It's never easy for Kym Buckman to come home. She's a drug addict who has spent half of her teens and all of her adult years going in and out of rehab centers in an effort to deal with her problem. She never seems to get any better. Part of Kym's problem is that she has lied about her past, though she has been forthright about her dependency. Another part of the problem is that the only help Kym's family knows to help her except sending her away for more treatment. She is in another round of treatment at an inpatient facility when she gets a weekend furlough to attend her sister's wedding. The tale of that weekend is chronicled in "Rachel Getting Married."

Kym (Anne Hathaway) may be away from constant monitoring for the weekend, but she still has to make time each day to attend addict meetings. Her father, Paul (Bill Irwin), and sister, Rachel (Rosemary DeWitt), are happy to see her, but dealing with Kym can be difficult. When the Buckmans and their friends meet with Rachel's fiancee, Sidney Williams (Tunde Adebimpe), and his family and friends for tales and testimonials, Kym doesn't hide her problems. They are, in fact, quite obvious during her speech. Kym is also very angry with Rachel for not making her the maid of honor. Kym fights to get it, and wins the battle when Rachel's best friend, Emma (Anisa George), just as angrily grants Kym her wish. During the weekend, she learns that Sidney's business partner, Kieran (Mather Zickel), attends addict meetings as well. Paul's ex-wife, Abby (Debra Winger), has also come to her old home in Connecticut with current husband, Andrew (Jerome LaPage). Paul also has a new spouse whose name is Carol (Anna Deavere Smith). It is Abby who, along with Kym, had a hand in making a decision that led to the family's greatest tragedy, and one that still affects each family member. Kym, given permission to drive the family car while high on pills, crashed it, resulting in the death of her baby brother, Ethan. All this sadness hangs over the joyous occasion which reunites them until some of Kym's words spark meaningful dialog.

"Rachel Getting Married" is filled with a mix of great joy and great sadness. On one hand, Rachel clearly loves Sidney, and is looking forward to starting their new life in Hawaii. On the other hand, Kym has never really found her way past the day where her carelessness cost her her little brother. Many things remind Kym and her family of the loss, such as his untouched bedroom and his dinner plate. Throughout the movie, director Jonathan Demme fills the screen with the sounds of musicians rehearsing for the big day, as well as a host of performers who are celebrating the multicultural union. Adebimpe, who's a member of the band TV On The Radio, sings one song for his families. Sister Carol East and Robyn Hitchcock, who have worked on other Demme films, also perform at the reception. Even though a momentous day has arrived, the Buckmans have continued to mourn Ethan instead of focusing on being a part of life. Oddly enough, the people who had some hand in that incident are seldom at the house where the boy loved. The screenplay comes from Jenny Lumet, the daughter of acclaimed director Sidney Lumet, in her first produced effort. The mix of joy and anxiety is anything but typical. A wedding is taking place, but a funeral, in a way, has never ended. Demme captures the range of emotions with unflinching detail. No easy and quick fixes are to be had for a family who has spent years living in mourning.

It's the best work I've seen from Hathaway, who is known primarily for light comedy, such as "The Princess Diaries" movies and "The Devil Wears Prada." Kym Buckman is a broken and bitter young woman who hates herself so much, she tells lies to other addicts about her life situation because she can't stand that girl who brought irreversible harm to her sibling. It is easy to see why others are uncomfortable around her when she speaks, for Kym speaks her mind, no matter how hurtful her words are. Yet, through those words, Kym can start to take the steps to get back to a life in the outside world. After many years, Kym remains unconvinced that the amends she has made have had any effect on anyone. In one of the film's best scenes, though, she learns that a lie she told about her family among other addicts has had a positive effect on one person. Kym, however, is with Rachel when she meets her old acquaintance - and Rachel is righteously aghast when she hears how she has been portrayed by Kym. The character of Kym Buckman is a bit like Harry Hannan, the lead character from Demme's 1979 film, "Last Embrace," a retired CIA agent played by Roy Scheider who sees his wife murdered before his eyes. Like Harry Hannan, Kym Buckman is openly damaged. Both are trying to find answers so that they can carry on with their lives more normally. The supporting performances of Winger, Irwin, and DeWitt are as good as Hathaway's. Their lives are headed in four different directions, but they have forgotten that they will always be a family.

"Rachel Getting Married" is both a celebration and start to resolving issues that has been too long in the making. For many years, the Buckman family dwelled on death rather than on living and healing. To some extent, each member of the Buckman family needed healing, especially Kym. She's the one person who, most obviously, never got any better, in spite of years in treatment centers. She's been living with both guilt and addiction in a world where she has reinvented herself as somebody significantly different. She is, indeed, troubled, and stays that way throughout the film. Finally, she finds the words that can help others, as well as herself. In "Rachel Getting Married," Rachel is leaving home for a new life, leaving the family nest empty. Perhaps that void will soon be filled by Kym, who has finally found a way to open the door to that prospect.

This is an entry in the Good Movies 2 Write-Off hosted by captaind. Rules and more entries may be found here: http://www.epinions.com/content_5245804676

Thanks Dave.

Recommended: Yes

Movie Mood: Serious Movie
Viewing Method: Other
Film Completeness: Looked complete to me.
Worst Part of this Film: Nothing