102-526: Rachel Getting Married is a 2008 American drama film directed by Jonathan Demme , and starring Anne Hathaway , Rosemarie DeWitt , Bill Irwin , and Debra Winger . The film premiered at the 65th Venice International Film Festival on September 3, 2008, opened in Canada 's Toronto International Film Festival on September 6 and released in the U.S. to select theaters on October 3. Hathaway received an Oscar nomination for Best Actress for her performance in
204-656: A Primetime Emmy Award . He was nominated five times for Academy Awards : four for Best Director for the legal drama 12 Angry Men (1957), the crime drama Dog Day Afternoon (1975), the satirical drama Network (1976) and the legal thriller The Verdict (1982), and one for Best Adapted Screenplay for Prince of the City (1981). Other films include A View from the Bridge (1962), Long Day's Journey into Night (1962), The Pawnbroker (1964), Fail Safe (1964), The Hill (1965), Serpico (1973), Murder on
306-425: A live television version of Eugene O'Neill 's The Iceman Cometh , which was followed by his film A View from the Bridge (1962), another psychological drama, from the play written by Arthur Miller . This was followed by another Eugene O'Neill play -turned-to-cinema, Long Day's Journey into Night (1962), with Katharine Hepburn earning an Oscar nomination for her performance as a drug-addicted housewife;
408-613: A radar repairman stationed in India and Burma (1942–1946), he became involved with the Actors Studio , then formed his own theater workshop. He organized an Off-Broadway group and became its director, and continued directing in summer stock theatre while teaching acting at the High School of Performing Arts . He was the senior drama coach at the new 46th Street building of "Performing Arts". The 25-year-old Lumet directed
510-412: A TV interview that the film was his favorite as an actor. It was the social realism which permeated his greatest work that truly defined Lumet – the themes of youthful idealism beaten down by corruption and the hopelessness of inept social institutions allowed him to produce several trenchant and potent films that no other director could have made. — Turner Classic Movies Serpico (1973)
612-460: A belief in the importance of justice for a democracy , a subject that he tried to put in his films. He admitted, however, that he did not believe that the movie business itself has the power to change anything. Rapf writes, "There is, as he says, a lot of 'shit' to deal with in the entertainment industry, but the secret of good work is to maintain your honesty and your passion." Film historian David Thomson writes of his films: He has steady themes:
714-462: A better understanding of the film. According to the taxonomy, combining the type with the genre does not create a separate genre. For instance, the "Horror Drama" is simply a dramatic horror film (as opposed to a comedic horror film). "Horror Drama" is not a genre separate from the horror genre or the drama type. Crime dramas explore themes of truth, justice, and freedom, and contain the fundamental dichotomy of "criminal vs. lawman". Crime films make
816-423: A broader range of moods . To these ends, a primary element in a drama is the occurrence of conflict —emotional, social, or otherwise—and its resolution in the course of the storyline. All forms of cinema or television that involve fictional stories are forms of drama in the broader sense if their storytelling is achieved by means of actors who represent ( mimesis ) characters . In this broader sense, drama
918-476: A cinematic showcase for their abilities and help them deepen their acting contribution. Actor Christopher Reeve , who co-starred in Deathtrap (1982), also pointed out that Lumet knew how to talk technical language: "If you want to work that way – he knows how to talk Method, he knows how to improvise, and he does it all equally well". As a movie goes on, it gets more and more grueling and you really need
1020-476: A critical commentary on East Coast liberalism in Contemporary Cinema and Neoliberal Ideology . The film appeared on many critics' top ten lists of the best films of 2008. Drama (film and television) In film and television , drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction ) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind
1122-501: A crowd at a screening five years earlier. He immediately took her in consideration for the lead role. Hathaway later said of her first reading Lumet's script: "I was in my old apartment in the West Village Manhattan , just pacing back and forth between the kitchen table and the couch. I somehow wound up on the floor sobbing by the last page." Rosemarie DeWitt was considered by the film's casting directors. Demme and
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#17327901935541224-414: A director who will help remind you where your character is at all times. Sidney Lumet was like that. All wonderful directors will do that. — Al Pacino Joanna Rapf, writing about the filming of The Verdict (1982), states that Lumet gave plenty of personal attention to his actors, whether listening to them or touching them. She describes how Lumet and star Paul Newman sat on a bench secluded from
1326-619: A good actor, and he just might find the great actor lurking within," wrote film critic Mick LaSalle . When necessary, Lumet chose untrained actors, but he stated that "over ninety percent of the time, I want the best tools I can get: actors, writers, lighting men, cameramen, propmen". Nonetheless, when he did use less experienced actors, he could still bring out superior and memorable acting performances. He did with Nick Nolte , Anthony Perkins , Armand Assante , Jane Fonda , Faye Dunaway , Timothy Hutton and Ali MacGraw , who referred to him as "every actor's dream". In Jane Fonda's opinion, "He
