Oscar Month twofer: Rachel Getting Married (2008)

Hilarity ensues when you realize the star of the picture Anne Hathaway is not Rachel and she is not getting married. She is actually Kym, Rachel's (Rosemarie DeWitt) sister and Kym just got out of rehab. Kym has had issues all her life which culminated in an accident and a death while she was inder the influence of Percocet. Kym has gotten out of rehab just in time for her sister's wedding. The wedding is being held at the family home so much choas abounds. Rachel just wants the wedding to be good and to have it be her day, but she feels Kym's selfishness is butting in. The family is pretty disfunctional to begin with but add the wedding plans, an over protective father following Kym's every move, the rehearsal dinners where Rachel meets her fiancee's family for the first time just adds to the drama. Friction builds between Kym and Rachel. Will it push Kym over the edge?

Trivia: Jenny Lumet spent about 7 weeks writing the script. It was her first to be made into a film, even though it was the writer's 5th screenplay. The dishwasher scene was based on an actual event involving Sidney Lumet and Bob Fosse.

Overall this was a good little film. Anne Hathaway has been nominated for a Best Actress Oscar and the performance deserves it. This could be her break out role. Most of her filmography involves bubblegum Disney type roles with little ability needed to accomplish. (See The Princess Diaries, Ella Enchanted, Get Smart, The Devil Wears Prada, Bride Wars). In this she plays an addict with a tormented past struggling to cope with something she did. Nice job. Also I was relieved to see that the film did not fall into the cliche of the Maid Of Honor falling for the Best Man and living happily ever after.