Cirrus@Austlit

'For 20 years people had been telling PJ Hogan that Muriel’s Wedding could work as a musical.His 1994 debut feature told the story of dumpy, dreamy twenty-something Muriel Heslop, who retreated from her disappointing life and verbally abusive family by blasting ABBA songs and fantasising about fame. The film, a gloriously sly satire of small-town Australia, transcended its idiosyncratic setting and sense of humour to become a surprise international hit, scoring then-unknown Toni Collette a Golden Globe nomination, and kickstarting Hollywood careers for both her and Hogan.' (Introduction)