1428-485: A jury must decide the guilt or innocence of a young man, to Q&A (1990), in which a lawyer must determine the question of guilt and responsibility of a maverick policeman, guilt is a common thread that runs through many of his films. In Murder on the Orient Express (1974), all of the suspects are guilty. His films are also characterized by a strong emphasis on family life, often showing tensions within
1530-580: A live performance, it has also been used to describe the more high-brow and serious end of the dramatic output of radio . The Screenwriters Taxonomy contends that film genres are fundamentally based upon a film's atmosphere, character and story, and therefore the labels "drama" and "comedy" are too broad to be considered a genre. Instead, the taxonomy contends that film dramas are a "Type" of film; listing at least ten different sub-types of film and television drama. Docudramas are dramatized adaptations of real-life events. While not always completely accurate,
1632-420: A mandated drug test and Narcotics Anonymous meeting. She returns home and is introduced to Rachel's fiancé Sidney and his best man Kieran. Recognizing each other from the meeting, Kym and Kieran have sex, and he reveals that Rachel's best friend Emma will be her maid of honor . Kym confronts her sister, and it becomes clear that Kym's self-destructive behavior has caused a deep rift between them. Rachel resents
1734-551: A minimum of two weeks before filming. During those weeks, recalls Faye Dunaway , who starred in Network (1976), he also blocked the scenes with his cameraman. As a result, she added that "not a minute is wasted while he's shooting, and that shows not only on the studio's budget, but it shows on the impetus of performance". She praised his style of directing in Network , in which she won her only Academy Award: Sidney, let me say,
1836-685: A more central component of the story, along with serious content. Examples include Three Colours: White (1994), The Truman Show (1998), The Man Without a Past (2002), The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011), and Silver Linings Playbook (2012). Coined by film professor Ken Dancyger , these stories exaggerate characters and situations to the point of becoming fable, legend or fairy tale. Examples: Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009) and Maleficent (2014). Light dramas are light-hearted stories that are, nevertheless, serious in nature. Examples: The Help (2011) and The Terminal (2004). Psychological dramas are dramas that focus on
1938-633: A person's life and raises their level of importance. The "small things in life" feel as important to the protagonist (and the audience) as the climactic battle in an action film, or the final shootout in a western. Often, the protagonists deal with multiple, overlapping issues in the course of the film – just as we do in life. Films of this type/genre combination include: The Wrestler (2008), Fruitvale Station (2013), and Locke (2013). Romantic dramas are films with central themes that reinforce our beliefs about love (e.g.: themes such as "love at first sight", "love conquers all", or "there
2040-599: A picture that has some of the ease and warmth of his earlier movies, although it also feels stripped down and direct in a way that's new for Demme." USA Today proclaimed: "After a foray in documentary films, director Jonathan Demme has returned to narrative storytelling, assuming a decidedly cinéma vérité style that has echoes of Robert Altman. The film's greatest asset is the sense of cringing realism in portraying dinner parties and interpersonal encounters that can throw family members off-kilter." The Los Angeles Times noted: Helping give this story its essential air of reality
2142-632: A result, while working for CBS , he directed hundreds of episodes of Danger (1950–1955), Mama (1949–1957) and You Are There (1953–1957), the latter a weekly series that featured Walter Cronkite in one of his early television appearances. Lumet chose Cronkite for the role of anchorman "because the premise of the show was so silly, was so outrageous, that we needed somebody with the most American, homespun, warm ease about him", he said. He also directed original plays for Playhouse 90 , Kraft Television Theatre and Studio One , directing approximately 200 episodes, which established him as "one of
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#17327901935542244-440: A rose with "Ethan" tattooed beneath it. Amid a festive Indian theme, Rachel and Sidney are wed. Kym is the maid of honor and is overcome with emotion as the couple exchange their vows. She tries to enjoy herself throughout the reception, but continues to feel alienated, and plagued by her dispute with Abby, who leaves early despite Rachel's effort to bring them together. The next morning, as Kym returns to rehab, Rachel runs out of
2346-464: A specific approach to drama but, rather, consider drama as a lack of comedic techniques. Examples: Ghost World (2001) and Wuthering Heights (2011). According to the Screenwriters' Taxonomy, all film descriptions should contain their type (comedy or drama) combined with one (or more) of the eleven super-genres. This combination does not create a separate genre, but rather, provides
2448-522: A teen, an intoxicated Kym was driving Ethan home, but lost control of the car and drove into a lake, where he drowned. The day before the wedding, the bridal party visits a salon, where Kym is approached by a man she met at rehab years ago. He thanks her for having inspired him with her stories of overcoming trauma; overhearing this and realizing these stories were lies, Rachel storms out, angry that Kym would lie about having been molested by an uncle or tending to an anorexic sister. Tensions flare between
2550-409: A terrific performance ...". Empire felt that "Kym is a peach of a role—she sleeps with the best man, fights with the maid of honor, quips, 'You're so thin, it's like you're Asian'—and Hathaway squeezes it for all the juice it's worth, making this raw-nerved, narcissistic Tasmanian Devil not just believable, but somehow likable." Beyond general analysis, film scholars have also approached the film as
