Muriel's Wedding (1995)
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A socially awkward woman seeks to escape her dead-end life through the dream of a glamorous wedding.
The story
Socially awkward young Muriel Heslop is frequently ridiculed by her shallow friends in the beach town of Porpoise Spit. A devoted ABBA fan, she daydreams of a glamorous wedding to escape her domineering father, a corrupt politician who belittles his family. After being publicly humiliated at a friend's wedding for wearing a stolen dress, Muriel's life takes a turn when she is recruited into a multi-level marketing business. Seeking a new life, she eventually flees to Sydney, where she attempts to reinvent herself while navigating new friendships and her lingering obsession with her dream wedding.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Muriel Heslop, a socially awkward woman in the beach town of Porpoise Spit, dreams of a glamorous wedding to escape her domineering, corrupt father, Bill. After being publicly humiliated at a friend's wedding for wearing a stolen dress, she is recruited into a multi-level marketing scheme by Bill's mistress, Deidre. Muriel eventually flees to Sydney, changing her name to Mariel and befriending Rhonda Epinstall. However, Rhonda becomes paralyzed after a health crisis, and Muriel uses the situation to indulge in bridal shop visits. Desperate for a wedding, Muriel enters a sham marriage with South African swimmer David Van Arkle for $10,000. At her elaborate Sydney wedding, her friends serve as bridesmaids while her mother, Betty, fails to attend. After the wedding, David reveals his lack of interest. Back in Porpoise Spit, Betty is found dead by suicide after Bill announces his intention to divorce her. At the funeral, David and Muriel consummate their marriage but part amicably. Muriel eventually stands up to her father, giving him $5,000 and demanding he stop abusing her siblings, before taking Rhonda back to Sydney to escape their hometown.
- First release year
- 1994
- Runtime (minutes)
- 101
- Production countries
- Australia; France
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- P. J. Hogan
- Writers
- P. J. Hogan · writer
- Cast and characters
- Toni Collette · Muriel; Bill Hunter · Bill; Rachel Griffiths · Rhonda
- Genres
- comedy-drama
- Themes
- dysfunctional family; social isolation; identity; obsession
- Tone and mood
- quirky; melancholy; exuberant; heartfelt
- Premise and plot tags
- buddy comedy-drama; wedding; dysfunctional family; independent film
- Source material / true-story basis
- Inspired by P. J. Hogan's family.
- Content notes
- adultery; suicide
- Reception
- The film received positive reviews from critics and was a commercial success in Australia and the United States.
- Awards and nominations
- Golden Globe Award · Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy · nomination
- Production trivia
- The film used Tweed Heads as the locale for Porpoise Spit.; The filmmakers considered changing Muriel's favorite band to the Village People.; The film was released as simply 'Muriel' in France.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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