To be honest, I haven’t seen a lot of independent films, so watching one was definitely a good change…broadening my horizons is always a positive thing to do.  At first, it took awhile for me to get used to the “home video” feel, but once you can get past the “shaky hand,” you can really focus on what is going on in the movie.

Kym (Anne Hathaway) is a recovering addict who is allowed to leave rehab for Rachel’s (Rosemarie DeWitt) wedding, her sister.  Kym tries to be closer to her sister and family, but the heartache in losing a family member, Ethan, empowers their emotions throughout the whole movie.  Rachel is getting married and she feels as if her sister’s healing of addiction and making amends is more important than the planning of her own wedding.  The father is torn to equalizing his attention to both of his daughters….which, having a sister as a sibling, I can relate to quite a bit.  This movie definitely portrays that the caring and loving support of your family members is what does in fact keep us strong as an individual.  Kym tends to feel a bit lonely as she feels she does not have the positive encouragement from her family members in her healing process.  There is some tension, as well, between Kym and her biological mother, as she blames her for the misfortunate event of Ethan.  She tried to find answers as to why her mother would leave a drug addict in charge of a child.

Not only does this movie portray family hardships, it also displays various cultures that are intertwined by the love of two people.  I will admit, the wedding ceremony and reception was a bit of a culture shock for me, but it made me realize and say to myself that there are legit ceremonies as such that are celebrated.

This movie tends to be more realistic in nature – I am sure that there are many people who feel as if they are a part of a dysfunctional family at one time or another.  But, the fact is, each family has a hardship, or many hardships they encounter, and the only way to overcome them is love and support from their family members…it only makes one stronger.

So, if you’re in need of an older rental and you’re debating as to what movie you should see, you should RENT this movie!  It’s definitely not your typical motion picture film, so go out and try watching something different!