The_Film_Cricket
I think the more you recognize Muriel Heslop the more you will identify with her journey. Muriel has insecurities, tries to fit in with the 'in crowd' and lives with her indifferent family in which her father looks down upon her and her lazy siblings and growls 'You are all bloody worthless'.Muriel has dreams but doesn't know how to approach them. She sits in her room in the dreamy swirl of white wedding dreams and the music of ABBA (their songs seem to act as a Greek chorus for Muriel's plight). No one is ever convinced that she will ever get married so it's no surprise that when she catches the bouquet at a wedding the other girls complain 'Just give it back Muriel, you'll never get married'.Stalking a group of snobbish, spoiled, unhappy twentysomethings who don't want her around Muriel is tries to be friends with them. She follows them to an island resort where she meets up with her old friend Rhonda who really DOES like Muriel and in fact tells Muriel's husband hunting 'friends' where they can go.With a new sense of self-esteem Muriel christens herself 'Mariel' and moves to Sydney with Rhonda. Still caught up in the idea that marriage will bring her happiness 'Mariel' decides to marry a South African swimmer so that he can get on the Austrailian Olympic team. Her wedding is a sham and everyone knows it, they all stand around looking disgusted or horrified or both.I can't go any further without spoiling it. At this point several things happen that we have no reason to anticipate. I love it when you are sure the you know exactly where a movie is going and then it turns on you and comes up with new ideas. I love movies that you can't anticipate.Muriel's search for true happiness is not laid out in a series of sitcom plots and lame misunderstandings. We watch a girl who is misguided by how to find true happiness and has to learn some hard lessons. At one point Muriel tells Rhonda 'I use to sit in my room and listen to ABBA songs, now my life is as good as an ABBA song. For Muriel this is a loving compliment.
copperncherrio
One of the better chick flicks out there
I first saw part of this movie when I was little and was so intrigued
it wasn't until later when I looked it up that I realized that it was Toni, also known as Tara of United States of Tara
I love her as an actress and this film just brings out her naively dopey side. Though, most might find her character annoying she's just so lovely.This movie follows Muriel a lower than average girl who believes that getting married will complete her life. She takes her family's saving to start her life in Sydney while living with her friend. There's a lot of mishaps among a variety of things that happens when her dreams come true. But Muriel is smarter than we give her credit from in the beginning.For the outcast in all of us who do not have a hidden talent, who are just the way we are
I believe that this takes a semi-realistic look at how life goes, even when you get hit with the strike of lightening. One of the better chick flicks out there for certain.
Machaon73
Muriel's Wedding is the story of a young woman's journey from self-loathing to self-loving. Her family is plagued with low self-esteem, depression, deception, and recrimination. Muriel escapes to a fantasy world, culminating in dreams of marriage that she believes will help her escape the self that she loathes. It is only through tragedy that she sees the shallowness of her own deceptions, and the importance of being her genuine self.Muriel's Wedding is a wonderfully written and acted film. Some parts tend to caricature, yet this is entirely appropriate given that the people portrayed are themselves so superficial and cliché. The principal characters of the story are finely acted: we feel both their despair and effervescent joy. Toni Collette and Rachel Griffiths are perfectly cast. The quality of both the script and acting is proved through our love of such a flawed protagonist.Muriel's Wedding is a great Australian movie, and a thoroughly recommended tale of self-discovery.
preppy-3
Muriel (Toni Collette) is an overweight unattractive Australian girl who loves ABBA music. She hangs around with a bunch of attractive but vicious women who tell her off every chance they get. She then meets easy-going, friendly Rhonda (Rachel Griffiths) and her life begins to change.SPOILERS!!!!! Sounds like a feel-good movie--right? WRONG! This has Muriel and some likable characters go through some incredibly horrible things again and again. For instance: Rhonda is very sexually active and (for no good reason) is crippled accidentally halfway through. Why? Because she happens to enjoy sex? Muriel's mother is treated by her husband like dirt...and she takes it. Muriel's friends have got to be the most vicious group of women I've EVER seen in any movie. Muriel meets a sweet guy who really likes her--but she dumps him to marry an attractive but empty-headed jock. That's only a few things. Again and again we're hit over the head with these depressing story turns. Seriously--what's the reason? The few good moments were blotted out by the negativity. After this was over I was utterly depressed and hated the movie. This only gets a two for the acting (Collette and Griffiths are great) and the ABBA music. But this is a seriously depressing, negative film.
AD
