The Rose family - Jill (Geraldine Brophy), husband Brian and daughter Cheryl (Holly Shanahan) live an idyllic life in a quaint area of the Kapiti Coast.
Schoolteacher Jill has an almost supernatural eye for a bargain, and haggling is a religion in her eyes and those of her best friend Muffy - second only to her utter devotion to John Rowles. Jill's cluttered house is testament to her penchant for the second hand.
Eschewing the more modern ways to trade in used goods, Jill and Muffy spend their weekends trawling the garage sales with unrestrained enthusiasm and with an eye out for a good bargain.
Jill's passion isn't one shared by her daughter Cheryl, though. After her boyfriend Stew pops the question, Cheryl is unenthused at the prospect of a second hand wedding and attempts to keep the news secret from her mother while planning her nuptials. Never a recipe for success, as we moviegoers well know.Screenwriter Nick Ward, who loosely based the story at the crux of Second Hand Wedding on his family and director Paul Murphy have brought to the screen a warm, real story to which almost everyone will be able to relate.
The cast, anchored by excellent and understatedly solid performances by Brophy and Shananan, really convey true to life characters with hilarity and feeling. From Brian, the steadfast father figure to Sugarpuff, the over the top force of nature who helps Stew and Cheryl get their wedding planning in motion, the faces of Second Hand Wedding are easy to like and true to life.
While it won't change the world, this tale of a good old Kiwi family's love, laughter, misunderstandings and the elusive pursuit of the ultimate bargain is an enjoyable film with a lot of heart.