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The Meaning of Life (1983)
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Overview
User Rating:
Directors:
Writers:
Release Date:
31 March 1983 (USA)
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Tagline:
What it is, Where it is, and how to avoid treading in it [Video Australia] more
Plot:
The comedy team takes a look at life in all its stages in their own uniquely silly way. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
Nominated for BAFTA Film Award.
Another 1 win
&
1 nomination
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NewsDesk:
(7 articles)
Adam Lambert's For Your Entertainment: The 30-Second Snippets
(From MTV Newsroom. 3 November 2009, 10:40 AM, PST)
Science Discovers 32 New Planets... And Monty Python's Seen Them All
(From MTV Movies Blog. 20 October 2009, 7:00 AM, PDT)
(From MTV Newsroom. 3 November 2009, 10:40 AM, PST)
Science Discovers 32 New Planets... And Monty Python's Seen Them All
(From MTV Movies Blog. 20 October 2009, 7:00 AM, PDT)
User Comments:
A great comedy which may be crass and rude, but is not lacking in typical Python wit
more (164 total)
Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Graham Chapman | ... | Fish #1 / Doctor / Harry Blackitt / Wymer / Hordern / General / Coles / Narrator #2 / Dr. Livingstone / Transvestite / Eric / Chairman / Guest #1 / Arthur Jarrett / Geoffrey / Tony Bennett | |
| John Cleese | ... | Fish #2 / Dr. Spencer / Humphrey Williams / Sturridge / Ainsworth / Waiter / Eric's Assistant / Maître D' / Grim Reaper | |
| Terry Gilliam | ... | Window Washer / Fish #4 / Walters / Middle of the Film Announcer / M'Lady Joeline / Mr. Brown / Howard Katzenberg | |
| Eric Idle | ... | Fish #3 / 'Meaning of Life' Singer / Mr. Moore / Mrs. Blackitt / Watson / Blackitt / Atkinson / Perkins / Victim #3 / Front End / Mrs. Hendy / Man in Pink / Gunther / Noël Coward / Gaston / Angela | |
| Terry Jones | ... | Fish #6 / Mum / Priest / Biggs / Sergeant / Man with Bendy Arms / Mrs. Brown / Bert / Mr. Creosote / Maria / Leaf Father / Fiona Portland-Smyth | |
| Michael Palin | ... | Window Washer / Fish #5 / Mr. Pycroft / Dad / Narrator #1 / Chaplain / Carter / Spadger / Regimental Sergeant Major / Pakenham-Walsh / Rear End / Lady TV Presenter / Mr. Marvin Hendy / Harry / Padre / Debbie Katzenberg | |
| Carol Cleveland | ... | Wife of Guest #1 / Heaven Receptionist | |
| Simon Jones | ... | Chadwick / Jeremy Portland-Smyth | |
| Patricia Quinn | ... | Mrs. Williams | |
| Judy Loe | ... | Nurse #1 | |
| Andrew MacLachlan | ... | Groom / Wycliff / Victim #1 / Guest #3 | |
| Mark Holmes | ... | Victim #2 / Guest #2 / Elephant Waiter | |
| Valerie Whittington | ... | Mrs. Moore | |
| Jennifer Franks | ... | Bride | |
| Imogen Bickford-Smith | ... | Nurse #2 (as Imogen Bickford Smith) |
Additional Details
Also Known As:
Monty Python's The Meaning of Life (UK) (complete title)
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Parents Guide:
Runtime:
107 min | Germany:112 min (2003 restored director's cut)
Country:
Language:
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Certification:
Canada:18 (Nova Scotia) (re-rating) (2003) |
Iceland:12 |
Italy:VM14 |
Portugal:M/18 |
Canada:18A (re-rating) |
Canada:R (original rating) |
Ireland:(Banned) (original rating) (1983-1990) |
Brazil:18 |
Argentina:13 |
Australia:M |
Canada:13+ (Quebec) |
Finland:K-16 |
Ireland:15 (re-rating) |
New Zealand:R16 |
Norway:15 (re-rating) |
Norway:16 (original rating) |
Singapore:M18 (cut) |
Sweden:15 |
UK:15 (video re-rating) (2000) |
UK:18 (original rating) |
USA:R |
West Germany:16
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
Originally called "Monty Python's Fish Film".
