Muriel's Wedding (1995)

Truly Dreadful Film

Admirable film.

It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

I first saw this movie in the theater and thought it was good, but not spectacular. When it came out on video, I remember liking it so I decided to re-watch. That's when it call started to fall into place. The more times I've watched, the more I realized the subtle details that I had missed the previous times. It just kept getting better. Then there's the soundtrack of ABBA music which just makes you want to dance.

If you are looking for a fantasy movie then this is it, base mostly in Australia this movie will take you on an adventure. A young lady loving ABBA tries to find her dream wedding, problem is she has never had a date or really good friends.she deals with love, dreams, family, heart break and friends problems a long the way,she moves to the city with her best friend to change her life, when she is in the city she has a job, a home and she finds a guy she likes but that isn't the end of it at all, she will do anything to have a dream wedding. Throughout this movie there will be lots of laughs and some tears. Personally it is one of the best 1994 movie I have seen in a while, grab your best friends this movie some food for a night of laughter.

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.

I'm so happy I was lucky enough to revisit this splendid film. i remember seeing it when I was younger. But now it feels like a different movie. it's even better than I remember it and that may be because I can truly appreciate the films message more prominently. The film centers on a young woman named Muriel played by a young Toni Collette who gained 40 lbs. for the role. She's sort of an odd duckling whose friends don't appreciate her and constantly put her down. And that goes the same for her verbally abusive father as well. After her friends decide to "break up" with her she finds an old acquaintance from high school while on a vacation and they become best friends. She tells a lie and than it leads to another and another. Her dreams of getting married consume her completely and I'm sure you can guess what ultimately happens. Let me say that this movie is hysterically funny but it does move into a very depressing stage but really has some very important things to say. About self worth, following your dreams, society's impressions on how we should live our lives, friendship and finding a way to truly be happy. I'm sure it sounds a bit corny but it's all handled with an unexpected grace which really make it the one of a kind film it is and one of the best movies I've ever seen!