Rewatchables Reference

• Winner: Kim fights with her mom (Debra Winger) – Kim confronts her mother about leaving a drug addict to watch her son, and the mother says 'you were good with him, you were the best you were with him.' Bill calls it possibly the most intense 90 seconds in the entire Fucked Up Family February series.
• Kim finds out she's not the maid of honor.
• Debra Winger showing up at the rehearsal dinner, leading into the toast/speeches scene where Kim grabs the mic and gives an excruciating speech.
• Post-rehearsal group fight ending with Rachel's pregnancy announcement.
• The dishwasher scene – fun family moment that ends with the discovery of the Ethan plate, leaving Hathaway alone and broken in the kitchen.
• Kim's rehab speech.
• The post-hair-salon scene revealing Kim made up stuff in rehab, followed by her 'Who do I have to be now?' speech.
• Mom leaving the wedding early.

• Rosemary DeWitt's performance – all three hosts agree she should have been nominated for Best Supporting Actress. They'd cut Amy Adams to make room.
• The music – the unconventional approach of having only live, diegetic music throughout the film.
• Sydney's (Tunde Adebimpe's) Neil Young song at the wedding – beautiful voice.
• Debra Winger – Bill's pick. Turned down 'Raiders of the Lost Ark', 'Fatal Attraction', 'Broadcast News' (written for her), and quit 'A League of Their Own' over Madonna's casting. Bit Michael Douglas during an audition for Romancing the Stone.

• The original maid of honor character (Anisa George) – all three found her annoying.
• The saris/multiculturalism as a badge – Wesley found the self-congratulatory multicultural display problematic; earnest liberal presentation of diverse cultures without doing the dramatic work to support it.

• Paul Thomas Anderson was originally offered the role of Sidney (the groom). He couldn't do it because of post-production on 'There Will Be Blood'. Would have fundamentally changed the movie.
• Demme had wanted to work with Anne Hathaway for five years before this film.

Bill Irwin as the father – his energy is 'almost too crazy.' Wesley agrees: 'It's too much. It's embarrassing.' Demme's direction was essentially telling everyone to focus on celebrating the wedding no matter what.

Matthew Zickel – plays the best man who sleeps with Kim. The biggest role of his career.

Debra Winger – only in about three scenes but dominates every moment she's on screen.

Bill recast the maid of honor role with Sarah Paulson (known at the time from Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip).

• The movie was originally called 'Dancing with Shiva.'
• The dishwasher scene was based on an actual event involving Sidney Lumet and Bob Fosse.
• Demme: 'For the longest time, I've had this desire to provide the musical dimension of a movie without traditionally scored music.'
• Anne Hathaway genuinely got frustrated with the live music interfering with her acting.
• Robin Hitchcock: 'My memory of the whole thing is of being at a real wedding without the alcohol.'

• Anne Hathaway: Yes – Bill says this was peak juice career-wise. He would have bet on multiple Oscars for her (she ended up with one for Les Miserables).
• Rosemary DeWitt: Yes.
• Wedding movies: No. Amanda cites 'Father of the Bride', Four Weddings and a Funeral, and 'My Best Friend's Wedding' as the Mount Rushmore.
• Fucked up years for people named Rachel: 'Rachel Getting Married' (2008), Rachel Uchitel (Tiger Woods scandal), and Jennifer Aniston as Rachel on Friends dealing with the Brad Pitt/Angelina Jolie situation.

• Wouldn't the police have been involved in Ethan's death? Kim was high and drove off a bridge – seems like negligent homicide.
• The movie doesn't explain how Kim freed herself from the car but couldn't get Ethan out of the car seat.
• A lot of money spent on 75 musicians at the wedding but no actual venue.
• Not much talking or socializing at the wedding – just music.
• Rachel is getting her PhD in psychology but doesn't anticipate obvious triggers like the maid of honor situation.

No – you need the containment of the wedding, and nobody wants to spend 10 hours with these people.

• How long do Rachel and Sidney stay married? Bill thinks forever. Amanda says 7 years then amicable co-parenting split.
• How many times does Kimmy get married? Bill guesses 4-5 times.

• Bill: The Ethan plate from the dishwasher scene – morbid but the only recognizable collector's item.
• Amanda: The living room wallpaper in the family home.

• Bill and Amanda: Anne Hathaway.
• Wesley: Rosemary DeWitt.