Monty Python's The Meaning of Life

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Monty Python's The Meaning of Life

R

1983

1h 43m

Comedy

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86%

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37 Reviews

83%

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100,000+ Ratings

The stages of life are told through multiple sketches and songs by the British comedy troupe. The seven parts of life cover birth, growing up, war, middle age, organ transplants, old age and death. Not all stages are singular: "Part I: The Miracle of Birth" is from the perspective of an ignored woman in labor, and of a Roman Catholic couple with too many children, and "Part VII: Death" encompasses a funeral and heaven. Added are three unrelated skits placed in the beginning, middle and end.

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Critics Consensus

Monty Python's the Meaning of Life is rude, ribald, and unafraid to take comedic risks -- which is to say it should more than satisfy fans of the titular troupe.

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Wendy Ide

The Times (UK)

03/26/2024

While it’s the least cohesive of the Python feature films, it’s also possibly the film that is most true to the Python ethos.

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Bob Thomas

Associated Press

10/22/2018

Some of the sketches are inspired... Some of the sketches are merely loud and boring the Pythons are at their unfunniest in drag. Even devout Pythonians might question some of the items.

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Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

06/19/2018

2.5/4

Does the attack work? Only occasionally.

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Rachel Wagner

Rachel's Reviews (YouTube)

11/23/2024

A bit uneven for Python but enough laughs to recommend

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Eddie Harrison

film-authority.com

10/16/2021

3/5

...probably best enjoyed as separate clips on YouTube, or with liberal use of the fast-forward button...

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Diego Galán

El Pais (Spain)

08/30/2019

The Meaning of Life is one of the Monty Python's better films. But its innocence remains intact. [Full Review in Spanish]

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Bryan B.

@heybryan Apr 18

Disjointed fever dream with no real plot or point. Felt like they gave the troop a bucket of cash and they winged it for the movie to see what they could get away with.

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Fire T.

@fireterrell07 Jan 14

Love this just as much as The Holy Grail. Classic

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Atilla T

@Treviewd1nce Dec 21

Better than expected and ages well. Great messages explained in a funny way. For example, women have given birth for millennia; free without expensive equipment. A soldier can kill and be rewarded in war but if same person killed back at home they would be executed. Many other priceless messages. Actually a Christmas movie.

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Vince C

@RT34940730 Sep 15

A curate's egg. I could never see the point in following up Life of Brian with this.

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Robert P

@RT62582640 Jun 21

This is probably the most underrated Monty Python film by far.

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Laurence P

@RT34294827 03/21/2025

First things first. I'm a big fan of Python. Loved the TV shows. The films Life Of Brian and The Holy Grail are, in my opinion masterpieces. But I never did warm to The Meaning Of Life. Maybe the two previous films raised the bar so high it was near on impossible to compete. TMOL is more of a sequence of sketches (like the TV show) rather than a film with a beginning, middle and end. Unlike the other two films, which I have revisited many times, I have only seen TMOL a couple of times since it's release. But recently I came across a small snippet of TMOL of social media and I thought I would give it another viewing. Well, I don't know what happened but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Each segment is more of a short film rather than a sketch. I eventually enjoyed the film as it was purposely made and presented by the Python team. The galaxy song is Eric Idle at his genius best. I now know I was wrong, and it was unfair, to hold TMOL up against their two previous films.

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Terry Gilliam

Director

Terry Jones

Director

Graham Chapman

Fish #1

John Cleese

Fish #2

Terry Gilliam

Fish #4

Eric Idle

Fish #3

The Meaning of Life: Official Clip - A Bucket for Monsieur

2:27

The Meaning of Life: Official Clip - Find the Fish

1:59

The Meaning of Life: Official Clip - Goodbye Gifts on the Battlefield

2:50

The Meaning of Life: Official Clip - Would Rather Be Elsewhere

2:23

The Meaning of Life: Official Clip - The Penis Song

0:46

The Meaning of Life: Official Clip - It's Christmas In Heaven

2:31

The Meaning of Life: Official Clip - The Miracle of Birth

3:00

The Meaning of Life: Official Clip - Protestants and French Ticklers

2:29

The Meaning of Life: Official Clip - Every Sperm Is Sacred

2:46

The Meaning of Life: Official Clip - Mr. Creosote Blows

2:59

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Synopsis

The stages of life are told through multiple sketches and songs by the British comedy troupe. The seven parts of life cover birth, growing up, war, middle age, organ transplants, old age and death. Not all stages are singular: "Part I: The Miracle of Birth" is from the perspective of an ignored woman in labor, and of a Roman Catholic couple with too many children, and "Part VII: Death" encompasses a funeral and heaven. Added are three unrelated skits placed in the beginning, middle and end.

Director: Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones
Producer: John Goldstone
Screenwriter: Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Michael Palin
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Production Co: Universal Pictures
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: British English
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 1, 1983, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 10, 2016
Runtime: 1h 43m
Sound Mix: Surround