2652-454: A wedding guest. At the ceremony Hitchcock, at the request of his old friend Demme, performs the song "America" from his 1982 album Groovy Decay . He also plays "Up To Our Nex." written for the movie. "It's my micro-encapsulation of the movie. The song is trying to be a voice in Kym's head." Filmed in one take at the wedding party, he is spontaneously joined by the hip-hop star Fab 5 Freddy , and
2754-408: Is "a home run ... [it goes] deep into the joy and pain of being human." A.O. Scott of The New York Times said that the film "has an undeniable and authentic vitality, an exuberance of spirit, that feels welcome and rare". Many reviewers praised the film for its organic feel; Salon reviewer Stephanie Zacharek noted that "with 'Rachel Getting Married,' Demme has once again scaled back, making
2856-412: Is a mode distinct from novels, short stories , and narrative poetry or songs . In the modern era, before the birth of cinema or television, "drama" within theatre was a type of play that was neither a comedy nor a tragedy . It is this narrower sense that the film and television industries, along with film studies , adopted. " Radio drama " has been used in both senses—originally transmitted in
2958-526: Is a final fight to the death; the idea of the protagonists facing death is a central expectation in a war drama film. In a war film even though the enemy may out-number, or out-power, the hero, we assume that the enemy can be defeated if only the hero can figure out how. Examples include: Apocalypse Now (1979), Come and See (1985), Braveheart (1995), Life Is Beautiful (1997), Black Book (2006), The Hurt Locker (2008), 1944 (2015), Wildeye (2015), and 1917 (2019). Films in
3060-566: Is a valentine to New York". In an interview in 2006, Lumet said that he had always been "fascinated by the human cost involved in following passions and commitments, and the cost those passions and commitments inflict on others". This theme is at the core of most of his movies, notes Rapf, such as his true-life films about corruption in the New York City Police Department or in family dramas such as Daniel (1983). Film historian Stephen Bowles believes that Lumet
3162-503: Is directly related to pictures of quality". Because he started his career as an actor, he became known as an "actor's director" and worked with the best of them over the years, a roster probably unequaled by any other director. Acting scholar Frank P. Tomasulo agreed and pointed out that many directors who are able to understand acting from an actor's perspective were all "great communicators". According to film historians Gerald Mast and Bruce Kawin, Lumet's "sensitivity to actors and to
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3264-570: Is like the theme music for an evolving new age." Other critics praised Jonathan Demme. Andrew Sarris noted in the New York Observer "his career of cinematic good works" and Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly observed "a fight scene that's as raw as Ingmar Bergman and as operatic as Mildred Pierce"... and "Demme's finest work since The Silence of the Lambs . Peter Travers of Rolling Stone noted that Rachel Getting Married
3366-400: Is one of, if not, the most talented and professional men in the world...and acting in Network was one of the happiest experiences I have ever had...He's a really gifted man who contributed a good deal to my performance. Partly because his actors were well rehearsed, he could execute a production in rapid order, which kept his productions within their modest budgets. When filming Prince of
3468-421: Is someone out there for everyone"); the story typically revolves around characters falling into (and out of, and back into) love. Annie Hall (1977), The Notebook (2004), Carol (2015), Her (2013) , and La La Land (2016) are examples of romance dramas. The science fiction drama film is often the story of a protagonist (and their allies) facing something "unknown" that has the potential to change
3570-429: Is the decision Demme and cinematographer Quinn made to shoot it as what they call "the most beautiful home movie ever made." The director chose not to plan shots in advance, instead giving Quinn (whose credits include Mira Nair's "Monsoon Wedding") the ability to respond in the moment to what was going on with the actors, and it's a tribute to his ability (and that of editor Tim Squyres) that his camera always seems to be in
3672-576: Is the quintessential Lumet hero, who he described as a "rebel with a cause". An earlier example of psychodrama was The Pawnbroker (1964), starring Rod Steiger . In it, Steiger plays a Holocaust survivor whose spirit has been broken and who lives day-to-day as a pawn shop manager in Harlem . Lumet used the film to examine, with flashbacks, the psychological and spiritual scars with which Steiger's character lives, including his lost capacity to feel pleasure. Steiger, who made nearly 80 films, said during
3774-422: Is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-genre, macro-genre, or micro-genre, such as soap opera , police crime drama , political drama , legal drama , historical drama , domestic drama , teen drama , and comedy-drama (dramedy). These terms tend to indicate a particular setting or subject matter, or they combine a drama's otherwise serious tone with elements that encourage
3876-729: The Lower East Side neighborhood of Manhattan . He studied theater acting at the Professional Children's School of New York and Columbia University . Lumet's parents, Baruch and Eugenia (née Wermus) Lumet, were Jewish and veterans of the Yiddish theatre ; they had immigrated to the United States from Poland . His father, an actor, director, producer and writer, was born in Warsaw . Lumet's mother, who
