stick razor blades where? (Muriel's Wedding (DVD))

Member Name: sweetlady

Product:	Muriel's Wedding (DVD)
Date:	23/10/01 (527 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: full of "one liners", very funny

Disadvantages: none

Muriel Heslop (Toni Collette) lives with her family in Porpoise Spit, a small town in Australia. She is a bit of a social misfit, trying desperately to be in with the "in crowd" (four stuck up b**ches - probability ex high school cheerleaders - very popular with the boys), she's unemployed, into Abba (the band) and is obsessed by being a bride. People see Muriel as a "loser". Her father is "Councillor Bill Heslop" (Bill Hunter), a respected member of the community, her mother is "loosing her marbles" (cuckoo) and her brothers and sisters are useless layabouts.

We are first introduced to Muriel at the wedding of the most popular girl in town. She catches the bouquet, sees one of the bridesmaids in the laundry with groom (and they aren’t just having a bit of a natter) and is arrested for wearing a stolen dress.

It looks like her luck is beginning to change when she is offered a job by the delectable Deirdre Saunders as a beauty consultant (hmmm), she seems to pop up a lot "Deirdre Saunders, I don't believe it, what a coincidence!!!" says Bill (every time).

After finally being told by the "in crowd" to get lost, Muriel gets quite upset but she can't take a hint (actually a very big hint), so she gate crashes their holiday - this, as you can imagine, goes down like a "lead balloon". It is on this exotic holiday that she meets the outrageous Rhonda (Rachel Griffith), a former pupil from Porpoise Spit high (labelled as a "loser" by the "in crowd").

Muriel and Rhonda have a "whale of a time" and for the first time in her life Muriel has a true friend. When the holiday is over and Muriel has to "face the music", regarding the finance of the holiday, she decides to do a bunk to Sidney and a new life with Rhonda.

We next see Muriel working in a video shop (a real job), clad in new clothes and
a trendy haircut. She loves her new life, so much so that she decides to change her name to MARIEL (which is typical of Muriel). A customer (male) from work takes a shine to Muriel, he asks her out and she accepts. They go out to a nightclub with Rhonda (who leaves with two American men). Later, back at the apartment, there is an unfortunate mishap involving a beanbag!!? Rhonda rushes out of the bedroom (two men by her side) and during all the confusion collapses in a heap.

When they discover Rhonda has cancer Muriel gets her Abba tapes out (this is an act of desperation) and her obsession with getting married begins to grow.

She decides to marry a famous South African swimmer for him to be awarded Australian citizenship.

The wedding itself is a huge, elaborate event with much media coverage. Muriel's bridesmaids are no other than the "in crowd" (minus Nicole). Bill is there with Deirdre by his side. This is when Betty (Muriel's mum) discovers that Bill is having an affair with Deirdre.

Rhonda is there with her mum, her recent illness has left her wheelchair bound so she prefers to be tucked in the corner away from sympathetic looks. Much to her distaste, it looks like she will have to return to Porpoise Spit with her mum and the "in crowd" (this is her worst nightmare).

Betty dies and Muriel returns to Porpoise Spit. She ends her joke of a marriage, decides to leave the lies behind and salvage whatever she can of her friendship with Rhonda who is being cared for by her mom and the "in crowd". In the end she leaves with Muriel, "I love you dearly mom, but you drive me crazy".

This movie will have you laughing your socks off. I've watched it quite a few times and it still makes me laugh.

Summary: