Muriel's Wedding - A Movie Review

Nobody runs your life except yourself.

Muriel’s Wedding walked down the aisle into theaters in 1994. Muriel has always been cast aside by her family and friends. Tired of being the brunt of jokes, Muriel steals money from her parents and travels to a new destination to find a new life and love.

Being the Toni Collette fan that I am, I researched her filmography and sat down to watch Muriel’s Wedding. Muriel’s Wedding is a fun and meaningful film about being true to yourself and chasing after your dreams.

This film was Toni Collette’s first starring role. I always love Collette’s reactions, including her facial expressions. You always know how she’s feeling. Muriel’s upbringing and toxic relationships have never earned her a healthy lifestyle. Her plan to run away makes things better, but her decisions affect her views on marriage.

Halfway through the film, Muriel changes the spelling of her name to Mariel. 80% of my name! I was honored because the name ‘Marielle’ is so rare, especially in the media. I smiled and giggled when the characters said it.

More credits include Rachel Griffiths (in her movie debut), Bill Hunter, Raz Hammond, Jeanie Drynan, Sophie Lee, and Dan Wyllie. The way the characters treated Muriel was awful, especially her ‘friends’. The side characters are so important in this film.

Muriel’s Wedding is a coming-of-age film that resonates with several audiences. It’s okay to take time to figure our lives out. P.J. Hogan did a great job in his ability to blend humor with the story’s tragic moments. He actually based the titular character on his own personality.

The pacing is a bit uneven, particularly in the second half when Muriel and Rhonda embark on their adventure. One element that Muriel’s Wedding should have expanded on more was Muriel’s friendship with Rhonda (Rachel Griffiths). Rhonda switches from being a loyal friend until she’s treating her unfairly like the other characters.

Was Rhonda’s illness essential to the story? Halfway through the story, Rhonda becomes ill. The inclusion of her illness takes away from Muriel. It’s also another test for Muriel to see how she treats her best friend now that she is the vulnerable one. The film could have benefitted from a tighter focus on the central character

Muriel’s Wedding has the funniest scenes ever. I howled in laughter when Muriel tried to have an intimate moment with a man in a bean bag chair. You can guess where the situation goes. Upon making a noise, Rhonda’s dates run out of the room (naked) for more chaos to ensue. I was laughing and laughing.

Muriel’s transformation is heartwarming to see. She is a leader for anyone who feels unseen or has been talked down to. However, just because she’s had a toxic upbringing, doesn’t mean she’s not a flawed character. For example, Muriel steals money from her parents and she gets married to a man whom she knows that she doesn’t love.

Decisions are the hardest part of life. This is the first time that Muriel is living independently so If Muriel made all the right decisions then we wouldn’t have a movie. Muriel’s choices are authentic and help audiences too.

Viewers who are fans of ABBA are in for a treat. As Muriel’s favorite band, she is constantly listening to ABBA songs throughout the film. ABBA’s songs contribute as a powerful narrative device.

Muriel’s Wedding is a film that you need to put on your watch list. It’s funny, heartwarming, and has a good message about being you.