3978-425: The dancehall singers Sister Carol , ElSaffar and Tawil. Hitchcock recalled, My memory of the whole thing is of being at a real wedding, although without the alcohol. A lot was shot in real time and the end result was the whole thing seemed as if it really had happened. It's as real as it gets. By the time I did 'Up To Our Nex' in the tent I had 15 people. Amir did a horn arrangement and Demme's son Brooklyn Demme
4080-763: The western super-genre often take place in the American Southwest or Mexico, with a large number of scenes occurring outdoors so we can soak in scenic landscapes. Visceral expectations for the audience include fistfights, gunplay, and chase scenes. There is also the expectation of spectacular panoramic images of the countryside including sunsets, wide open landscapes, and endless deserts and sky. Examples of western dramas include: True Grit (1969) and its 2010 remake , Mad Max (1979), Unforgiven (1992), No Country for Old Men (2007), Django Unchained (2012), Hell or High Water (2016), and Logan (2017). Some film categories that use
4182-493: The Apes (1968), A Clockwork Orange (1971), Blade Runner (1982) and its sequel Blade Runner 2049 (2017), Children of Men (2006), Interstellar (2014), and Arrival (2016). In the sports super-genre, characters will be playing sports. Thematically, the story is often one of "Our Team" versus "Their Team"; their team will always try to win, and our team will show the world that they deserve recognition or redemption;
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4284-601: The Broadway plays Night of the Auk (1956), Caligula (1960) and Nowhere to Go But Up (1962). Lumet is also known for his work on television. He received a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series nomination for NBC Sunday Showcase (1961). He also directed for Goodyear Television Playhouse , Kraft Television Theatre and Playhouse 90 . Lumet was born in Philadelphia and grew up in
4386-420: The City (1981), for example, although there were over 130 speaking roles and 135 different locations, he was able to coordinate the entire shoot in 52 days. As a result, wrote historians Charles Harpole and Thomas Schatz, performers were eager to work with him, for they considered him to be an "outstanding director of actors". The film's star Treat Williams said that Lumet was known for being "energetic": He
4488-439: The City ). As a result of directing 12 Angry Men , he was also responsible for leading the first wave of directors who made a successful transition from TV to movies. A controversial TV show that he directed in 1960 gained some notoriety: The Sacco-Vanzetti Story on NBC . According to The New York Times , the drama drew flack from the state of Massachusetts (where Sacco and Vanzetti were tried and executed) because it
4590-503: The City, its many ethnic neighborhoods, its art and its crime, its sophistication and its corruption, its beauty and its ugliness, all feed into what inspires him". He felt that in order to create, it is important to confront reality on a daily basis. For Lumet, "New York is filled with reality; Hollywood is a fantasyland." He often used New York City as the backdrop—if not the symbol—of his "preoccupation with America's decline", according to film historians Scott and Barbara Siegel . Lumet
4692-488: The Jacob Burns Center, a film center close to their homes. Winger later accepted the role of Abby. The music-loving director Demme invited musicians to compose the score live on set, to support the film's storyline. "For the longest time," Demme has said, "I've had this desire to provide the musical dimension of a movie without traditionally scored music. I thought: wait a minute; in the script, Paul [father of
4794-556: The Orient Express (1974), Equus (1977), The Wiz (1978), The Morning After (1986), Running on Empty (1988) and Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (2007). He received the Academy Honorary Award in 2004. A member of the inaugural class at New York's Actors Studio , Lumet started acting Off-Broadway and made his Broadway acting debut in the 1935 play Dead End . He went on to direct
4896-566: The appearance of spontaneity in both his actors and settings, which gave his films an improvisational look by shooting much of his work on location. Lumet was a strong believer in rehearsal and felt that if an actor rehearsed correctly, the actor would not lose spontaneity. According to critic Ian Bernard, Lumet felt that it gives actors the "entire arc of the role", which gives them the freedom to find that "magical accident". Director Peter Bogdanovich asked him whether he rehearsed extensively before shooting, and Lumet said that he liked to rehearse
4998-417: The attention her sister is drawing away from the wedding, exacerbated by Kym's behavior at the rehearsal dinner : amid toasts from friends and family, Kym awkwardly jokes about her addiction and "makes amends" with Rachel and others in the gathering for her past actions, as part of her twelve-step program . Later Rachel, angry at what she thinks is Kym's insincere and inappropriate "amends", erupts at Kym and
5100-407: The audience jump through a series of mental "hoops"; it is not uncommon for the crime drama to use verbal gymnastics to keep the audience and the protagonist on their toes. Examples of crime dramas include: The Godfather (1972), Chinatown (1974), Goodfellas (1990), The Usual Suspects (1995), The Big Short (2015), and Udta Punjab (2016). According to Eric R. Williams ,
5202-489: The bride] is a music-industry bigwig, Sidney's a record producer, many of his friends will be gifted musicians, so of course there would be non-stop music at this gathering. We have music playing live throughout the weekend, but always in the next room, out on the porch or in the garden." Throughout the unconventional filming and loosely staged scenes, a New York–based Middle Eastern ensemble, including Palestinian musician Zafer Tawil , and Iraqi Amir ElSaffar , who played
