Muriel's Wedding
Muriel's Wedding is a 1994 Australian movie written and directed by P. J. Hogan and starring Toni Collette as Muriel, and Rachel Griffiths as her sensible and down to earth friend Rhonda. Collette received a Golden Globe Award nomination for her role, and the worldwide success of this film furthered the international careers of Hogan, Collette and Griffiths.
Muriel is a socially awkward and naive ugly duckling. She is also a perpetual daydreamer who yearns not for a marriage but for a wedding which will elevate her from her personal limitations and the tedium of her life. She leaves her family behind in Porpoise Spit (a fictional place which in reality is the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia) to live in Sydney and follow her dream.
Muriel's Wedding is ostensibly a comedy but also deals with such issues as cancer and suicide, and the overriding theme of following one's dream is regularly punctuated by scenes depicting the disappointment and loss of self esteem that accompanies the quest, and the harsh realities that Muriel must face in order to achieve real growth.
The movie is noted for its use of the songs of ABBA to form almost it's entire musical soundtrack. Songwriters Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson have steadfastly refused to allow their songs to be exploited by inclusion in films that they did not think appropriate. They were sufficiently impressed by the script for Muriel's Wedding and the intentions of director P.J. Hogan to make an uncharacteristic exception, even allowing one of their biggest hits Dancing Queen to be adapted to an orchestral wedding march.