Rachel Getting Married R 2008 ‧ Comedy/Romance ‧ 1h 53m

Movie Review: Rachel Getting Married R 2008 (Comedy/Romance) Name: Institutional affiliation: Course: Date: Rachel Getting Married Summary The film ‘Rachel Getting Married’ directed by Jonathan Demme and released in the year 2008 effectively portrays contemporary family connections and personal redemption. The plot of the film revolves around Kym Hathaway, a young woman who has been an addict and has spent a significant amount of her time in the last decade in rehab, for the past few months, her time in rehab seems to have changed her and even granted an opportunity to attend her sister's wedding. As Kym goes back to her family’s luxurious, nostalgic country house in Connecticut, resentment and emotion build up during the preparation of a wedding. With her orderly and organized good sister Rachel preparing to get married to a musician, Kym gets home and has an opportunity to meet her, for a moment they seem to have a brief scene of sisterly bonding but tension rises immediately as Kym experiences a hostile reception from Rachel’s friends and worsens when she realizes she is not even the maid of honor. For the better part of the movie, the family relations become tense, including that between Kym, her mother, and her father Paul. Despite the turmoil of emotions throughout the movie, director Jonathan Demme manages to keep the film balanced. By using close-ups and maintaining the characters’ human flow and timing, Demme shows the much-needed effort for a family to heal. At the end of the movie, while admitting that years of suffering cannot be fixed in one weekend, Kym and Rachel are seen to be starting to become on friendly terms which shows that there is always hope to mend the broken relationship. ”Rachel Getting Married” can be seen as spot-on in its realistic characterization and through its storytelling, there is a detailed understanding of the causes of mental health problems and the process of redemption. Assessment: Biopsychosocial Analysis of Kym Buchman The biopsychological model was first conceptualized by George Engel in 1977 and suggests that understanding one's medical condition is not only about biological considerations but also psychological and social aspects (Lugg, 2022). It is worth noting that in “Rachel Getting Married”, Kym Buchman is a complex character who hails from a troubled background which is evident in her struggles with addiction and trauma. As the main character in the movie, Kym portrays variable moods including anger, guilt, sadness, and sometimes pleasure. She appears to be emotionally unstable most of the time which is a result of her addiction and several other related issues. From a Biopsychosocial lens, the family that surrounds Kym Buchman is rather dysfunctional. Kym has a rather rivalrous relationship with her sister Rachel and this appears to have been the trend even before Kym was moved to rehabilitation. Her relationship with her parents, especially her mother is a mix of support and blame and has generated some confusion in the mind of Kym about deservingness and responsibility. Externally, Kym’s relationships outside her family appear scarce largely due to her addiction history; however, in the course of the film, she develops a rapport with a wedding guest, which shows the film’s view on Kym’s ability to form connections. Although there is no direct coverage of Kim's educational life and her job situation, there is a clear implication that her association with drugs and substances over the years has affected her employment and school. Additionally, Kym’s problems are aggravated by the negative social constructs, stigmas, and perceptions held against people who suffer from addiction and mental health disorders, with these negative constructs, stigmas, and perceptions negatively affecting Kym's identity and the treatment she receives from others. All these factors collectively work to contribute to and ameliorate Kim's presenting problems. For example, Kym’s presenting complaints can be traced to her family. In instances where grief is never properly worked through, occurrences such as family dysfunctionality often tend to worsen it. On the one hand, the family’s failure to deal with the untimely death of Kym’s younger brother has left a sense of grief and guilt, which has negatively influenced Kym’s emotional state and self-esteem. On the other hand, her father spoils her while her mother ignores her in equal measure leading to a rather confusing scenario where Kym feels both caged and lonely. Lack of constant parental love and a set of clear rules and limits has most probably led her to substance abuse and constant relapse. Furthermore, the rivalry between Kym and Rachel, with elements of resentment that exist between the two characters, adds to the pressure and puts Kym in a situation where she cannot feel at home and comfortable within her own body and her family. Other social factors like education and employment also play a key role in Kym’s situation current situation. Long-term addiction has stalled her educational and career processes, excluding her from the majority of her developmental and economic prospects as compared to her sister Rachel who recently completed her PhD. This can worsen her feelings of worthlessness and hopelessness, and partially explains Kyms current mental state. In addition, there are oppressive aspects of society such as the stigmatization of addicts and those suffering from mental disorders; they are discriminated against and can easily be locked out of society; which would make it even harder to recover. It is also worth acknowledging Kym’s cultural background and her individual experiences of oppression as a potential factor that can contribute to her problems: the world tends to be oppressi...