What is Muriel's wedding?
Muriel's Wedding is a 1994 Australian comedy-drama film written and directed by P. J. Hogan.
How much money did Muriel's wedding make in Australia?
Muriel's Wedding grossed $15,765,571 at the box office in Australia—approximately $27 million in 2019 dollars, adjusted for inflation. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 1994 and opened in Australia the following month.
What color was Muriel's hair when she married?
She is also one of seven characters (the others being Courage, Eustace, Shirley, Dr. Vindaloo, the Computer and Katz) to appear in every season. As a toddler, Muriel's hair was white, then red when she was married, but brown in Remembrance of Courage Past.
Does Muriel really love her husband Eustace?
Muriel truly loves her husband, Eustace - however, she does not hesitate to discipline him with her rolling pin whenever he crosses the line, such as his deliberately scaring Courage just being wholly unreasonable.
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Who does Muriel end up with?
Muriel agrees to marry David for $10,000. At Muriel's elaborate wedding, her former friend group serve as the bridesmaids, while Rhonda bound to her wheelchair is relegated to being a guest, which leads to an awkward discussion between Rhonda and her former bullies.
Why does Muriel get married?
Desperate, Muriel enters into a conspiracy to marry South African swimmer David Van Arkle so that he can join Team Australia in the upcoming Olympics; she is paid $10,000 by David's parents for her part in the scheme.
Is Muriel's wedding a true story?
P.J. Hogan based Muriel's personality on himself, but Muriel's actions were inspired by his sister, who embezzled $15,000 from their father and then disappeared to Sydney to live with a friend.
What is the story of Muriel's wedding?
Socially awkward Muriel Heslop (Toni Collette) wants nothing more than to get married. Unfortunately, due to her oppressive politician father (Bill Hunter), Muriel has never even been on a date. Ostracized by her more socially adept friends, Muriel runs into fellow outcast Rhonda Epinstalk (Rachel Griffiths), and the two move from their small Australian town to the big city of Sydney, where Muriel changes her name and begins the arduous task of redesigning her life to match her fantasies.Muriel's Wedding / Film synopsis
What is the message of Muriel's wedding?
Muriel's Wedding is a scathing critique of romance, weddings, and heteropatriarchy, while the countertext allows for a lesbian appropriation and rereading. Like anyone else, lesbians and gay men go to films partly in search of validation of ourselves: our lives, our loves, our sorrows, our joys.
What is the moral of Muriel's wedding?
And here's the life lesson: Find someone who loves you for being you and remain true to yourself, because real love is when someone can see through the illusion to truly love you for you, flaws and all!
Does Muriel get married in Muriel's wedding?
Betraying her promise to Rhonda, Muriel marries David in a full-blown church ceremony. Inevitably the marriage is a disaster, and Muriel is left as miserable as she was in Porpoise Spit.
Who is Muriel's mother in Muriel's wedding?
Jeanie DrynanIn an oral history interview with the NFSA, Jeanie Drynan talks about how she transformed into the character of Muriel's mother, Betty Heslop in Muriel's Wedding (1994).
How old is Muriel from Muriel's wedding?
22-year-oldMuriel Heslop (Toni Collette, in her first-ever movie role) is a dumpy 22-year-old Queenslander, whose dreams of becoming successful in life -- no matter the methods used, or the costs involved -- belies her depressing surroundings.
Does Muriel stay married?
I've heard that Muriel stayed married to the swimmer. I've heard Muriel didn't stay married to the swimmer — she was true to her word and she married Brice, the Matt Day character. Other people have said Muriel and Rhonda are clearly in love and they married each other....Muriel's Wedding.typeMoviedirectorP.J. Hogan2 more rows•Oct 8, 2015
Why is Muriels wedding important?
When the going gets tough, the tough find other women, and Muriel's Wedding is a reminder that our female friendships are so often what pull us through. Because you're never alone; you're with Muriel.
What was Muriels sisters name?
JoanieMillgate appeared in the 1994 hit film, Muriel's Wedding, playing Muriel's sister, Joanie.
Does Muriel stay married?
I've heard that Muriel stayed married to the swimmer. I've heard Muriel didn't stay married to the swimmer — she was true to her word and she married Brice, the Matt Day character. Other people have said Muriel and Rhonda are clearly in love and they married each other....Muriel's Wedding.typeMoviedirectorP.J. Hogan2 more rows•Oct 8, 2015
Does Muriel Stacy get married?
After the acceptance tests for Queen's Academy, she married an unknown man and moved away to California.
Does Muriel and Eustace have kids?
Muriel and Eustace do have kids. They just never come over to visit, and for good reason. Or another reason for why they never visit: because they were raised by Eustace Bagge.
What does Muriel change her name to?
MarielShe changes her name to Mariel, has a riotous time with Rhonda and newly-acquired boyfriend Brice and stops listening to ABBA. When Rhonda gets a tumor on her spine, Muriel helps her friend recover from surgery and promises her they will never return to Porpoise Spit.
How much did Muriel's wedding cost?
It went on to gross AU$15.8 million (equivalent to AU$29 million in 2018) at the box office in Australia.
How much money did Muriel give to him?
Muriel stands up to him, giving him $5,000 of her wedding money, saying that she will repay the rest of the amount she stole when she gets a job in Sydney. She impresses him with her more assertive personality, demanding that he immediately stop his verbally abusive treatment of her siblings.
Why does Muriel ask David for divorce?
Her mother's death has forced Muriel to take a hard look at her life, and she asks David for a divorce as neither of them are in love. Bill asks Muriel to help raise her siblings, as Deidre no longer wants to marry him because she does not want to take care of his kids . He has also lost his job on city council.
