A: A recovering addict (Anne Hathaway) comes home from rehab for her sister Rachel's (Rosemarie DeWitt) wedding, and has trouble coping with the fact that all the attention is focused on her sister's joyous day, instead of where it usually is: on her own problems.
Q: Who’s in the movie?
A: Anne Hathaway, Rosemarie DeWitt, Bill Irwin, Debrah Winger, Mather Zickel, Anna Deavere Smith, Tunde Adibimpe, Anisa George
Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?
A:
Stop! This movie is like sitting through a 5 day long wedding (in real time), where you don't know anyone, you don't care about anyone, and the one person you recognize is a completely narcissistic a-hole. Oh, yeah, and because you're actually sitting in a theater, you're not even drunk.Q: Will this movie make me laugh?
A: It's got a few guffaws in the first fifteen minutes, but then you lose interest and stop paying attention.
Q: Will this movie make me cry?
A: If you find anything to sympathize with in this movie, it's probably because your family dysfunction is similar to theirs, in which case you would have something to cry about. But not necessarily while watching this film.
Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?
A: I hated it in just the right way for the "mainstream" critics and the Independent Spirit nominators to love it.
Q: How is the Acting?
A: If it weren't for Anne Hathaway's celebrity status, you would think the whole thing was actually unfolding in front of your eyes-- it's that real. Rosemarie DeWitt is natural and organic, and it's hard to remember that she's not Anne Hathaway's sister in real life. Since this review is such a major pan, I'd like to take some extra care to point out that that was a compliment for the acting.
Q: How is the Directing?
A: You know when an old pro, with a couple dozen films to his name, decides to pick up a hand-held dv cam, and pretend he's a first time director? It's like that.
Q: How is the story/script?
A: Jenny Lumet is the daughter of Sidney Lumet, so God only knows how she got her big break in Hollywood with this, her first outing. I imagine she worked hard, learned her chosen skill, and persisted through all the rejection and heartache... Or more likely, she wrote a first draft, with a couple of good scenes, and when she realized she only had about 25 minutes worth of story, she filled in the rest with pointless wedding speeches, guests performing for the bride and groom, and extended dance sequences at the wedding reception. After which, she had her dad call in some favors, and got herself a movie deal... Did I mention that there's a 7 minute scene where the dad and the groom-to-be compete (in all seriousness) in a competition to see who can load the dishwasher faster? Yeah.
Q: Is there anything else worth mentioning about the movie?
A: In this Connecticut wedding, a Black man marries a White woman in a ceremony where everyone wears full (dot) Indian wedding regalia, for no apparent reason, and without comment. Their attire has you so confused, that you almost forget to notice the other gaping discrepancy, which is: there ain't never been a Black person in Connecticut!
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