--- title: "Muriel's Wedding: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/muriels-wedding/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/muriels-wedding" critics_score: 70 critics_reviews: 7 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Muriel's Wedding (1994): what the critics said Critics' score 70 from 7 reviews: 5 positive, 1 mixed, 1 negative. Most critics respond warmly to Muriel’s Wedding, finding its broad comedy sharpened by social satire and softened by affection for its outsiders. Praise centres on Toni Collette’s affecting performance and the film’s ability to find poignancy beneath Muriel’s wedding fantasies. The favourable reviews see the friendship and self-discovery as more than feelgood reassurance: the humour challenges small-minded attitudes towards marriage, family and social acceptance without simply making Muriel the joke. The disagreement concerns how well the comedy accommodates the darker material, and the responses range from enthusiastic to firmly dissatisfied. Some otherwise favourable reviews find the tonal shifts awkward or the formula short on originality. Variety regards the film as aesthetically crude but recognises its appeal to audiences who feel excluded. The Independent is more resistant, praising Collette and the wedding-scene editing while arguing that the move into sombre drama replaces promising comic observation with simplistic lessons about self-esteem. ## RogerEbert.com — Roger Ebert Rating 3.5/4. 17 March 1995. The film walks a line between satire and misery in its portrait of provincial Australian society, showing affection for its misfit survivors. It follows Muriel's journey of self-discovery through friendship and unexpected developments, with a good heart that prevents it from mocking her. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/muriels-wedding-1995) ## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 10 March 1995. This subversive comedy about self-esteem is wickedly mocking yet empathetic, recognizing poignancy in its situations while delivering raucous good humor and wit. It launches a slashing attack on notions of marriage, family, and self-improvement without forgetting the doubt that makes its characters human. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-03-10-ca-40910-story.html) ## Radio Times — Alan Jones Rating 4/5. The Ugly Duckling is given a delightful Down Under spin in this congenial comedy about flabby Muriel living in a frothy fantasy world of ABBA songs and wedding-dress dreams. When she leaves her small-minded hometown to flat-share with Rhonda the initially hilarious humour begins to turn a shade more poignant, with a tremendously affecting Toni Collette in the lead. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-qah72h/muriels-wedding/) ## Time Out — GA Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 9 June 2012. Rather too obviously aimed at the Strictly Ballroom feel-good market, this is nevertheless an engaging, funny and sometimes surprisingly tough romantic comedy about Muriel leaving her dull hometown in pursuit of ABBA-fuelled dreams. It could do with a little more irony or originality, but the perkiness of the script, production design and performances carry it through with flying, gaudy colours. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/muriels-wedding) ## Empire — Caroline Westbrook Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. The review calls the film a gently funny and thoroughly entertaining tale of self-discovery that benefits from a high feelgood factor despite some tonal inconsistencies. It praises the crisp comic moments and largely unknown cast while noting that the dramatic elements do not always gel with the wacky Aussie comedy tone. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/muriel-wedding-review/) ## Variety Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 19 May 1994. Festival review. The film is an aesthetically crude ugly-duckling fantasy shrewdly designed as a lowbrow audience pleaser that trades on the appeal of building self-esteem by showing up those who have held you down. Most of the action is played for broad laughs, with the potential mass appeal lying in how effectively it serves as a conduit for viewers who have felt unattractive or outcast. [Read the review](https://variety.com/1994/film/reviews/muriel-s-wedding-2-1200437099) ## The Independent Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 15 April 1995. The critic finds the film starts with promising comic observation of an outsider heroine but loses its way with a clumsy shift into sombre drama and simplistic moralising about self-esteem. It singles out the energetic editing of the wedding scenes and Toni Collette's performance for praise while faulting the overall lack of confidence in its black-comedy potential. [Read the review](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/overweight-overdone-over-here-1615936.html) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Duane Byrge 31 March 2020. The critic finds the Australian dramedy a romping, bittersweet comedy about an awkward young woman dreaming of marriage that is likely to win worldwide affection. Strong human compassion and Toni Collette's wonderful lead performance stand out amid the blend of wry humor and social satire. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/muriels-wedding-movie-review-1285302/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/muriels-wedding.md