Backbencher

Muriel's Wedding: What can I say? This film goes through the stage in life of a young girl in Porpoise Spit in which it is time to settle down with a man and get married and start a family. Muriel is the typical girl that boys ignore. Her unkempt appearance and attitude tend to create the image of the "nerdy", shy girl. Muriel has very mean friends from high school. They tell her not to hang out with them anymore because she is ruining their image. Her dad is very hard on her for not finishing high school and not having a job. He tries to hook her up with a job with a lady that turns out to be his mistress. Mom is the silent parent and seems to have some mental issues that she needs to deal with. Mom gives Muriel a blank check after being told so by the dad. Muriel decides to go on vacation instead of getting new clothes and a makeover for the job interview with her dad's mistress. She is again put down by her "friends" from high school. She ends up running into another class mate that dropped out named Rhonda. Muriel sends postcards home to her parents about her adventures selling makeup with dad's mistress while her and Rhonda decide to pack up and move to Sydney together. Muriel gets a job and is asked out by a guy while working at the video store. Things are starting to look up for Muriel. But then her friend is diagnosed with cancer and will spend the rest of her life in a wheelchair. They go through the typical pity party story between Muriel and Rhonda. Muriel starts answering ads for dates. Ends up getting married to a South American swimmer so he can stay and compete for Australia. His parents pay for the wedding, and Muriel gets a hefty sum of cash to marry the groom. They live in the same house, but are not in love and don't do anything together. Muriel's mom passes away and she goes home for the funeral. Her "husband" shows up to comfort her. That is when she decides to leave him. Muriel goes to Rhonda's house to apologize and ask her to move back to Sydney with her.
I thought that this was a very interesting movie. I don't think that I would recommend it to anyone not in this class though. I thought that it seemed to move a little slow. However, I did agree with and appreciate the story line. I know other women who have family lives like Muriel. I felt so bad for her situation. I was very proud of her when she told her dad to take care of the kids after her mom died and she moved back to Sydney with Rhonda. I think that it represents a similarity to American culture and the old ways of getting married right away, having kids, and not going on any further with a girl's life.