Page 3 | Muriel’s Wedding- Toni Collette not fat

Choppychop · 2025-09-06T17:01:05+00:00

Im just watching the Aussie 90’s film Muriel’s Wedding and the character Muriel is constantly referred to as being fat. Throughout the movie. Fat fat fat. It’s a 90’s movie so I know times were different, and similar to Renee in Bridget Jones where we are supposed to see these ladies as fat. But (and I’m a slim woman) I just think she looks lovely and healthy and not fat in the slightest? Did people really think this character was fat at the time? It’s only 20 odd years ago. Great film by the way, if you haven’t seen it.

Jackiebrambles · 06/09/2025 19:04

I love Toni Collette! she’s an amazing actress, she’s always fantastic. She made me cry in Sixth Sense. But she was definitely not fat; but fatter than skinny girls I guess.

You’re terrible Muriel…. Brilliant film.

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Choppychop · 06/09/2025 19:00

VivaForever81 · 06/09/2025 18:55

When she is wearing the white jumpsuit and singing Waterloo she is bigger than me and I think I’m fat (I’m a size 14)
She loses weight throughout the movie.
I didn’t think Bridget Jones was fat though, I think she saw herself as fat but was actually only about 9 stone.

You aren’t fat! I think they purposely made Toni look fat next to Rachel (Rhonda) using angles. Both in real life are gorgeous slender women x

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VivaForever81 · 06/09/2025 18:55

When she is wearing the white jumpsuit and singing Waterloo she is bigger than me and I think I’m fat (I’m a size 14)
She loses weight throughout the movie.
I didn’t think Bridget Jones was fat though, I think she saw herself as fat but was actually only about 9 stone.

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Choppychop · 06/09/2025 18:52

Woompund · 06/09/2025 18:49

Yes now! But she gained 18kg for the role. What's not clear about this? The character was overweight!

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Yes I agree with you, but even with an 18kg gain she’s just a bit plump rather than fat and ugly. Anyway, I just felt sad for her character as she looked like a regular pretty wary 20’s girl to me who was treated awful by her pretty friends and her horrid dad.

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vivainsomnia · 06/09/2025 18:51

but to me she looks average, not someone you’d call fat…
Average is fat nowadays.

Woompund · 06/09/2025 18:50

Here is Bridget in the first movie. Compare it with Muriel. Not the same size.

Woompund · 06/09/2025 18:49

Choppychop · 06/09/2025 18:48

Yes but toni Collette is tiny too, about 50kg

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Yes now! But she gained 18kg for the role. What's not clear about this? The character was overweight!

ChicOliveCritic · 06/09/2025 18:48

Toni Collette fan girl here. 🎬 I think she is such an amazing and underrated actress. In the last decade particularly, some of the roles she has played have been fantastic. I loved her in Juror #2. Great movie .

AnonAnora · 06/09/2025 18:48

Choppychop · 06/09/2025 18:40

Would you all think Bridget was same size as Muriel? I see them as quite similar? Perhaps Bridget was 2 sizes smaller? Bridget size 12, Muriel size 14-16? I never saw Bridget as fat even as a disordered eating teenager, I always thought she was gorgeous. But she’s also referred to as fat which is hard for women growing up with this media.

Bridget Jones was much smaller than Muriel in the movie. Even taking into account her smaller frame. Muriel was absolutely gorgeous (inside and outside) but she was overweight, quite obviously. I suppose, Bridget was too - even if we compare her to other young women in the movie (who were not stick-thin at all, except maybe Rebecca Gillis!l

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Choppychop · 06/09/2025 18:48

Alconleigh · 06/09/2025 18:44

As PP said, the point with Bridget Jones as that she thinks she’s fat but she isn’t. Renee Zellwegger had to gain a lot to play the role but that’s because she’s tiny.