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Goofs:
Continuity: At the start of the miracle of birth section. the mother is traveling backwards (head first). But just before she leaves the corridor, the camera view from the gurney indicates that she is moving feet first.
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Quotes:
Sergeant Major:
Is there something YOU'D all rather be doing than marching about the square? You'd all rather be at the pictures, I suppose.
[Everyone agrees]
Sergeant Major: Well, off you go.
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[Everyone agrees]
Sergeant Major: Well, off you go.
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Movie Connections:
Featured in The Business of Being Born (2008)
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Soundtrack:
The Meaning of Life
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FAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (164 total)
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| Life of Brian | Monty Python and the Holy Grail | Postal | Dogma | Pink Flamingos |
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The best thing about "Monty Python's The Meaning of Life" is without a doubt the short film that opens it. Directed by Terry Gilliam and originally conceived as an animated sequence, "The Crimson Permanent Assurance" is a crucial step in Gilliam's career as a director. His previous two solo efforts as director, the inconsequential "Jabberwocky" and the brilliant-in-its-own-way "Time Bandits" saw him developing his visual style much further than he did for his scenes for "Monty Python and the Holy Grail", with "Time Bandits" arguably being the first 'Gilliam-esque' film he made. Still, "Time Bandits" didn't see his style fully developed, and "The Crimson Permanent Assurance" is an even more bizarre film, but with a far more confident and clear-cut visual style. Simply put: Gilliam was ready for "Brazil". This segment is the best in the film from a cinematic viewpoint, without a doubt, and even gives some of the other segments a run for their money in terms of the quality of the comedy, which involves office clerks who become pirates. Yes, it is quite strange.
The issue a lot of people have with "The Meaning of Life" is that it is crass and rude and even sillier than the Python standard. It's shock humor, but for the majority of the sections of the film work so well and are so clever even in their lack of class that I would not hesitate to put "The Meaning of Life" on the same level as "Life of Brian", though it's not as good as "Monty Python & The Holy Grail". That's not to say this isn't 'Python-esque', because it's very much so, they're just completely liberated by the medium of film to say and do whatever they please. Indeed, there's something in here to offend nearly anyone, but there's also a fair bit in here to please everyone, even a wonderful scene in which Gilliam's 'supporting feature' "The Crimson Permanent Assurance" suddenly intrudes on the events of the film.
"The Meaning of Life" is constructed as a series of skits, and though many have suggested that it is hence not as much of a narrative movie as their previous two efforts. I tend to disagree with this viewpoint. Yes, this film is a series of skits, but they are all elaborately set up within an overarching 'commentary' on the general theme of the movie, the title. There is one section of the film which is both entirely unnecessary and honestly quite bad is 'The Autumn Years', an unfunny and vile piece centered around Terry Jones in a fat-suit repeatedly vomiting and eventually exploding. Basically all of the rest of the film is very, very funny, and even the jokes which fall flat within scenes like "Live Organ Transplants" and "Death" don't go terribly wrong because the overall quality of the scenes and sections are so high and the concepts behind them very funny. Gilliam's animations work excellently within the film and this would sadly be the last time we saw a distinctive Gilliam animation within a major film.
"The Meaning of Life" is great comedy. It's crass and rude and goes for cheap humor often, but it's mostly handled with a great deal of wit and intelligence that elevates even the section involving the world's most pornographic sex education class to a high level. Perhaps in retrospect this film's flaws are more obvious than those "Life of Brian" suffers from, but both are ultimately on the same level.
9/10