Strictly Ballroom and Muriel’s Wedding have a lot in common. Both are Australian comedies from the ’90s. Both feature a female lead who undergoes a physical transformation. In both films, actor Bill Hunter plays a key supporting role. Both movies were inspired by real life. Strictly Ballroom started out as an improvised play by Baz Luhrmann, the film’s director, based on his experience as a competitive ballroom dancer. Muriel’s Wedding director P.J. Hogan based the lead character on himself and his sister. And both films are on a list of “1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die” by Steven Schneider.
So much for their similarities. While the films have a lot in common on the surface, they are very different in terms of plot and tone.
Strictly Ballroom is a frothy, silly rom-com focused on the world of competitive ballroom dance. At first it comes across as a mockumentary, but it soon settles into a more familiar format. The movie starts out with footage of and interviews about Scott Hastings, son of two retired competitive dancers, one of whom now teaches. Scott seems to be reaching the height of his career, but then he horrifies the world of ballroom dance by resorting to his own steps during a competition.
When Scott searches for a new partner, beginner Fran asks him to try dancing with her. He agrees, despite being offended that she would dare approach him.
From there, the movie takes a relatively predictable rom-com path filled with love and obstacles that are thrown in the dancers’ paths. But it’s so utterly delicious that it doesn’t matter that it follows a traditional formula. After all, we humans frequently gravitate toward predictable story patterns, like the hero’s journey, told in new ways. Strictly Ballroom fits the bill beautifully.
Muriel’s Wedding, while also a comedy, is more serious and less predictable. It’s a powerfully feminist tale about a young woman, Muriel, whose life is a complete wreck. She’s unpopular, jobless, and obsessed with two things: Abba and weddings. After she steals money from her family and tags along on vacation with a group of women who clearly don’t like her, she bumps into an old schoolmate, Rhonda. Like Muriel, Rhonda was unpopular in school, but she’s found happiness, and in encountering her, Muriel’s life takes a turn for the better.
Featuring Toni Collette and Rachel Griffiths, Muriel’s Wedding is decidedly darker than Strictly Ballroom, making the latter movie the better choice if you’re in the mood for something light. But this movie is surprising in ways that Strictly Ballroom is not, and it packs powerful messages. While its mature themes make it unsuitable as a family film, its feminist message — that who you are is more important than who you’re with — makes it a great film for sharing with teenage girls. And despite its serious side, the film delivers its message with lots of laughs and a great Abba-filled soundtrack.