You may think that when one person becomes an addict, it is only their problem. The truth is that when you have a close-knit family, your problems become their problems. The movie “Rachel’s Getting Married” shows just what a struggle it is to have a recovering addict in the family and the toll it can bring.
The character of Kym is a recovering addict of nine months in and out of treatment for years. She explains during one of her 12 step meetings that still carries the guilt of the death of her younger brother who died when she was under the influence and drove off a bridge. She decides to come home so she can attend the wedding of her older sister, Rachel. We can see that Kym’s addiction has caused a rift between her and her sister since Rachel is scared that if Kym comes, the attention will be focused on her sister instead of on her big day.
The drama escalates even more in the scene when she is supposed to give a toast to her sister but instead makes the speech about her recovery. In Kym’s mind, she sees this as her attempt to get her family to forgive her and to be accepted to show that she is trying to get better. Rachel sees it as her sister being self-centered and looking for attention. It shows how addiction can make you appear self-centered in that you are only used to thinking of your needs instead of the focus being on Rachel.
We also see a rift between Kym and her mother in that her mother blames her for accidentally killing her brother while Kym feels her mother should not have left her with him in the first place knowing she was not safe to be around at the time. Kym’s father tries to bring light to the situation by only acknowledging that Kym is trying her best at recovery. We see how Kym’s addiction has affected the whole family. The movie does not provide an easy message how wrong addiction is or tries to be preachy but shows someone trying her best to gain the acceptance in her family that was taken away from her at the start of her addiction. The movie ends with Kym going back to treatment which shows how her own personal recovery and her family’s will be an ongoing journey.
Located in downtown Midland, The Springboard Center’s mission is to offer programs and services to treat alcohol and drug addiction treatment using an evidence based curriculum, 12 step programs, diet, nutrition, exercise, emotional, mental and spiritual development for a long recovery. For more information, please call us at 432-620-0255 as we are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
