Rachel reintroduces Hathaway and Lumet

In theaters Friday: Hannah Montana: The Movie, Observe and Report

New on DVD and Blu-ray: Doubt, The Day the Earth Stood Still, The Tale of Despereaux, Yes Man

First of all, I’m not really a fan of Anne Hathaway. I’m not a hater, per se, but when people—mostly women—ask me if I think she’s attractive, I have to be honest and say ‘Not particularly,’—and when fans gush about her performance in The Devil Wears Prada, I have to point out that both Meryl Streep and Emily Blunt overshadowed her.

But like I said, I’m no hater. So I’m happy to report that Rachel Getting Married introduces to the world of cinema a new version of Hathaway. As Kim, the former model and recovering drug addict whose weekend leave from rehab to attend her older saint of a sister’s wedding wreaks havoc on everyone’s nerves, Hathaway emerges as an incredible talent. Her emotional outbursts and cracked vulnerability are a surprise and truly something to see.

But she’s not the only memorable thing in this film, written wholeheartedly by Jenny Lumet, and filmed like a too-intimate documentary by Jonathan Demme. This is also a relaunch of Lumet’s career. The daughter of director Sidney Lumet, this is her first screenplay and signals a welcome career change. Those of you on the lookout for the next great behind-the-camera female film star, look no further. Sofia Coppola, you’ve got some stiff competition.

Performances by Rosemarie DeWitt as the titular elder sister, longsuffering and neglected while everyone focused on Kim during her addiction, and the always underestimated Bill Irwin as the sweet, mild-tempered single dad trying to hold the family together, are always believable. It helps that Lumet’s script, which throws together two culturally diverse families for the wedding, is filled with intricate, and yes, occasionally hipsterish characters, but they are all sketched without any trace of irony or bitterness. This film has a huge heart, and the only bitterness in it pours from the old wounds that Rachel, Kim and their father must confront before healing as a family.

Throughout Rachel Getting Married mixes the heartrending tales of familial loss and longing perfected by novelist John Irving with the old money, East Coast ennui currently festishized by directors Wes Anderson and Noah Baumbach. The family’s Connecticut home is all rumpled glory and perfectly distressed intricacy, the kind of setting that wouldn’t be out of place in a fashion photoshoot. Which makes it comfortable and rich, but I can’t decide if that’s because it looks so good on screen or because I’ve flipped through too many J.CREW catalogues. Regardless, the hightened cuteness of this world is a perfect compliment to the unbelievable angst, both hidden and exposed, of these characters.

Best of all Lumet and Demme are patient with this unfolding story. Watching, I felt like I’d been invited to the rehearsal dinner and the reception, given free license to soak in a host of warm toast speeches and an almost a festival full of energetic and diverse live music. This is one reception I would not have left early, and a must watch movie on DVD.