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#17327901935545304-533: The characters' inner life and psychological problems. Examples: Requiem for a Dream (2000), Oldboy (2003), Babel (2006), Whiplash (2014), and Anomalisa (2015) Satire can involve humor, but the result is typically sharp social commentary that is anything but funny. Satire often uses irony or exaggeration to expose faults in society or individuals that influence social ideology. Examples: Thank You for Smoking (2005) and Idiocracy (2006). Straight drama applies to those that do not attempt
5406-473: The course of the film. Thematically, horror films often serve as morality tales, with the killer serving up violent penance for the victims' past sins. Metaphorically, these become battles of Good vs. Evil or Purity vs. Sin. Psycho (1960), Halloween (1978), The Shining (1980), The Conjuring (2013), It (2017), mother! (2017), and Hereditary (2018) are examples of horror drama films. Day-in-the-life films takes small events in
5508-407: The drama department in a production of The Young and Fair . Lumet began his directorial career with Off-Broadway productions and evolved into a highly efficient television director. He began directing television in 1950 after working as an assistant to friend and then-director Yul Brynner . He soon developed a "lightning quick" method for shooting due to the high turnover required by television. As
5610-481: The family as a whole reacts to a central challenge. There are four micro-genres for the family drama: Family Bond , Family Feud , Family Loss , and Family Rift . A sub-type of drama films that uses plots that appeal to the heightened emotions of the audience. Melodramatic plots often deal with "crises of human emotion, failed romance or friendship, strained familial situations, tragedy, illness, neuroses, or emotional and physical hardship". Film critics sometimes use
5712-721: The family. This emphasis on the family included "surrogate families", as in the police trilogy consisting of Serpico (1973), Prince of the City (1981), and Q&A . An "untraditional family" is also portrayed in Dog Day Afternoon (1975). Sidney was a visionary film-maker whose movies made an indelible mark on our popular culture with their stirring commentary on our society. Future generations of film-makers will look to Sidney's work for guidance and inspiration but there will never be another who comes close to him. —composer Quincy Jones Lumet preferred naturalism or realism, according to Joanna Rapf. He did not like
5814-494: The film has a score of 85 out of 100 based on 36 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim". Michael Phillips of the Chicago Tribune called the film "a triumph of ambience", and applauded the acting, declaring that "Hathaway, DeWitt, Irwin and especially Winger are working at a very high level" in the film. Roger Ebert 's four-star rating added, "apart from the story, which is interesting enough, 'Rachel Getting Married'
5916-421: The film. Kym Buchman is released from rehab for a few days to attend her older sister Rachel's wedding at their childhood home. While friends and family prepare for the festivities, Kym struggles to reintegrate with them, as her history of substance abuse has made her the black sheep of the family. Despite Kym's nine months of sobriety, her father Paul is uncomfortable with her driving, leading her to bike to
6018-458: The four principal actors swept the acting awards at the 1962 Cannes Film Festival . Film critic Owen Gleiberman observed that Lumet was a "hardboiled straight-shooter" who, because he was trained during the Golden Age of Television in the 1950s, became noted for his energetic style of directing. The words, "Sidney Lumet" and "energy", he added, became synonymous. "The energy was there in
6120-420: The fragility of justice, and the police and their corruption. Lumet quickly became esteemed ... [and he] got a habit for big issues – Fail Safe , The Pawnbroker , The Hill , – and seemed torn between dullness and pathos. ... He was that rarity of the 1970s, a director happy to serve his material – yet seemingly not touched or changed by it. ... His sensitivity to actors and to
6222-416: The future of humanity; this unknown may be represented by a villain with incomprehensible powers, a creature we do not understand, or a scientific scenario that threatens to change the world; the science fiction story forces the audience to consider the nature of human beings, the confines of time or space or the concepts of human existence in general. Examples include: Metropolis (1927), Planet of
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#17327901935546324-717: The general facts are more-or-less true. The difference between a docudrama and a documentary is that in a documentary it uses real people to describe history or current events; in a docudrama it uses professionally trained actors to play the roles in the current event, that is "dramatized" a bit. Examples: Black Mass (2015) and Zodiac (2007). Unlike docudramas, docu-fictional films combine documentary and fiction, where actual footage or real events are intermingled with recreated scenes. Examples: Interior. Leather Bar (2013) and Your Name Here (2015). Many otherwise serious productions have humorous scenes and characters intended to provide comic relief . A comedy drama has humor as
6426-416: The hallmark of fantasy drama films is "a sense of wonderment, typically played out in a visually intense world inhabited by mythic creatures, magic or superhuman characters. Props and costumes within these films often belie a sense of mythology and folklore – whether ancient, futuristic, or other-worldly. The costumes, as well as the exotic world, reflect the personal, inner struggles that the hero faces in
