What is Muriel's Wedding about?
Muriel's Wedding is a 1994 Australian comedy-drama about Muriel Heslop, a lonely young woman from the fictional town of Porpoise Spit who dreams of a glamorous wedding while listening to ABBA songs.
Written and directed by P. J. Hogan, the film starred Toni Collette as Muriel and Rachel Griffiths as her friend Rhonda. Collette gained weight for the role and won an Australian Film Institute award for her performance.
Muriel escapes her harsh father and mocking friends by moving to Sydney with Rhonda. She agrees to a marriage of convenience with a South African swimmer who needs Australian citizenship to compete at the Olympics.
ABBA and friendship
ABBA songs, including Dancing Queen and I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, run through the film, and their use helped spark renewed interest in the Swedish band in the 1990s.
Beneath the comedy, the film deals with loneliness, family breakdown, illness and the importance of true friendship. The line you're terrible, Muriel became a famous quote.
Porpoise Spit was filmed partly in Coolangatta and Tweed Heads on the Gold Coast. The film was adapted into a stage musical in 2017.
Did You Know?
Both Toni Collette and Rachel Griffiths went on to international careers and Oscar nominations.