By rights, this movie shouldn't work. It sounds awful when you describe it to someone; the self-indulgence of the whole "wandering minstrel" sections; the seemingly self-consciously multi-ethnic make-up of the family's friends & family; the general air of middle-class comfort. But somehow it does; somehow the film manages to occupy the same air of everyday American mystery as, say, Dylan's "Clothes Line Saga". And context is surely everything: the film appears to be a subtle riposte to the general cultural air of nasty division so prevalent in Bush's America. And perhaps, by extension, the country itself; the film is one possible answer to the question of "America" and what the nation could be. But always with the unsettling, dark, "original sin" at the heart of that answer - whether that sin be slavery, Watergate, Vietnam, 9-11, Iraq or the tragic death of a family member.

When I first heard the title 'Rachel Getting Married' I dismissed it immediately. Oh how dreadfully, dreadfully wrong I was to do so. Bear in mind I had seen no prior trailers or those long promotional 'essays' we may often see in regards to the film.
Hearing the title my mind pieced together a romantic comedy of sorts, revolving around the drama leading up to the wedding day of a certain Mrs Rachel [Insert Generic Surname Here]. And too an extent I was right, but in a bad way. And to be honest looking back on that last sentence I am not even sure that makes any sense. But please let me explain.
The plot of the movie revolves around Kym: An ex-junkie that has recently been released from rehab and might I add played to a perfect tee by the delightful Anne Hathaway. Following Kym's release from rehab we are slowly introduced to members of her family. Rachel (Rosemarie DeWitt) Kym's sister and Sidney (Tunde Adebimpe) Rachel's soon to be husband are just two of these intricately beautiful characters that grace the screen in this movie. But I have neglected to mention one of my favourite characters - Paul the father played by Bill Irwin.
Without giving too much of the plot away, Paul is very much the one that keeps this family together as one. He is both funny and disturbed, and that is why I like him as a character. The dish washing scene is a beautiful example for this.
As the movie progresses we hear of the families past. We grieve with the family, and we share the joy of the wedding with them. One of my favourite scenes is towards the beginning of the film however. We are treated to a dress rehearsal of the wedding and we get to hear speeches from different members of each family. Many cinema goers and even directors would have completely dismissed this as completely unnecessary but thankfully Jonathan Demme did not. I mean you don't put a masterpiece like Stop Making Sense together without a great mind.
For a good few minutes we glide around the table and listen to people speak passionately of this couple. You as an audience member are welcomed within this make believe family. Perhaps I am alone in this thought, but I am not at my happiest drinking gallons of alcohol and making a fool of myself, slurring words and sentences as the night goes on. I like to listen to people. I like to engage in debates, thoughts and ideas with others. And during this scene I just had a great big smile on face as I watched the charisma and charm flow instead of the wine....
This review is now beginning to drag so I will quickly end by saying, go see this movie. Sit back and keep your eyes on the screen because there is no doubt you will get drawn for the two hours this little gem lasts for.