Muriel’s Wedding (1994) is an Australian black comedy/drama written and directed by P. J. Hogan.
Hogan, whose screenplay incorporates a number of events in his own life, cast relatively unknown Toni Collette (who gained 18 kilograms (40 lb) for the role) and Rachel Griffiths in the lead roles. Collette was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, and Griffiths won both the Australian Film Critics Award and the Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. The worldwide success of the film was instrumental in propelling the careers of the director and his stars.
Production
Hamilton Island in Queensland was the locale used for Porpoise Spit. Other filming locations included Coolangatta, Darlinghurst, the Gold Coast, Parramatta, Surfers Paradise, and Sydney.
The film premiered at the Toronto Film Festival in September 1994 and opened in Australia the following month. It earned $244,969 on 14 screens in its opening weekend in the US and eventually grossed $15,119,639 in the States.
Cast
- Toni Collette ….. Muriel Heslop
- Rachel Griffiths ….. Rhonda Epinstalk
- Bill Hunter ….. Bill Heslop
- Daniel Lapaine ….. David Van Arckle
- Sophie Lee ….. Tania Degano
- Jeanie Drynan ….. Betty Heslop
- Gabby Millgate ….. Joanie Heslop