Anne Hathaway names the greatest director she’s ever worked with: “Beyond extraordinary”
While some of us might forever remember for her role in The Princess Diaries as an unruly and reluctant heir to the throne, many associate Anne Hathaway with her indelible impact on popular culture. From the devastating vulnerability of her character in Brokeback Mountain and Dark Waters to the insurmountable impact of The Devil Wears Prada and Interstellar, there is no doubt that Hathaway is a Hollywood legend.
Her filmography as an assortment of riches, with projects that range from commercial blockbusters to daring independent dramas, working with the likes of Christopher Nolan, Tim Burton, David Lowery and Todd Haynes. However, while she might have her pick of the bunch and can name-drop an endless list of influential artists that she has worked with, the actor was quick to sing the praises of one in particular.
Like many women in the public eye, Hathaway has been subject to public scrutiny at many different points in her career, with one particular era in which she was picked apart for every decision both on and off screen, with audiences ridiculing everything from her creative choices to her appearance. It was during this era that she reprised one of her most talked about and controversial roles, and while it was met with scepticism, it led her to join forces with one of her most beloved collaborators.
Rachel Getting Married was directed by Jonathan Demme in 2008, following a young woman as she returns home from rehab for her sister’s wedding. With a tonal quality almost similar to that of Joachim Trier’s Oslo, August 31st, the film stands out in the director’s body of work after directing Silence of the Lambs and the infamous Talking Heads concert film, Stop Making Sense. Despite this, it contains his signature warmth and vibrancy, flitting between crushing lows and soaring highs to create a life-affirming and meaningful meditation on life and the feeling of not having it figured out.
When asked about the best aspect of working on the film, Hathaway replied, “The long and the short answer is everything, but it’s the gift of Jonathan Demme. It illuminated, in the most brilliant, ultraviolet way, that I’ve always nailed it. It came at a moment in my life when I was so ready. I had lived just long enough that I was ready to burn everything that didn’t serve me to the ground, and I was still so very impressionable that I was able to take in what was fortifying and inspiring, and there is no one better than Jonathan Demme to work with, period”.
“The memories from that are etched in me in such a psychedelic way,” she continued. “The people that I was with were beyond extraordinary. I’ll never forget it and I don’t know that I’ll ever actually be able to capture it in words so I should probably stop talking”.
Every now and then, we are given an experience like this one that reaffirms our faith in what we do and the magic of filmmaking, something that stuck out to Hathaway for many years after shooting and continued to be held as a treasured memory for the actor.
