Review of Muriel's Wedding (1994) by Kristal S — 28 Apr 2008

A good film made brilliant with music. Set to the sounds of Abba, this is a classic tale of the ugly (and slightly "terriblel") duckling, making it good despite a crook of a father, a mother who is breaking down, siblings who are idle and so called two faced, back biting friends. Stealing money from her father, the dumpy Muriel (Toni Collette) attempts to keep up with the in-crowd by taking and expensive holiday to be with her "friends". She is, of course, rejected but ends up being befriended by an old school chum, played by the excellent Rachel Griffiths. The adventures start there and the two girls set up in the big city with Abba mad.

Muriel being able to fuel her outrageous fantasies of a wonderful wedding. The scene where Griffiths has two sailors in her room whilst Collette is being fondled by her inexperienced date is just hilarious.Griffiths is suddenly struck down with a tumor on her spine and ends up confined to a wheelchair whilst Collette enters into a marriage of convenience with a South African swimmer desperate for an Australian passport. The marriage is doomed and is the friendship with Griffiths and it's all compounded when Collette's mother dies in a fire she started herself. It comes good in the end though, but you'll have to watch the film to see it! This is one of my cheer up films, always good if I'm a bit down.