Why does Betty arrive late to the wedding?
Bill openly treats Deidre as his date, and Betty arrives late to the wedding due to being unable to afford plane tickets ; Muriel doesn't notice her at the wedding. Rhonda moves back to her mother's home, unable to live in Sydney without help. After the wedding, David makes his contempt for Muriel clear to her.
Where was Porpoise Spit filmed?
The film used Tweed Heads as the locale for Porpoise Spit, although the scene of Muriel and Rhonda leaving Porpoise Spit was filmed in its adjoining "Twin Town", Coolangatta. Other filming locations included Moreton Island, Darlinghurst, the Gold Coast, Elanora, Tugun, Parramatta, Kensington, Surfers Paradise and Sydney.
What is the movie Muriel's wedding about?
Hogan. The film, which stars actors Toni Collette, Rachel Griffiths, Jeanie Drynan, Sophie Lee, and Bill Hunter, focuses on the socially awkward Muriel whose ambition is to have a glamorous wedding ...
Where does Muriel go to get back to Sydney?
Muriel goes to Rhonda's house, where Muriel's former tormentors are condescendingly visiting, and offers to take her back to Sydney. Rhonda accepts and lets the other girls know what she thinks of them. Muriel and Rhonda head to the airport, happily leaving Porpoise Spit for a more promising future.
What color was Muriel's hair when she was married?
As a toddler, Muriel's hair was white, then red when she was married, but brown in Remembrance of Courage Past.
How old was Muriel when she was a kid?
As a 3-year-old child, Muriel was an extremely mischievous, spoiled, and silly little girl. However, today, she is a devoted housewife with a truly gentle, sweet, and kind demeanor. She also enjoyed cooking, knitting, and quilting. Muriel on her rocking chair, with Courage on her lap.
Why does Muriel always hit Eustace on the head?
She would always hit Eustace on the head with her rolling pin whenever he did something mean to Courage. Due to her Aunt Gertrude's advice, Muriel had a tendency to use too much vinegar in her recipes, but strange to say, her cooking always turned out to be award-winningly delicious because of it.
What is Muriel's strength?
Last but not least, as revealed by The Great Fusilli and Nowhere TV, Muriel possessed great physical strength and excellent juggling skills - she could perfectly juggle heavy objects (a motorcycle, an anchor, and a bowling ball) with her hands and even her feet.
What weapon does Muriel use in Courage?
Though she is the show's damsel-in-distress, Muriel is also an excellent cook and would not tolerate any nonsense or misbehavior - she always uses her weapon (a rolling pin) to smack Eustace whenever he scares, teases, abuses, or otherwise mistreats Courage.
What color hair does Muriel have?
Appearance. In her youth, Muriel had reddish-brown hair, but in her old age, she had curly white hair. She wears glasses just like her husband, and her usual attire is a dark yellow dress with a bright yellow apron, and a pair of sturdy black leather boots.
What is Muriel's quirk?
However, one of Muriel's quirks is that she appears to intentionally ignore or misinterpret Courage's attempts at communicating with her, despite other characters and even strangers who understand him without any issue. This is especially emphasized The Mask, where Muriel is shown to completely dismiss Courage's pleas for help as him "playing" with the masked woman, who repeatedly assaults Courage and proclaims that she despises all dogs on multiple occasions. It is evident that Muriel has the ability to understand Courage, as when he later warns her about the masked woman Muriel angrily disapproves of Courage criticizing their guest despite Courage's earlier cries for help and visible injuries.
Overview
Plot
Muriel Heslop, a socially awkward young woman, is the target of ridicule by her shallow and egotistical friends, Tania, Cheryl, Janine, and Nicole. She spends her time listening to ABBA songs and perpetually daydreams of a glamorous wedding to get her out of the dead-end beach town of Porpoise Spit and away from her domineering father, Bill, a corrupt politician who constantly belittles his wife, Betty, and five children.
Cast
• Toni Collette as Muriel Heslop
• Bill Hunter as Bill Heslop
• Rachel Griffiths as Rhonda Epinstall
• Geneviève Picot as Dianne the Store Detective
Production
The film used Tweed Heads as the locale for Porpoise Spit, although the scene of Muriel and Rhonda leaving Porpoise Spit was filmed in its adjoining "Twin Town", Coolangatta. Other filming locations included Moreton Island, Darlinghurst, the Gold Coast, Elanora, Tugun, Parramatta, Kensington, Surfers Paradise and Sydney.
For the role of Muriel, Toni Collette gained 18 kg (40 lb) in seven weeks.
Release
The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 1994 and opened in Australia at the end of the month, a month after another Australian film, The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.
Muriel's Wedding received positive reviews from critics and has a score of 80% on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 45 reviews, with an average rating of 6.9/10. The critical consensus state…
Soundtrack
The music of ABBA forms the backbone of the film's soundtrack. Songwriters Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson allowed their use in the film and permitted "Dancing Queen" to be adapted as an orchestral piece. Additional ABBA songs included are "Mamma Mia", "Waterloo", "Fernando", and "I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do".
ABBA only gave permission for their music to be included in the film two weeks before shooting …
Stage adaptation
In September 2016, it was announced that Sydney Theatre Company would produce a musical adaptation of Muriel's Wedding. Muriel's Wedding the Musical incorporates songs by ABBA as well as original music by Kate Miller-Heidke and Keir Nuttall. P.J. Hogan wrote the musical's book, Simon Phillips directed, and Gabriela Tylesova designed the set and costumes. The musical ran at the Roslyn Packer Theatre from 6 November 2017 through 27 January 2018.
See also
• Cinema of Australia
• Sydney in film
• Four Weddings and a Funeral