Amazon.com: Ever since the late '70s when the Australian New Wave was in full surge, Down Under directors have delivered movies that often hit you like news from another planet. Offbeat characters, weird narrative twists, and a tart mixture of laughs and catastrophe--this is the juice that fuels such flicks as Proof, The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, Strictly Ballroom, Heavenly Creatures, and most certainly Muriel's Wedding. Directed by P.J. Hogan (who would go on to helm the Hollywood hit My Best Friend's Wedding), this little gem follows tradition by featuring an authentic misfit: Muriel (Toni Collette), a great overweight horse of a girl obsessed with getting married and the music of ABBA. Appropriately, we first meet Muriel at a wedding, all trussed up in a leopardskin number she's boosted for the occasion. When her snotty peers insist that she give up the bridal bouquet to someone who might actually get hitched, when one of the guests turns out to be a clerk in the very store where Muriel ripped off her outfit--you gotta laugh, she's such an unmitigated mess. A loser, her philandering politician father (Bill Hunter) calls her--along with his doormat wife and his other couch-potato offspring. But this movie's no exercise in geek-bashing. As Muriel takes up with feisty Rhonda (Rachel Griffiths) and moves from Porpoise Spit to the big city, her good-hearted grin and zest for life draw us in despite hilarious gaffes and mishaps. (Making out with a boy for the first time, Muriel suddenly finds herself awash in styrofoam: the oaf has unzipped the beanbag chair instead of her skin-tight leather pants.) Muriel's Wedding covers territory Hollywood would banish from a comedy--Rhonda's cancer, the suicide of Muriel's mother, a marriage of convenience to an arrogant athlete--yet, like its heroine, it never loses its sense of humor, its will to move on to whatever good thing might happen next. Everyone in the idiosyncratic cast is terrific, but it's Toni Collette's Dancing Queen who makes Muriel's Wedding a cinematic celebration you won't forget. --Kathleen Murphy
If you like Mamma Mia! it's time to rediscover Muriel I saw the new Mamma Mia! movie last night and it was fun, but it could not hold a candle to Muriel's Wedding, which is my favorite ABBA-themed movie (wedding-themed and ABBA-themed, quite a specialized genre!).
Muriel's Wedding is not a full-on musical, but features ABBA music throughout (including Dancing Queen, Waterloo, and Fernando) as sad-sack Muriel dreams of leaving her dead-end existence in Porpoise Spit behind for life in the big city and hopefully, a fantasy wedding. The lack of a groom is the least of Muriel's obstacles.
The Australian comedy stars a young Toni Collette (known now for playing mother roles in The Sixth Sense, About a Boy, and Little Miss Sunshine) and Rachel Griffiths, who went on to co-star in Six Feet Under and Brothers and Sisters on US television.
Muriel's Wedding is funny, satirical, campy, and ultimately celebrates true friendship triumphing over the illusion of romance taking us away from it all.
Just love the movie This movie touched me, I bought it to see it over and over again. I also love Abba music.
Muriel's Wedding-A fun flick from begining to end! This retro-review is for the widescreen version of "Muriel's Wedding",still available as of this writing and at a steal of a price. This is one movie I pull out again and again and it never disappoints no matter how many times I've see it. Toni Collette(in her 3rd movie) stars as the overweight Muriel Heslop.The movie is in three "acts","The bouquet","Sydney,city of brides" and "The Wedding". It opens with Muriel amongst a throng of other wedding attendees catching the bridal bouquet.Her four "friends",which includes the bride,implore her to give it to another group friend as it should be hers by rights,not Muriel's.Muriel hurt,reluctantly gives the bouquet over only to have it thrown back in her face because her friend had just broken up with her boyfriend.As everyone disperses some nasty remarks are made Muriel's way. This in essence sets the tone for the rest of the movie and especially the character of Muriel herself.She is hanging out and trying to fit in with a group of selfish self-absorbed gals from her hometown of Porpoise Spit(you've gotta love that name!),and she will endure almost anything to get their approval and in the process prove to herself and others that she is "something",not "nothing". At the wedding she is arrested for stealing the very dress she wears,which she denies having stolen but actually did(showing how far she'll go to be accepted and fit in).She's taken home by the police.Here,at home, we are given a fuller understanding of the backdrop of her life.She's 22 years old and still lives at home with her family.Her father is a town councillor who once tried running for the Senate but lost.He blames this on his family and further more publicly derides them all as lazy and