It has been 18 years since the release of P.J. Hogan’s much loved classic Muriel’s Wedding and now his new anticipated Aussie film “MENTAL” starring Toni Collette, Rebecca Gibney and Anthony LaPaglia will hit cinema screens on October 4.
The film will officially Premiere over one weekend of MENTAL screenings, selected to close the 61st Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) on 18th August and open the 67th Australian International Movie Convention (AIMC) the following night.
The film’s stars Rebecca Gibney and Anthony LaPaglia will be in attendance to support the launch of their touching home grown comedy. Co-star Deborah Mailman, talented newcomer Lily Sullivan and the young cast of girls in the MENTAL family will grace the carpet in Melbourne along with Writer/Director P.J. Hogan and producers Jocelyn Moorhouse and Todd Fellman. Anthony, Rebecca, Lily & P.J. will take the carpet once again at AIMC on the Sunday night.
Mike Baard, Managing Director of Universal Pictures has said: We are so delighted that P.J. Hogan has chosen to tell this unique, funny and life-affirming story and that we will be able to celebrate its first public performances at these two events over one weekend. We can’t wait for Australians to have another reason to call each other “mental”.
Mental reunites writer-director P.J. Hogan with his original leading lady Toni Collette for the first time since Muriel's Wedding. Mental follows the story of the Moochmore girls who are certain they all suffer from some kind of undiagnosed mental illness - because if they’re not crazy then they’re just unpopular. Their mother Shirley (Rebecca Gibney) - unable to cope with her demanding daughters and unsupported by her philandering politician husband, Barry (Anthony LaPaglia) - suffers a nervous breakdown. After Barry commits his wife to a mental hospital (telling his constituents that “she’s on holiday”) he finds himself alone with 5 teenage girls he barely knows. Desperate, he impulsively picks up a hitchhiker named Shaz and installs her in his home as nanny to his daughters. Also with an incredible supporting cast including Liev Schreiber, Deborah Mailman, Kerry Fox, Caroline Goodall and Sam Clark, Mental promises audiences an outrageous original comedy with heart.
