief is nonlinear. 

Final thoughts: I watched this film in my Health Humanities class and I loved it. I absolutely love anything that Anne Hathaway is in, and her performance in this film is phenomenal. It truly is a raw and sensitive movie, highlighting such heavy material that most are not ready to talk about. Its depiction of family and forgiveness is the most moving, as it shows how important family is but also how forgiveness is something that is not easily given out even if it's someone you care strongly about. Amidst all of the heaviness, the film never loses sight of beauty of life and family, and how joy still matters even in broken places. While the ending does not show Kym and her family years later, it does show us that Kym is beginning to be in a good place mentally and physically, reassuring us that the time for Kym to reconnect fully with her family is in the near future. Without question it has my recommendation!