Rachel Getting Married [movie review]

* Released theatrically in October 2008; now on DVD

Not surprisingly, if you’re not a fan of weddings and the accompanying activities that surround them (inevitably resulting in plenty of stress) then this movie is not for you. Rachel Getting Married felt like I was stuck for two long hours with a group of people I (mostly) didn’t like preparing for an event I could have cared less about.

The star of the film is Anne Hathaway (as Kym), playing a temporarily out of rehab young woman home for the wedding of her sister, Rachel (Rosemary Dewitt). Kym’s appearance resurrects old demons for the family which mix like oil and water with the already hectic environment of the wedding planning. Normally, dysfunctional family dynamics provide for excellent entertainment, but here things just never get off the ground.

Debra Winger makes a rare movie appearance and her role garnered a lot of praise, but to me it was an unremarkable performance. Hathaway was actually nominated for an Oscar for her role, which totally mystified me. She does a decent enough job with the material she has to work with, but Oscar-nominated calibre work? Really? The only bright spot in the movie came from Dewitt, who is always reliable in anything I’ve seen her in. She’s not a big name yet and probably won’t ever be…she’s your consumate character actor who’s name you may not recognize, but when you see them you say to yourself, “Oh yeah, I know that face”. Dewitt is part of an outstanding ensemble cast on the TV series The United States Of Tara, which you really owe yourself to check out.

Rating: 3/10