Muriel's Wedding (1994)

Toni Collete's Australian?! Whilst that may have been common knowledge to most of you, I had no idea, it was the biggest shock when settling down to watch this film, also how different she, and indeed everyone, looked in 1994. I often forget that the early 90s was basically the same as the late 80s, which is such a shame. However, Muriel's wedding manages to get beyond the 90s schtick and is a nicely comic Australian film, with some familiar faces, and some new, it's both funny and touching and well worth a watch.

Muriel is the daughter of the city Council Chief, and she is deeply unhappy, she's trying to fit in with her bitchy friends, she is constantly getting into trouble with her family, she failed receptionist school and is basically looking for a purpose in her life. Then whilst on holiday (paid for with money stolen from her family) she meets Rhonda. Rhonda doesn't look down on Muriel for her love of Abba, or her sense of humour, she embraces it. Indeed she encourages it, and the two form a close friendship. Then, when her family discover she has stolen the money, Muriel runs away from home and goes to live in Sydney with Rhonda. The two girls party hard in the way that you can only really do when you're young, and Muriel seems happy. However, when an accident leaves Rhonda paralysed from the waist down, and Muriel's family catches up with her things start to unravel. Muriel has a deep obsession with getting married, firm in the belief that if she could only get married her life would be different, she'd have made it. But when the opportunity to get married presents itself, it relies on her turning her back on the matters of love that she values so much.

I never thought I would like a film that has Abba so close to its heart, and indeed so involved in the soundtrack. I hate Abba, but somehow in the songs work well in the film, providing a slightly cheesy aspect to the girls lives which makes them more endearing, they don't care what people think of them so long as they are happy. In fact this is probably the overriding message of the film, about individuality, about how you shouldn't conform to someone else's idea of happiness, stop trying to please other people, whether it is your family, or your friends. Your family will love you no matter what, and your friends, well they might just not be your real friends.

The film manages to convey this message without ramming it down your throat. It also has the advantage of being funny, because if it was ever starting to get too serious or preachy, suddenly a great gag would present itself and you'd be back where you started, rooting on the good guys. The film gets the balance of humour right too. Some of the film is really exaggerated, but within the context of the film it all makes perfect sense and you accept the characters as they are.

Overall I think there are funnier Australian comedies (The Castle & The Dish are probably my two favourites), but this is certainly a sure footed entry into the cannon, well worth checking out for a few Aussie laughs.