shiftless,while all the time treating his wife like a doormat who is there just for his whimsy and beck and call.In fact just as Muriel feels like "nothing",her mother has as much right to say this if not more than her.The only difference between the two is how each deal with their lives.Muriel at this time of her life is trying to fit in,while her mother has obviously tried in the past but lost(in more ways than one) and really mirrors what is in store for Muriel.And she along with her mother,sister and two brothers seem to be chained to this never ending loop of despair,with no hope of change. An opportunity arises through a lady friend of Muriel's father.She runs a beauty consultant business and "coincidentally" pops in on Bill with his family and other business associates an unusual amount of times throughout the film(we later find out why).She offers to give Muriel a chance to sell cosmetics for her.Muriel takes the job and is given a blank check by her mother(on orders from her father,of course) to get her started.At this same time her four "friends" are going to be taking a resort vacation on Hibiscus Island.Before they leave they finally give Muriel the grand rejection by booting her out of the group and Muriel is devastated.But with the blank check and her new job,Muriel decides to use it as the premise to take a vacation of a lifetime and also to be with her "friends",so she follows them.While there Muriel is recognized by an old fellow high schooler Rhonda,played by Rachel Griffiths(her first movie).They instantly hit it off and become good friends. When Muriel lands back home she finds out that the scheme has been found out and it's time to pay the piper.Before the piper has a chance to catch her she high tails it back to the cab she arrived in and takes off.She gets her friend Rhonda and both take off southward to Sydney to start a new life.Rhonda gets a job across the street from Muriel,who works in a video rental store.One day a local guy comes in to rent a movie and asks her for her very first formal date.Rhonda takes Muriel and her boyfriend to a ravers club and bumps into two hot American sailors who she takes back home,leaving Muriel and the new boyfriend alone for a while.Eventually both arrive back home also, but to a very loud "commotion" afoot in the girls only bedroom.A clothing trail in the hall,a mixture of Rhondas' and the sailors,tells the tale. Muriel amid long moments of awkward silence,makes her boyfriend a cup of "tea"(Muriel is NOT a whiz in the kitchen!) and they both sit down to drink it;Muriel on a bean bag chair.Finally her amour can take no more and forcefully kisses her.Getting little resistance he moves on and on and Muriel giggles with delight at each piece of clothing he removes.However when he unzips the bean bag chair instead of Muriels' leather pants,bedlam ensues.Muriels' screeches bring in the two sailors from the next room who think her boyfriend has made some unwanted advances towards her.Both sailors are without clothes as one pins the "perpetrator" down, while the other tries to console Muriel,who screeches even louder when she spies his "nether regions". During this raucous Rhonda falls backwards and slides down a wall.Her legs have given out.It turns out Rhonda has a cancerous tumour in her brain.One operation that would supposedly remove it entirely turns into another from which she'll never walk again.Rhonda relies heavily on Muriel but Muriel,ever the mental wanderer,continues to dream of marriage and travels to several dress shops in Sydney.She has a different story for each store clerk she meets but it usually has something to do with a sick relative who will be unable to attend her "wedding".In return she gets to try the dresses on and gets a picture to go along to boot.At one store Rhonda finds her and lets Muriel knows she needs to get a life. With this Muriel gets serious.She scours the papers and sees an ad right up her alley.It says that an South African olympic swimmer is looking to marry an Australian girl.After checking him and the situation out further she finds out the swimmer is only doing it to get citizenship so he can compete for Australia.The marriage will only be in name only and for a minimum of four months to comply with regulations.Nonetheless Muriel marries the swimmer getting ALOT of media attention and thinking she's finally made it.She also hopes for more than the shallow marriage it is.Reality rears its' ugly head. During this time her father has been formally charged with taking bribes.He is in Sydney awaiting a hearing and also it is learned he has left his wife for his friend the beauty consultant.Her father also has let it be known publicly that Muriel stole money from him and uses that to try and gain public sympathy and as an excuse for him taking a bribe in the first place.At the wedding father gives the bride away and Muriels' mother finally arrives alone but late just as her daughter leaves the church.Muriel doesn't see her