Muriel's Wedding Film Analysis

Good morning/afternoon Gold coast international film festival selection panel. In our modern society, film has gained the attention of every culture in every part of the world. These days, it is instrumental in shaping the social culture by transforming the viewers’ opinions or swaying them one way or another. Internationally, films that present strong messages about life and the human condition are impacting audiences. The film Muriel’s wedding directed by P. J. Hogan constructs representations of life in the small fictional town of Porpoise Spit in Queensland Australia. The film enhances our understanding of human nature, human society and how we live our lives by making strong statements about the influence of relationships on somebody’s

Although Muriel enjoyed the fame and attention she received for getting married, she knew that it wasn’t right for her to live like this and finally realised and admitted that she had the same qualities as her father; a demanding and often psychologically abusive person who Muriel had come to despise. She believed that if she married David she would be a different person and would feel loved. The film shows Muriel travelling back to Porpoise Spit to stand up to her father and to find a good friend she had strayed from; Ronda. Once she had reconnected and was forgiven by Rhonda, they are shown leaving porpoise spit, to return to their old home in Sydney. The two girls are shown sitting in the back of taxi, yelling goodbye to most of the things they drive past. The scene has close up shots of the girls faces to show their emotions and how happy they are, panning to show the places they drive past and tracking shots where the camera follows the car leaving their hometown behind. Although the scene seems quite funny and unusual to the audience, to the friends, it was there way of letting go. They were letting go of the frustration they had towards one another, letting go of the bad memories associated with their home town, and freeing themselves from their unhappy and demanding past