In Character: Rosemarie DeWitt

Whatever Rosemarie DeWitt does, she does so with the utmost command. When she plays a clueless, unenthusiastic sister on cable television, she plays it with remorseless vigor. A slighted wife or a conniving bisexual vegan – played with equal parts restraint and resolve. I find DeWitt’s acting choices to be continually fascinating, and her craft to be consistently perfect. DeWitt stole my heart six years ago as a title character attempting to get through her wedding weekend. In the time since, I’ve viewed everything she’s done before and after, all to immensely satisfying results. 

Five Essential Roles

Mad Men (2007; 2010)

Midge Daniels

Midge Daniels was the first. The pot-smoking, Kerouac-loving, hippie-sympathizing Midge was the very first mistress we saw Don Draper fornicate with. And even though we didn’t know Don that well, we quickly realized that Midge was his escape. The two were polar opposites in their life sentiments, which made for a rocky, curious relationship that was always amusing to watch. However, as much as I enjoyed DeWitt’s early work on the show, her crowning achievement on Mad Men came in Season 4.

There’s a warm appreciation that takes over when a favorite character from a show you love makes an unannounced visit after seasons of silence. That was Midge popping up toward the end of Season 4. After tracking Don down and convincing him to come back to her place, her true motivations become alarmingly real in the most heartbreaking way. From rouge beatnik to desperate junkie, oh how far our dear Midge fell.

United States of Tara (2009-2011)

Charmaine

I hadn’t seen Showtime’s United States of Tara before researching this post. But, if there is ever a reason to spend hours watching television, Rosemarie DeWitt is certainly it. After making it through two of the show’s three seasons, I can confidently say that DeWitt’s role as the self-absorbed, jealous, oft profane Charmaine is some of the best work of the her career.

Charmaine’s older sister, Tara, is a loving mother and devote wife who just happens to suffer from multiple personality disorder. And because Tara’s affliction occupies everyone’s attention, Charmaine is constantly fighting for the notice of those around her. Instead of being understanding and supportive, Charmaine typically tries to convince people that Tara’s disorder is staged. She berates, rolls eyes, scoffs, all with the pathetically narcissistic humor. If you’re used to Rosemarie DeWitt’s kind, loyal, girl next door screen persona, then I promise Charmaine will be a welcome change of pace.

Margaret (2011)

Mrs. Maretti

DeWitt’s work in Kenneth Lonergan’s Margaret, is a perfect one-scene wonder. Appearing briefly as the fiery wife of Mark Ruffalo’s character, DeWitt proved that an absence of substantial screen time has nothing to do with quality of performance. When we meet Mrs. Maretti, she’s playing catch up. She has no idea why a young woman named Lisa (Anna Paquin) has arrived at her door, demanding to speak with her husband, Gerald (Ruffalo). But after eavesdropping on their conversation, Mrs. Maretti learns that Lisa still blames Gerald for killing a pedestrian while he was driving a bus some weeks ago. Gerald won’t have it, and neither will his wife.

So in the span of just a few minutes, we watch as DeWitt goes from curious spectator (at first, she thinks Lisa could be Gerald’s mistress), to protective, enraged wife. Is her husband at fault for killing that pedestrian? Possibly. But Mrs. Maretti won’t entertain the idea of her husband’s guilt, instead choosing to insult a young woman who was, albeit misguidedly, possibly just trying to do the right thing.

Your Sister’s Sister (2011)

Hannah

So many films and television shows are guilty of underusing the vast talents of Rosemarie DeWitt. Not Your Sister’s Sister. Playing a bisexual vegan with a strong fondness for the sauce, Hannah was the perfect forum for DeWitt to expose something we rarely see from her: deceitfulness. Considering what Hannah does in this film, and how she so blankly means to get away with it, it’s safe to call Hannah one of DeWitt’s most emotionally vulnerable characters. For me, DeWitt singlehandedly makes Your Sister’s Sister worth it.

Nobody Walks (2012)

Julie

Nobody Walks is one of those moody, melodramatic mumblecore flicks that, despite its good intentions, never fully hits the emotional arcs it sets out to achieve. There is, however, a saving grace in DeWitt’s performance as Julie, a therapist who jungles her own flirtations with infidelity, while trying to determine her husband’s faithfulness as well.

There’s a scene toward the end of this movie in which Julie catches her beau (John Krasinski) in the desperate embrace of another (and much younger) woman. The look on DeWitt’s face (a fraction of which is pictured above) is enough to justify the existence of the whole film. Nobody Walks is full of long-winded arguments and improvisational exposition, which is what makes this silent moment so effective. It’s DeWitt standing back and saying nothing, while really saying everything.

The Best of the Best

Rachel Getting Married (2008)

Rachel

Rachel was the performance that made me fall in love with Rosemarie DeWitt. It’s a subtle, stunning portrayal of the effects of sibling favoritism. For her entire life, Rachel has been on the sidelines, constantly running second to the many problems caused by her younger sister, Kym (Anne Hathaway). Essentially, Rachel’s parents were never able to invest much time into Rachel, because they were always dealing with repercussions of Kym’s addictions. That absence of parental guidance wears on a kid. It diminishes them. But Rachel has grown strong. She’s made an impressive career for herself and met a kind man who she’ll soon marry. But, like clockwork, when Kym comes back home, all the attention is taken away from Rachel and unjustly placed on Hurricane Kym.

I simply adore everything about DeWitt’s performance here. I love how she chose to play Rachel as a quietly resentful sister, a woman who opts to keep her mouth shut until she’s pushed into a corner. And when pushed, DeWitt delivers the finest acting of her career, diving into lengthy, tear-filled monologues about a life of regret and abandonment. For the first time in her life, Rachel’s able to tell her whole family about what she went through. Her pain, her struggle. The result is utterly shattering. It’s a performance that never fails to bring tears to my eyes.

We only know Rachel for a few days, but through fearless acting and a brave script, we come to learn everything about her. Her anger and resentment, her love and courage. And when it’s all said and done and the hurricane has gone, what is there left to do but bounce whimsically and sit and listen to the music?

Other Notable Roles

In Cinderella Man

Cinderella Man (2005)

Rescue Me (2005)

Standoff (2006-2007)

Purple Violets (2007)

Afterschool (2008)

The Company Men (2010)

A Little Bit of Heaven (2011)

The Odd Life of Timothy Green (2012)

Promised Land (2012)

The Watch (2012)

Touchy Feely (2013)