Yes but toni Collette is tiny too, about 50kg

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Woompund · 06/09/2025 18:47

Choppychop · 06/09/2025 18:40

Would you all think Bridget was same size as Muriel? I see them as quite similar? Perhaps Bridget was 2 sizes smaller? Bridget size 12, Muriel size 14-16? I never saw Bridget as fat even as a disordered eating teenager, I always thought she was gorgeous. But she’s also referred to as fat which is hard for women growing up with this media.

No, RZ as Bridget jones was a lot slimmer than TC as Muriel in the start of the film, she slims down during the movie towards the wedding when she's a lot smaller.

I know there is a common perception that fat or obese equals very large but obesity starts a lot lighter than you're imagining.

Alconleigh · 06/09/2025 18:44

As PP said, the point with Bridget Jones as that she thinks she’s fat but she isn’t. Renee Zellwegger had to gain a lot to play the role but that’s because she’s tiny.

FurForksSake · 06/09/2025 18:42

when Renee z gained weight her face became quite rounded, but I’d say she was not nearly as big as Toni.

the80sweregreat · 06/09/2025 18:42

I love this film too. I don’t think she looks big or fat, but she isn’t stick thin either. I don’t really see her size only how good she is in it.

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Choppychop · 06/09/2025 18:40

Would you all think Bridget was same size as Muriel? I see them as quite similar? Perhaps Bridget was 2 sizes smaller? Bridget size 12, Muriel size 14-16? I never saw Bridget as fat even as a disordered eating teenager, I always thought she was gorgeous. But she’s also referred to as fat which is hard for women growing up with this media.

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FurForksSake · 06/09/2025 18:39

The character is shallow hall was super morbility obese or whatever the term is for a bmi that must have been over 50

SpigTheFish · 06/09/2025 18:35

Gwyneth Paltrow was morbidly obese in Shallow Hall, or rather, her fat suit was.

FancyBiscuitsLevel · 06/09/2025 18:34

In the 90s and early 00s there were two options, very slim or fat. She is not very slim and so was deemed fat. She doesn’t have a flat stomach- she counted as fat. It was a difficult time.

SpigTheFish · 06/09/2025 18:33

Yes, she was considered fat. Dont forget that back in 1994, the average young woman was about a size 10 (so a size 8 now). She gained a load of weight for the role and then lost it again. Cracking actress.

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Choppychop · 06/09/2025 18:32

Woompund · 06/09/2025 18:27

It's not about flattering 🫤 it's about body fat. She has an excess

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Ok fair! I have body dysmorphia so I guess I’m getting a skewed sense of things. When I think of fat or obese I picture Gweneth Paltrow in Shallow Hall, so Muriel looks like a regular sized person to me. I wouldn’t look at her and think ‘fat’, just bigger, or as another poster said, ‘plump’.

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Woompund · 06/09/2025 18:27

Choppychop · 06/09/2025 18:24

And that shot is taken from underneath, making it more unflattering (for anyone).

It's not about flattering 🫤 it's about body fat. She has an excess

Woompund · 06/09/2025 18:26

Choppychop · 06/09/2025 18:21

Yes I agree, she is gorgeous! And a brilliant actor. I think she looks a bit chubby in the film rather than obese, even fat. Surprising really because I see myself too big and I’m actually slightly underweight. I guess I just thought they’d have an actual overweight actor playing the role.

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What does a bit chubby mean? I was obese at 13 stone and didn't look any bigger than Muriel in the ABBA outfit.

FurForksSake · 06/09/2025 18:25

Having had a Google I can’t see any full body stills and can’t remember. From seeing her face though you can see she’s overweight and she gained 40lbs to embody the character. She’s not morbidly obese or anything.

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Choppychop · 06/09/2025 18:24

And that shot is taken from underneath, making it more unflattering (for anyone).

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HumBumBum · 06/09/2025 18:22

The only scene she looked chunky was the white abba jumpsuit, but then there’s not many bodies that that would flatter.

She looked like me at the time, I loved her!