6528-461: The house to hug her. The screenplay was written by Jenny Lumet , the daughter of director Sidney Lumet and granddaughter of Lena Horne . Lumet, a junior high school drama teacher, had written four earlier screenplays, but this was the first to be produced. The film was directed by Jonathan Demme , and was shot in Stamford, Connecticut in a naturalistic style. The working title for the film
6630-409: The legal system. Films that focus on dramatic events in history. Focuses on doctors, nurses, hospital staff, and ambulance saving victims and the interactions of their daily lives. Focuses on teenage characters, especially where a secondary school setting plays a role. Sidney Lumet Sidney Arthur Lumet ( / l uː ˈ m ɛ t / loo- MET ; June 25, 1924 – April 9, 2011)
6732-592: The line, "Can you tell them to knock it off?!" to which another actor not heavily involved in the scene went off-screen and told the band to stop. Well-known actors mingle anonymously on-screen with musicians, artists, and dancers. Among them are the New Orleanian saxophonist Donald Harrison Jr. , and the Brooklyn -based TV on the Radio 's lead singer Tunde Adebimpe . Singer-songwriter Robyn Hitchcock plays
6834-495: The main set, where Newman had taken his shoes off, to privately discuss an important scene about to be shot. Lumet's actors walked through their scenes before the camera rolled. This preparation was done because Lumet liked to shoot a scene in one take or two at the most. Newman liked to call him "Speedy Gonzales", adding that Lumet did not shoot more than he had to. "He doesn't give himself any protection. I know I would," Newman said. Film critic Betsey Sharkey agreed, adding that "he
6936-399: The most prolific and respected directors in the business", according to Turner Classic Movies . His ability to work quickly while shooting carried over to his film career. Because the quality of many television dramas was so impressive, several of them were later adapted as motion pictures. His first movie, 12 Angry Men (1957), a courtroom drama centered on a tense jury deliberation that
7038-544: The music comes. The music is very organic, not manipulative. For Demme, it was about creating evocative music in the moment. The film received critical acclaim and appeared on many "Best Film of 2008" lists. On Rotten Tomatoes , it has an approval rating of 84% based on 201 reviews, with an average rating of 7.50/10. The website's critical consensus reads, " Rachel Getting Married is an engrossing tale of family angst, highlighted by Anne Hathaway's powerful performance and director Jonathan Demme's return to form." On Metacritic ,
7140-678: The others, sometimes turned to Jewish themes to develop ethnic sensibilities that were characteristic of American culture, by dynamically highlighting its "unique tensions and cultural diversity". This was partly reflected in Lumet's preoccupation with city life. A Stranger Among Us (1992), for example, is the story of a woman undercover police officer and her experiences in a Hasidic community in New York City. The subject of "guilt", explains Desser, dominates many of Lumet's films. From his first feature film, 12 Angry Men (1957), in which
7242-475: The quietest moments. It was an inner energy, a hum of existence that Lumet observed in people and brought out in them...[when he] went into the New York streets...he made them electric." He also wrote: It was a working class outer-borough energy. Lumet's streets were just as mean as Scorsese's, but Lumet's seemed plain rather than poetic. He channeled that New York skeezy vitality with such natural force that it
7344-471: The rest of the crew were impressed and immediately wanted her to play Rachel. Bill Irwin is a personal friend of Demme's. Tunde Adebimpe 's role, Sidney, was originally offered to American film director Paul Thomas Anderson while he was working on the post-production of the movie There Will Be Blood . Demme was concerned about Debra Winger 's interest in doing the film, but he pumped up his courage to ask her because they had met several times before at
7446-525: The rhythms of the city have made him America's longest-lived descendant of the 1950s Neorealist tradition and its urgent commitment to ethical responsibility". They cited his film The Hill (1965) as "one of the most politically and morally radical films of the 1960s". They added that beneath the social conflicts of Lumet's films lies the "conviction that love and reason will eventually prevail in human affairs", and that "law and justice will eventually be served – or not". His debut film Twelve Angry Men
7548-459: The rhythms of the city have made him America's longest-lived descendant of the 1950s Neorealist tradition and its urgent commitment to ethical responsibility. Lumet preferred to work in New York City and shunned the dominance of Hollywood . As a director, he became strongly identified with New York City. "I always like being in Woody Allen's world," he said. He claimed that "the diversity of
7650-494: The right place at the right time. Anne Hathaway won raves for her work as Kym. USA Today found her wonderful in the role and wrote "Her nervous laughter, edginess and quick temper blend convincingly with her need for attention and vulnerability." Newsweek commented: "Kym is a major pain in the ass, and Hathaway's raw, spiky performance makes no attempt to ingratiate. Yet she makes Kym's inner torment so palpable you can't help but feel for her, however insufferable she may be. It's
7752-520: The score of Demme's documentary Man from Plains , compose the score on set. Always present at the filming, the musicians had the freedom—and were encouraged—to play whenever they were inspired to, and to ignore the camera. According to Demme on the DVD, during filming of a dramatic scene, Hathaway complained about the music interfering with the mood, to which Demme responded, "Tell her to do something about it!" Hathaway, in that scene, responded by improvising
