Classic Review: Muriel’s Wedding (1994)

Nothing beats an unexpected cult sensation. We are so accustomed to knowing exactly everything there is to know about most of the movies we are going to watch in theaters that we end up losing the element of surprise. That little gem no one saw coming, no one even knew existed, but it found its way into our lives. We decide to give it a chance, (why not?) and we end up pleasantly surprised by the unexpected power of storytelling. Muriel’s Wedding is one of those gems.

Upon its original release in 1994, Muriel’s Wedding became an unexpected hit. It came from nowhere, although Australia had a great run in the early 90’s with a lot of cult movies like The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. This film had nothing going for it: two unknown stars, Collette and Griffiths, an unknown writer/director, P.J. Hogan, a small budget and no buzz. At least until it started its run around the film festivals, and then it became clear it had that spark we search so much for, only to find in so little films.

Muriel’s Wedding sees Muriel (Collette), an overweight woman who never fit in with her friends and even her family. When her father gets her a job with his mistress and her mother gives her a blank check for her to invest in material, she sees an opportunity to escape. She cashes the check and flees her small town. She befriends a woman named Rhonda (Griffiths) and they become roommates in Sidney. Muriel is still escaping her family, and she lies about her background. Her dream is to get a perfect wedding, and she tries bride dresses in the shops around town. She finally finds the opportunity to have just that , well, sort of that to be totally honest , and she turns her back to her best friend. But soon she realizes her dreams don’t make her happy, and she needs to stop living in the fantasy world and create a real one for herself.

Muriel is a great character: she’s bullied at home by her father Bill (Bill Hunter), a once powerful congressman who is somewhat respected in his circles. He is totally frustrated with the way his life turned out to be, and he blames it all on his family. Bill’s meanness is so dominant he overpowered his wife and all of the kids, who are all totally unequipped to deal with the simplest aspects of life. This starting point is actually quite heartbreaking , to see how bitterness can destroy everyone around it. See the total waste that this man made of his family is just so sad. Meanwhile, her life is not at all easier outside of her home: because she has been put down for all of her life, she doesn’t trust herself, and she can barely function in society. Her friends are not really her friends, and they also put her down constantly. She is just a tool to make them feel prettier, more popular and cooler. Muriel humiliates herself to the extreme until she meets Rhonda, who shows her she doesn’t have to be afraid of who she really is. And them Muriel blossoms into a great, confident young woman.

Muriel’s Wedding is a comedy, and it has funny moments in it, but it’s not a funny 50-laughs per minute kind of comedy; instead of huge laughs, what this movie provides us is with an almost constant smile. When Muriel flees her family and begin to gain control of her life, she becomes such a luminous person it’s impossible not to be truly happy for her. It doesn’t mean she’s not making mistakes or that her life is getting easier , what it means is that she is owning up to it all. She is learning, and she is improving. She’s finally growing up. And that is fun to watch.

Muriel is a tricky character to play. She seems easy to pinpoint but she’s not. She’s very complicated and messy, but how do you not fall in love with someone who’s discovering herself in such a joyful way? A lot of the appeal comes from Collette. Seeing her here proves she was always a fantastic actress, one that can lead us through the journey without losing sight of what’s truly important. She’s luminous here, and she gives us so much of Muriel’s inner life it’s impossible not to be in awe of her performance.

Luckily, the rest of the cast of Muriel’s Wedding makes it even better. The family is totally heartbreaking, Hunter is disgusting as the father, and the mean girls are just deliciously evil. The standout is Griffiths as Rhonda, who’s completely different from Muriel, totally free and comfortable with her sexuality, and even so, even them being such not a match, they just click perfectly together. It’s just impossible not cheering for them.  Oh, and I forgot to say: Muriel and Rhonda are total ABBA fans, which only makes things even more entertaining. Their musical number with Waterloo is delicious, and wickedly funny.

In the end, Muriel’s Wedding is a delicious, heartwarming movie. A perfect choice for any quarantine.

*still courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures*

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