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    Nostalgia Central
    Home»Movies»Movies by Decade»Movies - 1990s
    Movies - 1990s Movies - M 3 Mins Read

    Muriel’s Wedding (1994)

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    Muriel Heslop (Toni Collette) is an overweight ugly duckling first glimpsed catching the bouquet at a friend’s wedding. This event is quickly followed by Muriel being forced to toss the bouquet to someone else (as her chances of catching Mr Right are nil), the bridegroom having sex with a bridesmaid and Muriel being arrested for shoplifting.

    “You’re terrible, Muriel,” comes the envy-tinged statement from her sister, Joanie (Gabby Millgate).

    In further quick succession, Muriel’s father Bill (Bill Hunter) heaps derision on his family and bribes the police, the bride and her bridesmaids take off for a resort without the new husband, Bill stitches up a dodgy land deal with Japanese businessmen, Muriel steals money from her mother and follows the other girls to the local resort of Hibiscus Island where she runs into an old acquaintance, tough little sexpot Rhonda (Rachel Griffiths), and together they win a talent contest doing a routine mimicking Muriel’s beloved ABBA.

    murielswedding8

    Muriel and Rhonda run away to Sydney, Rhonda is diagnosed with cancer, and Bill is arrested on corruption charges.

    While nursing her wheelchair-bound friend, Muriel (now calling herself ‘Mariel’) answers an advertisement from a handsome South African athlete (Daniel Lapaine), who wants to marry in order to gain Australian citizenship in exchange for a $10,000 payment. With the prospect of becoming famous as Mrs David Van Arkle and escaping Muriel Heslop forever, it seems Mariel’s dreams have come true.

    Mariel finally marries. Her father forgives her. Her friends from Porpoise Spit return to be her bridesmaids. Only Rhonda and Muriel’s mother – who arrives late and is unnoticed – do not join in the celebrations.

    But before she can taste the fruits of married life, Mariel is forced back to reality with the death of her mother.

    Part Georgy Girl in its upbeat sentiments, part Strictly Ballroom in its satirical sketches of Oz life, the pace and the turn of events of Muriel’s Wedding – many of them delightfully comic – are breathtaking, and the plot twists and turns relentlessly.

    At the end of the film, Muriel and Rhonda shout goodbye to their home – the coastal resort town of Porpoise Spit – as they leave forever in a taxi. The two Cinderellas are leaving the ball.

    Muriel Heslop
    Toni Collette
    Bill Heslop

    Bill Hunter
    Rhonda Epinstalk

    Rachel Griffiths
    Tania

    Sophie Lee
    Cheryl

    Rosalind Hammond
    Janine
    Belinda Jarrett
    Nicole

    Pippa Grandison
    Betty Heslop

    Jeanie Drynan
    Perry Heslop

    Daniel Wyllie
    Joanie Heslop

    Gabby Millgate
    Deidre Chambers
    Gennie Nevinson
    Brice Nobes
    Matt Day 
    Ken Blundell

    Chris Haywood 
    David Van Arkle

    Daniel Lapaine

    Director
    PJ Hogan

    Video

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