and mother is crushed. Rhonda,without Muriel,is forced to go home and live with her mother.After a time Muriel is forced to face reality and realize the marriage sham is just that and has nowhere to go.Thrown in on all this is a call home as Muriels' mother has committed suicide. She flies back for the funeral and finds her Dad wants her to stay to mind the house and her siblings.She stands up to him finally and says it is HIS responsibility.His ersatz girlfriend it seems isn't keen on having his kids in tow anyways,so that "romance" cooled faster than an ice age;he does as Muriel says.Muriel realizes she has finally found herself and she goes to collect Rhonda and both fly back to Sydney,to start their new lives together.Fade out. It's quite the movie with alot of ups and downs for all characters but it is a feel good story with a feel good ending that leaves you smiling when the credits finally run. The movie also has become famous for its'soundtrack of ABBA songs.Muriels musical solace throughout the movie was ABBA.In fact there's a nice sequence when her and Rhonda are on Hibiscus Island doing a lip sync to "Waterloo".Furthermore it was "Muriels Wedding" that pretty much single handedly revived the interest in ABBA music in the 90s and onward resulting in new releases of their recorded material,videos and even a popular theatrical play "Mama Mia". This movie is certainly one with a wide appeal for women as well as men.I would recommend though that if you have any children below the ages of say 16 that you be careful when viewing this as some of the scenes and language can get pretty "descriptive" at times. Other than that I highly recommend this picture to everyone.The film has no pretensions,is bold and says:"Here I am-love me or leave me".Plot wise it does have a tendency to wander at times and slow things a bit,but it does get back on track quickly and the many precious funny sequences that are in it tend to make up for the others.Remember also that as much fun as this movie is it does get serious,and sometimes very quickly.But it is to the credit of the actors,script writers and the director that all the fine tapestry that is Muriel's Wedding comes off as well as it does. If you haven't taken the plunge there is no better time to get "Muriel's Wedding" and treat yourself, than right now.You won't be disappointed.
Chick Flick with Charm Calling "Muriel's Wedding" a "chick flick" is not to be disrespectful to this poignant film about an Ugly Duckling who evolves - not into a Swan, but into a human being released from the conviction that life is only worth living as a Swan, and that there is only one kind of Swan - the pretty, married kind. It's a chick flick not because it's shallow, but because few women will have trouble relating to the anguish experienced by its main character, the socially afflicted, gauche Muriel Heslop. I don't say that men won't, only that they will need to cross some unfamiliar terrain to get there. Women will respond with immediacy, especially any woman whose early years were marked by a sense of being that Ugly Duckling.
In addition to Toni Collette's memorable performance in the title role, the film also contains a wonderful performance by Rachel Griffiths as Muriel's best friend, the forthright, in-your-face, passionate Rhonda Epinstalk. A marvellous supporting cast includes the familiar Bill Hunter (who played a similar role in "Strictly Ballroom") as Muriel's father, nursing his failed political ambitions while neglecting to take a hand in straightening out his brood of lazy, drifting, goal-challenged kids, and Jeannie Drynan in a sadly affecting portrayal of Muriel's harried, unfortunate mother.
Muriel and Rhonda have grown up together in suburban Porpoise Spit, whose nearest sophisticated urban center is Sydney, although air travel is required to get there. Stiflingly provincial, Porpoise Spit is one of those places where, if a girl isn't pretty, slim, popular with boys, and engaged to be married by 19, she might as well cut her throat. Cutting her throat is pretty much what the heavy, awkward, self-loathing Muriel feels like doing every day. Muriel has hovered for years at the edge of a small clique of girls who barely tolerate her - the kind of girls whose only accomplishments are to look good in bikinis, wear lots of makeup, be sexually promiscuous, and get jobs in the Mall. Their vision doesn't extend beyond marrying one of the well-built local ne'er-do-wells in a cloud of white tulle and flowers.
At 22, out of school, with no job, no boyfriend, no plans, and no particular skills, all Muriel hungers for is acceptance by this clique. She is fixated on the idea that if she can only get married in a splendid wedding of her own, it will prove to these distasteful little witches that she is as good as they are - that they are really worthless has never occurred to poor, beknighted Muriel, who spends days locked in her room listening to Abba songs in a fog of inchoate longing.
