We kick off this movie in the Tiwi Islands in 1976, watching a young bride fleeing her arranged marriage ceremony. Flash forward to present day (presumably) Adelaide where we are introduced to a young woman, Lauren, who happens to be a lawyer who receives a big promotion on the very day that her boyfriend, Ned, quits his job as a public prosecutor (he wasn’t really cut out for it) and proposes to Lauren. Of course, he winds up not having time to mention that he quit his job. Oops. And he announces that he’d like to skip a long, drawn-out engagement. When Lauren confides in her stern employer, Ms. Hampton (who Ned refers to as Cruella de Vil), that Ned wants a fast engagement, she (the boss) attests that it’s because his “gum nuts are shrinking” (haha!) and asks if Lauren wants to marry Ned. When Lauren confirms she does, indeed, want this, Ms. Hampton decides it’s best to give Lauren 10 days of unpaid leave to get the whole thing done. You know, so she can focus on work and stuff.

So, the couple take off for Darwin, Lauren’s hometown (with a lovely map of Australia showing the flight route), for their nuptials. Darwin, of course, is in the far northern part of Australia’s Northern Territory known as the Top End – hence the name of the flick. Anway, upon arriving, they discover that Lauren’s Aborigine mother, Daffy, has up and left, and her dad, Trevor, is painfully distraught (like, crying in the closet listening to Chicago’s If You Leave Me Now level of distraught). Too bad Lauren has been actively ditching her mom’s phone calls or she might have had an idea of what happened or where she went. (Let that be a lesson to you kids… when your mom calls, you pick up!)

And here the adventure begins. Lauren really wants her mom at her wedding and wants to do what she can to reunite her parents, so she and Ned head off on a quest to find her mom. They are on a time crunch given Ms. Hampton is not likely to give her an extension on her (unpaid, mind you) leave so chop chop and whatnot. Off they go into the expanses of Northern Australia, heading toward Tiwi Islands (as it turns out that was Daffy fleeing from the arranged marriage at the start of the movie).  Throughout their trek, the couple reflects on their own relationship and discover a little more about themselves and who they want to be.

It’s a comedy that is more cute than uproariously funny. It’s a romance that is more tailored around the friendship side of a relationship rather than the sex side. It’s a film that has its share of eye roll dialogue but without making you want to throw up in your mouth. And the main star is the scenery, no doubt. When they arrive in Darwin, we see gorgeous views of the city along the waterfront. Around town we see neighborhoods lined with trees. On their trek, we see the vast expanse that showcases the Northern Territory. They wind up at the Kakadu Crocodile Hotel in Jabiru. It’s a giant crocodile! I had to do some digging because it looked cool, and it turns out it’s owned by the Indigenous clans of the Gaagudju people in the Kakadu National Park. Another stop allows for breathtaking views of and from a boat as Lauren meanders through the waters in the Katherine Gorge in/near the Nitmiluk National Park, as well as views from high up during a picnic. Lest you think it’s just a big National Geographic documentary or something, there are also some manmade staples of the area shown, including a Spotlight superstore, a primitive-looking bus stop, and some gas (petrol) stations. 🙂

As for cultural references, Top End Wedding was co-written by, produced by, and starred a Darwin native, Miranda Tapsell (who played Lauren). So, references are presumably true to life. And even better, some trivia on IMDb revealed that for all locations, worked closely with the local Aboriginal communities, ensuring that “approvals were granted to film and that due respect was paid to the original owners of the lands and the current residents of the communities.” The scenes and candid wedding photos at the end of the film reflect what a wedding may actually be like in the area (and some of the locals apparently thought they were truly attending Miranda’s wedding). Oh shoot. I just gave away that, despite some tensions that ensue between the couple, they do indeed ultimately get married. You know what? I don’t feel bad. It’s a romcom and not exactly a shocking outcome. I won’t tell you why the mom ran off or if she was found though. You’re welcome. With that, I leave you with my favorite quote (from my favorite character, Lauren’s uncle): “Hold onto your munchies because it’s about to get crunchy!”