It is hard to describe the premise of this movie without making you think of a dozen other movies: main character returns home for a big family get together, and all hell breaks loose as past resentments and buried dysfunctions come to the surface. It's usually a holiday (Thanksgiving--Home for the Holidays; Christmas--The Family Stone, just to name two), but a wedding works just as well: remember "Margot at the Wedding"? Of course you don't--NO ONE saw it!! (despite my glowing review).
RGM is a better movie than Margot, because it has a heart. Nicole Kidman gave a brave, uncompromising performance as a selfish, uncaring sister in the latter, but Anne Hathaway is even better...as a selfish, uncaring, but damaged sister Kym to Rachel. It is her Best Performance since "Becoming Jane." Seriously! She is totally believable as an addict recently released from rehab. In a revealing scene at the rehearsal dinner, everyone toasts the bride and groom--except Kim, whose toast is all about herself. Who hasn't had that happen at a family gathering? (foreignfilmguy is naming no names.)
The movie is filled with a multi-cultural stew of relatives, friends, entertainers and wedding traditions. That is refreshing -- up to a point. The movie never explains why this inter-racial marriage of a white, suburban Connecticut bride to an African-American groom had a Hindi wedding ceremony. And don't get me started on the reception! They hired enough entertainers for 5 receptions! Jamaican singers, jazz, samba dancers, even Robyn Hitchcock shows up, for Pete's sake! (I thought that dude was dead.) The family is all upset when the estranged mother (played by a radiant Debra Winger) decides to skip out. I'm thinking "I'm with you, Deb!"
A note on casting: Bill Irwin--Great as the Dad who is the emotional, nurturing core of the family (another refreshing surprise); Rosemarie Dewitt--Great as Rachel (and the spitting image of a young Debra Winger!); in fact, the only bland character at this shindig proves to be the Groom. Sydney is a real Dud.
But the positives far outweigh my negatives. Jonathan Demme has fashioned one of the Ten Best Movies of the Year. Go see it.
Anne Hathaway did NOT wear this to Rachel's wedding (thank goodness!)
Hey! I rented Margot at the Wedding. Good or bad, the Ron Palmer Top Ten list is my bible for movie-going and DVD viewing! Even if it takes me 2 years to see them all!
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