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Title: The Meaning of Life (1983)
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Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Graham Chapman | ... |
Chairman /
Fish #1 /
Doctor /
Harry Blackitt /
Wymer /
Hordern /
General /
Coles /
Narrator #2 /
Dr. Livingstone /
Transvestite /
Eric /
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 | ... |
Gunther /
Fish #3 /
Gaston /
'Meaning of Life' Singer /
Mr. Moore /
Mrs. Blackitt /
Watson /
Blackitt /
Atkinson /
Perkins /
Victim #3 /
Front End /
Mrs. Hendy /
Man in Pink /
Noël Coward /
Angela
|
|
| Terry Jones | ... |
Bert /
Fish #6 /
Mum /
Priest /
Biggs /
Sergeant /
Man with Bendy Arms /
Mrs. Brown /
Mr. Creosote /
Maria /
Leaf Father /
Fiona Portland-Smyth
|
|
| Michael Palin | ... |
Window Washer /
Harry /
Fish #5 /
Mr. Pycroft /
Dad /
Narrator #1 /
Chaplain /
Carter /
Spadger /
Regimental Sergeant Major /
Pakenham-Walsh /
Rear End /
Female TV Presenter /
Mr. Marvin Hendy /
Governor /
Leaf Son /
Debbie Katzenberg
|
|
| Carol Cleveland | ... |
Beefeater Waitress /
Wife of Guest #1 /
Leaf Mother /
Leaf Daughter /
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 /
Troll Waiter /
Guest #2
|
|
|
Valerie Whittington | ... |
Mrs. Moore
|
|
|
Jennifer Franks | ... |
Bride
|
|
|
Imogen Bickford-Smith | ... |
Nurse #2
(as Imogen Bickford Smith)
|
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Plot Summary
|
Add Synopsis
Storyline
Why are we here, what's it all about? The Monty Python-team is trying to sort out the most important question on Earth: what is the meaning of life? They do so by exploring the various stages of life, starting with birth. A doctor seems more interested in his equipment than in delivering the baby or caring for the mother, a Roman Catholic couple have quite a lot of children because 'every sperm is sacred'. In the growing and learning part of life, catholic schoolboys attend a rather strange church service and ditto sex education lesson. Onto war, where an officer's plan to attack is thwarted by his underlings wanting to celebrate his birthday and an officer's leg is bitten off by presumably an African tiger. At middle age a couple orders 'philosophy' at a restaurant, after which the film continues with live organ transplants. The autumn years are played in a restaurant, which, after being treated to the song 'Isn't It Awfully Nice to Have a Penis?' by an entertainer, sees the arrival ... Written by Arnoud Tiele (imdb@tiele.nl)
Taglines:
What it is, Where it is, and how to avoid treading in it [Video Australia] See more »Parents Guide:
View content advisory »
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Details
Country:
UKLanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
31 March 1983 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Monty Python's The Meaning of Life See more »Box Office
Budget:
$9,000,000 (estimated)Company Credits
Show detailed
company contact information
on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
| (2003 restored director's cut)Sound Mix:
DolbyColor:
Color (Technicolor)Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1
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Lady Presenter: Well, that's the end of the film. Now, here's the meaning of life.
[Receives an envelope]
Lady Presenter: Thank you, Brigitte.
[Opens envelope, reads what's inside]
Lady Presenter: M-hmm. Well, it's nothing very special. Uh, try and be nice to people, avoid eating fat, read a good book every now and then, get some walking in, and try and live together in peace and harmony with people of all creeds and nations. And, finally, here are some completely gratuitous pictures of penises to annoy the censors and to ...
See more »
Lyrics by John Cleese & Graham Chapman
Music by Eric Idle & John Du Prez
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
This movie won the Special Jury Grand prize at the Cannes film festival. In "Monty Python Live at Aspen", John Cleese speculates that it might have been because Orson Welles, who was on the judging panel, identified with Mr Creosote. See more »Goofs
In the "Live Liver Donation" scene, John Cleese is clearly chuckling at the performance of his two fellow Pythons. See more »Quotes
[the End Of The Film]Lady Presenter: Well, that's the end of the film. Now, here's the meaning of life.
[Receives an envelope]
Lady Presenter: Thank you, Brigitte.
[Opens envelope, reads what's inside]
Lady Presenter: M-hmm. Well, it's nothing very special. Uh, try and be nice to people, avoid eating fat, read a good book every now and then, get some walking in, and try and live together in peace and harmony with people of all creeds and nations. And, finally, here are some completely gratuitous pictures of penises to annoy the censors and to ...
See more »
Crazy Credits
The Producers would like to thank all the fish who have taken part in this film. We hope that other fish will follow the example of those who have participated, so that, in future, fish all over the world will live together in harmony and understanding, and put aside their petty differences, cease pursuing and eating each other and live for a brighter, better future for all fish, and those who love them. See more »Soundtracks
"Oh Lord Please Don't Burn Us"Lyrics by John Cleese & Graham Chapman
Music by Eric Idle & John Du Prez
See more »
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