7854-442: The sisters when Rachel tells the family that Kym was untruthful during her treatment, and that she has never forgiven Kym for their brother's death. Kym acknowledges that any amount of progress she makes may never make her worthy of forgiveness and drives off in her father's car to her mother Abby's home. Kym's attempt to find closure backfires when Abby refuses to take responsibility for leaving Kym with Ethan when she knew her daughter
7956-534: The story does not always have to involve a team. The story could also be about an individual athlete or the story could focus on an individual playing on a team. Examples of this genre/type include: The Hustler (1961), Hoosiers (1986), Remember the Titans (2000), and Moneyball (2011). War films typically tells the story of a small group of isolated individuals who – one by one – get killed (literally or metaphorically) by an outside force until there
8058-525: The story." Examples of fantasy dramas include The Lord of the Rings (2001–2003), Pan's Labyrinth (2006), Where the Wild Things Are (2009), and Life of Pi (2012). Horror dramas often involve the central characters isolated from the rest of society. These characters are often teenagers or people in their early twenties (the genre's central audience) and are eventually killed off during
8160-550: The system, about the little guy against the system". This includes the women characters, as in Garbo Talks (1984). Its star Anne Bancroft embodied the kind of character portrayal that attracted him: "a committed activist for all kinds of causes, who stands up for the rights of the oppressed, who is lively, outspoken, courageous, who refuses to conform for the sake of convenience, and whose understanding of life allows her to die with dignity ... Garbo Talks in many ways
8262-578: The term "pejoratively to connote an unrealistic, pathos-filled, camp tale of romance or domestic situations with stereotypical characters (often including a central female character) that would directly appeal to feminine audiences". Also called "women's movies", "weepies", tearjerkers, or "chick flicks". If they are targeted to a male audience, then they are called "guy cry" films. Often considered "soap-opera" drama. Focuses on religious characters, mystery play, beliefs, and respect. Character development based on themes involving criminals, law enforcement and
8364-424: The two engage in an intense argument, which Rachel ends by announcing she is pregnant, to the delight of everyone but Kym. A disagreement between Sidney and Paul about loading the dishwasher turns into a friendly competition, which is cut short when Paul finds a plate that belonged to his late son Ethan, Rachel and Kym's younger brother. At another NA meeting, Kym reveals that she was responsible for Ethan's death: as
8466-498: The word "comedy" or "drama" are not recognized by the Screenwriters Taxonomy as either a film genre or a film type. For instance, "Melodrama" and "Screwball Comedy" are considered Pathways, while "romantic comedy" and "family drama" are macro-genres. A macro-genre in the Screenwriters Taxonomy. These films tell a story in which many of the central characters are related. The story revolves around how
8568-647: The writer, actors and other artists. Lumet "has no equal in the distinguished direction of superior actors", added Cunningham, with many coming from the theater. He was able to draw powerful performances from actors, such as Ralph Richardson , Marlon Brando , Richard Burton , Katharine Hepburn , James Mason , Sophia Loren , Geraldine Fitzgerald , Blythe Danner , Rod Steiger , Vanessa Redgrave , Paul Newman , Sean Connery , Henry Fonda , Dustin Hoffman , Albert Finney , Simone Signoret and Anne Bancroft . "Give him
8670-556: Was a dancer, died when he was a child. He had an older sister. Lumet made his professional debut on the radio at age four and his stage debut at the Yiddish Art Theatre at age five. As a child, he also appeared in many Broadway productions, including 1935's Dead End and Kurt Weill's The Eternal Road . In 1935, aged 11, Lumet appeared in a Henry Lynn short film Papirossen (meaning "Cigarettes" in Yiddish ), co-produced by radio star Herman Yablokoff . The film
8772-403: Was a deeper intensity, almost a kind of beauty, to catching the coarseness of reality as it truly looked. "Lumet generally insisted on the collaborative nature of the film, sometimes ridiculing the dominance of the 'personal' director," wrote film historian Frank R. Cunningham. As a result, Lumet became renowned among both actors and cinematographers for his openness to sharing creative ideas with
8874-411: Was a maestro of one or two takes years before Clint Eastwood would turn it into a respected specialty". Sharkey recalls, "[Faye] Dunaway once told me that Lumet worked so fast it was as if he were on roller skates. A racing pulse generated by a big heart." Biographer Joanna Rapf observes that Lumet had always been an independent director, and liked to make films about "men who summon courage to challenge
8976-452: Was a master. Such control of his craft. He had strong, progressive values and never betrayed them." While the goal of all movies is to entertain, the kind of film in which I believe goes one step further. It compels the spectator to examine one facet or another of his own conscience. It stimulates thought and sets the mental juices flowing. —Sidney Lumet Lumet believed that movies are an art, and "the amount of attention paid to movies
9078-425: Was an American film director. Lumet started his career in theatre before moving to film, where he gained a reputation for making realistic and gritty New York dramas which focused on the working class , tackled social injustices , and often questioned authority. He received several awards including an Academy Honorary Award and a Golden Globe Award as well as nominations for nine British Academy Film Awards and
