IMDb > The Meaning of Life (1983)
The Meaning of Life
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The Meaning of Life (1983) More at IMDbPro »

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The Meaning of Life (1983) -- The comedy team takes a look at life in all its stages in their own uniquely silly way.
The Meaning of Life (1983) -- A group of soldiers search for an officer's missing leg.
The Meaning of Life (1983) -- The comedy team takes a look at life in all its stages in their own uniquely silly way.
The Meaning of Life (1983) -- MyMovies.Net - Trailer #2 (Flash / WM9)

Overview

User Rating:
7.4/10   31,082 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
No change in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Writers:
Graham Chapman (written by) &
John Cleese (written by) ...
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Contact:
View company contact information for The Meaning of Life on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
31 March 1983 (USA) more
Genre:
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
Awards:
Nominated for BAFTA Film Award. Another 1 win & 1 nomination more
NewsDesk:
(8 articles)
The Imaginarium of Terry Gilliam
 (From Tribeca Film. 9 December 2009, 3:00 AM, PST)

Adam Lambert's For Your Entertainment: The 30-Second Snippets
 (From MTV Newsroom. 3 November 2009, 10:40 AM, PST)

User Comments:
least in the Python 'trilogy', but parts are wildly successful and memorable more (165 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)
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
Monty Python's The Meaning of Life (UK) (complete title)
more
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:

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
For "The Crimson Permanent Assurance" segment, the real building that was briefly used for the location shoot was The Lloyd's of London Maritime Insurance Building. more
Goofs:
Continuity: In the classroom scene the young student seated in the rear right corner appears and disappears three times in successive shots. more
Quotes:
Grim Reaper: Shut up, you American. You Americans, all you do is talk, and talk, and say "let me tell you something" and "I just wanna say." Well, you're dead now, so shut up. more
Movie Connections:
Soundtrack:
Oh Lord Please Don't Burn Us more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
13 out of 19 people found the following comment useful.
least in the Python 'trilogy', but parts are wildly successful and memorable, 15 August 2005
8/10
Author: MisterWhiplash from United States

Taking a slight departure from the story structure of The Holy Grail and Life of Brian, the Monty Python troupe went back to their 'Flying Circus' TV days to cook up this philosophical, musical, ultra-violent, sexual, total stream-of-consciousness look into what makes up our lives, and if there is a meaning to it. It's split up into parts, starting off with the Miracle of Birth (extending into the Miracle of Birth in the Third Role), a part on war, a part on sex, and so forth. This time Python goes even further with the outrageousness, the delayed punch-lines, the wit, almost nothing is taken prisoners. They go after religion, children, schooling, business, fat people, television, you name it, they go for it, all in the quest for the 'meaning of life'.

I saw the film twice last year, and bits on TV, and I had pretty much the same reaction the second time as the first. Like with many of Python's sketches, the strengths usually out-weigh the weaknesses, depending on who's stronger in the bit; I loved the Miracle of Birth number with Michael Palin's "Every Sperm is Sacred" song, which spirals into one of director Terry Jones's most inspired numbers; I had big belly laughs when Gilliam, as a resident, got an impromptu kidney operation, as the bystanders barely seemed affected; the Mr. Creoste sketch was crude, but blatantly over the top; the timing in the school scenes and the battlefield scenes was very sharp. But in the end, the parts are more memorable than really on the whole, un-like with the other two films.

They set themselves up for a challenge- to make a comedy successful without the sort of core that was in Holy Grail (the search by King Arthur and other knights) and Life of Brian (a man mistaken to be the messiah). Sketches and specifics in the Python world are when they're at their best, and aspects like the animation and the overall scheme of getting the punchlines (or lack thereof) right isn't affected. What can be said is that some of the bits that don't work well as others keep one wanting to get to the next best bit- luckily, this all leads up to a manic scene of Chapman running away from dozens of naked women. It's always a spectacular romp with the Pythons, and even when they're at their worst and most vile and and strange (there is one scene I have no explanation for), its watchable. Maybe some scenes, like with other comedies from my childhood that I'm still amused by, will become funnier as time goes on, like little in-jokes.

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