The film opens at the wedding of Tanya, the first member of the clique to hit the marital jackpot - but soon after, the clique unexpectedly find themselves together again, as Tanya relates how her groom could not do his marital duty on their wedding night - due to his exhaustion from indulging in an extramarital affair (in fact, he was busy screwing Nicole, one of Tanya's bridesmaids, during the wedding reception). To comfort Tanya, the girls plan a trip to Hibiscus Island together, a sort of replacement honeymoon. They cruelly disinvite Muriel from accompanying them, accusing her of being an embarrassment to them because she's fat and doesn't know how to dress or behave.
Muriel is so devastated by this rejection that when her father's mistress offers Muriel a job selling cosmetics, and Muriel's mother gives her a blank check to purchase the beauty supplies, Muriel instead takes the money and absconds with it to Hibiscus Island, where she pretends to be surprised at meeting up with the little clique, who excoriate her publicly for following them. Tanya throws an exotic drink in Muriel's face, warning her to stay away from them, as another member of the clique murmurs sadly, "You've-got-no-dignity, Muriel."
However, Muriel finds her ex-schoolmate, Rhonda Epinstalk, is also vacationing on the island alone, and the two strike up a friendship, the first of Muriel's life with someone who not only accepts her as an equal, but who thinks Muriel is "amazing" just as she is. Rhonda despises the clique that has intimidated Muriel for so long, and to Muriel's shock, when invited to join them for a drink, Rhonda refuses and not only tells them off smartly, but informs Tanya that the woman her new husband is having an affair with is Nicole, a bona fide member of the clique, and standing by Tanya's side, precipitating a ferocious cat fight.
In Rhonda's company, Muriel actually begins to have fun, and to a routine done to the Abba hit "Waterloo", she and Rhonda win the evening talent contest. However, when Muriel returns from her vacation, she realizes that her theft of the funds from her father's bank account has been discovered. Ignoring her mother's pleas for information about the money, Muriel gets back into the cab that has just brought her home from the airport, and runs away to Sydney (City of Brides), where she and Rhonda land a couple of jobs and get a flat together.
Led by the free-wheeling, high-spirited Rhonda, Muriel begins to date a bit and enjoy some nightlife, and in her desperate desire to shed her old identity, changes her name to Mariel. She's still bedeviled by her marriage fixation, but at least she's out from under the deadly miasma of Porpoise Spit and her dysfunctional family home.
From then on, the film follows Muriel's sometimes tortuous, sometimes hilarious evolution from lonely spinster to independent woman. Along the way, she gets into one scrape after another. Muriel stumbles on the idea of presenting herself as a prospective bride at every bridal shop in Sydney, trying on dresses and getting the staff to photograph her in them so she can show the photos to her desperately ill mother or sister, depending on what day it is. Muriel even gets to have the wedding of her dreams with a South African Olympic swimming hopeful who needs an Australian wife in order to be able to compete for Australia instead of South Africa, which is about to be booted from games for its apartheid system - the swimmer's family and trainer pay Muriel $10,000 to accommodate his needs.
It takes two unexpected tragedies, and the experience of the sham marriage, for Muriel to realize, finally, that her fantasies are just that: fantasies - limited and empty, and blocking the possibilities for new goals and enjoyment that life might hold if she moves beyond them. Despite setbacks and uncertainties, Muriel and Rhonda finally leave Porpoise Spit joyously behind them, as Tanya runs behind them shrieking, "How dare you say something like that to me! I'm beautiful! I'm married!" - words that at last arouse nothing but laughter in Muriel.
The portraits of suburban Australia, and of the tyranny of the painful sexual inequities that can afflict the early lives of those who don't fit in, and of the cultural devaluation of single women, are well-drawn and emotionally engaging. Toni Collette inhabits Muriel's warm and hungry soul - occasionally Collette takes it a bit over the top, but for the most part she nails it perfectly. When Muriel is discovered and "outed" by Rhonda during the last of her bridal shop masquerades, and Muriel sinks down in the dressing room in the finery she feels she has no right to wear, sobbing, "Why can't it be ME? Why isn't it ever ME?" there are few women whose hearts will not go out to her.
This is a charming and poignant film, a slice of life that will remain with the viewer after the credits fade.
cannot beat the price on Amazon for classics If you are an Abba fan, toni collette fan....like a semi-dark comedy...this is a pretty good cult classic.....a fun one for movie night with the friends
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