Monty Python's The Meaning of Life
The irreverent Monty Python troupe embarks on a wildly absurd musical odyssey that lampoons every stage of human existence, exposing the hilariously dark truth behind life's ultimate questions.
“It took God six days to create the heavens and the earth...and Monty Python ninety minutes to screw it up.”
Synopsis
Life
Credits
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How many hands made this film
The scale of the collaboration
A crew of 263+ credited
Why a floor?
This is a minimum, not a total. We only count the credits we’ve captured so far, and coverage is uneven — a blockbuster might show a few hundred names while another of the same size shows a couple dozen. The real crews all ran into the thousands. The number here only grows as full credits are enriched — so we frame it as a floor, never a headcount.
Craft leads on file
Edited by Julian DoyleShot by Peter HannanScored by John Du PrezDesigned by Harry LangeSound by Garth Marshall
Box Office
1983 · Box office
💰 Box-office hit — grossed 4.7× its budget
Why 2.5×?
Cinemas keep roughly half of every ticket sold, and a wide release’s marketing often costs about as much again as the film — so a movie needs to gross around 2.5× its production budget just to break even theatrically. It’s a rule of thumb, not the studio’s ledger (home video and streaming come later).
Worldwide gross
$42.7M
US & Canada: $14.9M — 35% of worldwide · International: $27.8M (65%)
Full synopsis
Versions & cuts
- original· 90 min
- 2003 restored director's cut· 112 min · 2003
Also known as
- Der Sinn des Lebensde
- Monty Python's Der Sinn des Lebensde
- Monty Pythons - Der Sinn des Lebensde
- (DVD Title)El sentido de la vida
- Monty Python's Meaning of Lifeen
- The Meaning of Lifeen
- El sentido de la vidaes
- Monty Python : Le Sens de la viefr
- Monty Python - Il senso della vitait
Release dates around the world4 countries · showhide
- United StatesMar 31, 1983
- FranceMay 9, 1983
- United KingdomJun 23, 1983
- DenmarkJul 1, 1983
Production & Distribution
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Cast & Crew
263 unique people credited
Top billed cast
John Cleese
as Humphrey Williams
Eric Idle
as 'Meaning of Life' Singer
Terry Jones
as Mum
Graham Chapman
as Doctor
Michael Palin
as Fish #5
Terry Gilliam
as Walters
Carol Cleveland
as Leaf Mother
Simon Jones
as Jeremy Portland-Smythe
Patricia Quinn
as Mrs. Williams
Judy Loe
as Nurse #1
Andrew Bicknell
as (Segment "The Crimson Permanent Assurance")
Andrew Maclachlan
as Groom
Supporting cast
100Mark Holmes
as Severed head
Valerie Whittington
as Mrs. Moore
Jennifer Franks
as Bride
Imogen Bickford Smith
as Nurse #2
Angela Mann
as Second guest's wife
Sydney Arnold
as Pirate Captain (segment "The Crimson Permanent Assurance")
Guy Bertrand
as Chief Executive (segment "The Crimson Permanent Assurance")
Matt Frewer
as Cornered Executive who Jumps (segment "The Crimson Permanent Assurance")
Michael Caine
as British Soldier (uncredited) (segment "Fighting Each Other")
Jane Leeves
as Dancer (uncredited)
Luke Baxter
as Dancer
Jennie Franks
as Bride
Peter Lovstrom
as Brown's Son
George Silver
as Diner Eating Howard the Fish
Chris Grant
Ross Davidson
Myrtle Devenish
as Old Lady
Tim Douglas
Eric Francis
Billy John
Russell Kilmister
Peter Mantle
Len Marten
Peter Merrill
Cameron Miller
Gareth Milne
Larry Noble
Paddy Ryan
Leslie Sarony
John Scott Martin
Eric Stovell
Wally Thomas
Jack Armstrong
Robert Carrick
Douglas Cooper
George Daly
Chick Fowles
Terry Grant
Robin Hewlett
Tommy Isley
Juba Kennerley
Anthony Lang
John Murphy
Terry Rendell
Ronald Shilling
Albert Welch
Stephen Beagley
as Dancer
Paul Bourke
as Dancer
Bonnie Bryg
as Dancer
Charlotte Corbett
as Dancer
Geoff Davids
as Dancer
Emma Kate Davies
as Dancer
Sandra Easby
as Dancer
Jane Eve
as Dancer
Donna Fielding
as Dancer
Roy Hamlyn Gayle
as Dancer
Dawn Gerrard
as Dancer
Natascha Gilbrooke
as Dancer
Donnette Goddard
as Dancer
Heavon Grant
as Dancer
Alison Jane Hierlihy
as Dancer
Laura James
as Dancer
Kim Elizabeth Leeson
as Dancer
Maddie Loftin
as Dancer
Michelle Mackie
as Dancer
Paul Madden
as Dancer
Helen Mason
as Dancer
Caroline Meacher
as Dancer
Lorraine Meacher
as Dancer
Sue Menhenick
as Dancer
Kerri Murphy
as Dancer
Tammy Needham
as Dancer
Garry Noakes
as Dancer
Trudy Pack
as Dancer
Floyd Anthony Pearce
as Dancer
Wanda Rokicki
as Dancer
Peter Salmon
as Dancer
Lizie Saunderson
as Dancer
Steve St Klonis
as Dancer
Voyd
as Dancer
Timothy Ward
as Dancer
Michelle Welch
as Dancer
Gess Whitfield
as Dancer
Lorraine Whitmarsh
as Dancer
Dominique Wood
as Dancer
Micky Clarke
as Schoolmaster
Nigel Hawthorne
as Insurance Company Passerby
Lynne Hazelden
as Student Doctor
Barrie Holland
as Teacher At Rugby Match
Keith Macey
as School Boy in Chapel
Sean Maguire
as Every Sperm is Sacred' Child w, Red Jumper
Gerald Paris
as Passerby
Monty Python
as Themselves
Lee Sheward
as Choir Boy
John Simpkin
as Mr. Bloke
Guy Standeven
as Restaurant Diner
Carole Anne Stevenson
as Topless Pursuer
Reg Thomason
as Restaurant Patron
Cy Town
as Restaurant Diner
Fred Wood
as Branded Man in Dungeon Room
Directors
1Writers
4Producers
3Other crew
154James Acheson Nm0009807
(as Jim Acheson), as Jim Acheson
John Beard
(segment "The Crimson Permanent Assurance"), segment "The Crimson Permanent Assurance"
Tim Ollive
animation & backgrounds, animator
Terry Gilliam
animation director and special sequence, written by &
Jill Brooks
animator
Kate Hepburn
animator
Mike Stuart
animator
Richard Ollive
animator
Bob Walker
art department
Dennis Griffin
art department
Richard Hornsby
art department
Roger Cain
art department
Parents Guide
AI Personalities
Advisory Bot AI
I keep the family-safety picture honest — community advisories, AI-moderated, summarized without spin.
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Official ratings
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Where to watch
Live · bot-verified- Paramount+Stream
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