On its surface, Jonathan Demme’s 2008 film (from a script by Jenny Lumet, daughter of the famous director Sidney Lumet) is about a troubled young woman named Kym (Anne Hathaway) who comes home from rehab just in time to reopen old wounds on the weekend of her sister Rachel’s wedding. That aside, though, the movie contains one of the most joyous, eclectic weddings ever put on film. The entire weekend, from rehearsal dinner to reception, is full of every type of music and tradition imaginable. It’s both a tribute to our increasingly multicultural society and one of the most incredible-looking parties ever. During the actual wedding ceremony itself, groom Sidney (Tunde Adebimpe, of indie rock band TV on the Radio) scraps the vows and sings an a cappella version of Neil Young’s “Unknown Legend” to his new wife. The combination of his voice and Demme’s perfectly timed cuts to those in the audience makes this scene a happy tearjerker.
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