Movie Rec: "Rachel Getting Married"

"Rachel Getting Married" is notable for a number of reasons, but first and foremost among them is the Battle Over How to Load the Dishwasher scene. It was also the reason that my Mom and I went to see the movie in the first place. My family has had its share of squabbles over how to load the dishwasher (my uncle hems and haws and reloads things here and there muttering, "don't want to waste water, now, save money, yes, now, see, that could go here and save space") and Mom and I were not disappointed. The Dishwasher scene is the main characters' family at their absolute most neurotic and dysfunctional, and it's egged on by well-meaning friends of the family who utterly fail to see what's really going on until it's too late. One character says, "Well, I've drawn some sketches and plans about how to utilize extra space in the dishwasher," and all hell breaks loose. The fact that this family would bicker over how to load the dishwasher so intensely in the first place is a good barometer for the rest of the film--if you're into dysfunctional families and realizing that no matter how annoying/crazy your family is, there are far worse, this movie is for you. If you want to see an Oscar-worthy performance by Anne Hathaway and an arguably Oscar-worthy performance by an ensemble cast, then step right up, too. But this isn't a nonstop laugh movie, and the serious elements of the story quickly take center-stage, even with the moments of genuine hilarity.

"Rachel Getting Married" is the story of a family's weekend, centered around Rachel's wedding, but really centered on her sister Kym's (Anne Hathaway) return from drug rehab. It quickly becomes clear that the stint in rehab has not produced the results that her family wanted to see, and Kym, while not on any drugs, is still an addict, lying and cheating to get what she wants. This drama unfolds at the heart of a hurricane of a wedding, one where everyone is expected to "best friends" and have the best time and the most fun ever! The aura of false comradeship quickly wanes as the source of Kym's addiction and its effect on her and her family reveals itself.

With this sort of drama, I usually find myself despising all the characters at some level; people bickering about their problems makes for hit-or-miss drama with me. Yet, in this movie, I couldn't bring myself to hate anyone, despite their shortcomings. ( Spoilers ahead. )

Note: this movie is shot entirely on hand-held camera, and the resulting film-work made my Mom ill and me rather queasy by the end of the whole thing (Mom left early.) I wish now that we had waited for the DVD because I know this wouldn't bother me on the small screen. I do understand the director's aim behind the choice--this movie is all about frenetic energy, sensory overload, and detoxing, and through the hand-held camera, we get just a taste of what Kym is experiencing (a dizzying whirlwind of unearthed secrets, hatreds, joys, and sorrows.)