Muriel's Wedding [M]

In a world of naysayers and people pushing her to a lower place, all Muriel Heslop needed was a friend. Living a dull and miserable life in Porpoise Spit, poor Muriel spends al her time in her room listening to ABBA. But when she bumps into Rhonda, an old high school acquaintance, and moves to Sydney with her, she starts a new life; one that proves that success is the best revenge. 

One of Australia’s most iconic films in the history of cinema and winner of 4 AFI Awards including Best Film, Best Actress, Best Actress In A Supporting Role, and Best Sound, Muriel’s Wedding is a joyous and truly beautiful film that has me laughing, singing, and crying every time. 

In a world of naysayers and people pushing her down to a lower level, telling her that she’s nothing, all Muriel Heslop needed was a friend. Living a dull and miserable live in Porpoise Spit, poor Muriel spends all her time locked in her room listening to ABBA and dreaming of success and her wedding day. But when she bumps into Rhonda, an old high school acquaintance, and moves to Sydney with her, Muriel begins a new life; one that proves that success is the best revenge. 

This is a classic Aussie film. It’s perfectly balanced between comedy and drama, and the story is very simple and is moved forward solely by its characters. The mixture of characters is absolutely perfect because there is someone to feel every emotion towards. By that I mean there is someone to love, someone to loath, someone to pity, someone to empathise with, someone to laugh with, someone to sing with, and someone to cry with. It’s a really wonderful mix. 

Toni Collette stars as Muriel, winning the AFI Award for Best Actress. If you look at Toni in something like Connie and Carla or Little Miss Sunshine and then look at her in this film, you would not recognise her. Starting the film as a plain Jane and then becoming more gorgeous as her life improves, Toni was a rare and sparkling gem. She was shy, innocent, cunning, envious, and a beautiful, but somewhat tragic character. She delivered an absolutely stunning performance in this movie. 

Rachel Griffiths stars as Rhonda and she was lovely. Providing the character of Muriel with that courage and adrenaline kick that she needs at the beginning, Rachel delivered a wonderful performance that was humorous, tragic, passionate, and dramatic. The film brightens up as soon as Rachel makes her first appearance. 

Starring Bill Hunter, Sophie Lee, Jeanie Drynan, Gennie Nevinson, Matt Day, Roz Hammond, Belinda Jarrett, Pippa Grandison, Dan Wyllie, and Gabby Millgate, Muriel’s Wedding is a classic Australian film filled with glamour, comedy, drama, knockout performances and a brilliant soundtrack. Making it into my film bible, 1001 Films You Must See Before You Die, it’s an iconic film in Aussie cinema history and is a must-have in any film buff’s collection.