9180-604: Was an acclaimed picture in its day, representing a model for liberal reason and fellowship during the 1950s. The film and Lumet were nominated for Academy Awards, and he was nominated for the Director's Guild Award. The Encyclopedia of World Biography states that his films often featured actors who studied " Method acting ", noted for portraying an earthy, introspective style. A leading example of such "Method" actors would be Al Pacino , who, early in his career, studied under Method acting guru Lee Strasberg . Lumet also preferred
9282-399: Was an addict, culminating in a physical altercation. Distraught, Kym crashes the car in what may have been an attempted suicide, but survives. The morning of the wedding, she is woken in the car by police and passes a field sobriety test, then is driven home and makes her way to Rachel's room. Seeing Kym's bruised face, Rachel tenderly bathes and dresses her sister, discovering Kym's tattoo of
9384-537: Was attracted to crime-related stories in New York City urban settings, where the criminals get caught in a vortex of events that they can neither understand nor control but are forced to resolve. Like other Jewish directors from New York, such as Woody Allen , Mel Brooks and Paul Mazursky , Lumet's characters often speak overtly about controversial issues of the times. They felt unconstrained as filmmakers, and their art became "filtered through their Jewish consciousness", wrote film historian David Desser . Lumet, like
9486-541: Was based on a CBS live play , was an auspicious beginning for Lumet. It was a critical success and established him as a director skilled at adapting properties from other mediums to motion pictures. Fully half of Lumet's complement of films originated in the theater. Following his first film, Lumet divided his energies among political and social drama films, as well as adaptations of literary plays and novels, big stylish stories, New York-based black comedies and realistic crime dramas (including Serpico and Prince of
9588-501: Was easy to overlook what was truly involved in the achievement. He captured that New York vibe like no one else because he saw it, lived it, breathed it – but then he had to go out and stage it, or re-create it, almost as if he were staging a documentary, letting his actors square off like random predators, insisting on the most natural light possible, making offices look as ugly and bureaucratic as they were because he knew, beneath that, that they weren't just offices but lairs, and that there
9690-406: Was intrigued by obsessive conditions, writes Bowles. Lumet's protagonists tended to be antiheroes , isolated and unexceptional men who rebel against a group or institution. The most important criterion for Lumet was not simply whether the actions of the people are right or wrong, but whether they were genuine and justified by the individual's conscience. Whistleblower Frank Serpico , for example,
9792-464: Was just a ball of fire. He had passion for what he did and he "came to work" with all barrels burning. He's probably the most prepared director I've ever worked with emotionally. His films always came in under schedule and under budget. And everybody got home for dinner. Harpole added that "whereas many directors disliked rehearsals or advising actors on how to build their character, Lumet excelled at both". He could thereby more easily give his performers
9894-460: Was most comfortable and effective as a director of serious psychodramas , as opposed to light entertainments. His Academy Award nominations, for example, were all for character studies of men in crisis, from his first film, Twelve Angry Men , to The Verdict . Lumet excelled at putting drama on the screen. Most of his characters are driven by obsessions or passions, such as the pursuit of justice, honesty and truth, or jealousy, memory or guilt. Lumet
9996-448: Was on electric guitar. We hadn't all played together before. The line between reality and fiction – it was a door you could walk in and out of as much as you liked. The idea that they are just playing live, that's the beauty of it. The thing I really liked about the music in the movie is that it all happens in real time. The moments of real tension in the film are not signposted by the score. It's not telling you how you're going to react when
10098-484: Was originally Dancing with Shiva . Sidney Lumet himself approached Demme about his daughter Jenny's script. Demme has commented that he loved Jenny's flagrant disregard for the rules of formula, her lack of concern for making her characters likable in the conventional sense, and for what he considered to be her bold approach to truth, pain, and humor. Filming took 33 days and occurred in late 2007. Demme had wanted to work with Anne Hathaway ever since he spotted her in
10200-451: Was shown in a theatrical play with the same title, based on the song " Papirosn ". The play and short film appeared at the Bronx 's McKinley Square Theatre. In 1939, at age 15, he made his only feature-length film appearance in ...One Third of a Nation... . World War II interrupted Lumet's early acting career and he spent four years in the U.S. Army . After returning from service as
10302-482: Was the first of four "seminal" films that Lumet made during the 1970s that marked him as "one of the greatest filmmakers of his generation". It was the story of power and betrayal in the New York City police force, with an idealistic policeman battling impossible odds. Lumet was a child during the Depression , and grew up poor in New York City, witnessing poverty and corruption. It instilled in him at an early age
10404-527: Was thought to postulate that the condemned murderers were, in fact, wholly innocent. However, the resulting controversy did Lumet more good than harm, sending several prestigious film assignments his way. He began adapting classic plays for both film and television, directing Marlon Brando , Joanne Woodward and Anna Magnani in the feature film The Fugitive Kind (1959), based on the Tennessee Williams play Orpheus Descending . He directed
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