My Big Fat Greek Wedding
by Joel Zwick
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Christina Eleusiniotis, John Corbett, Kaylee Vieira, Michael Constantine, Nia VardalosDirector: Joel Zwick
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language); Greek (Original Language)
Format: NTSC
Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Movie Reviews of My Big Fat Greek Wedding
Movie Review: A Big Fat Overrated Piece of Fluff
Summary: 2 Stars
I just don't understand it. Why was this, a film about a mousy 30-something Greek woman getting a Pygmalion makeover and finding the man of her dreams, then going through the cacophony of planning a wedding with her colossal nuclear family, such a critical and box-office masterstroke? Why was a script written by the film's star, lacking in plot and containing banal dialogue, hailed as one of the better comedies of 2002? Why does everyone think that this movie is so great?
I'll tell you why - HYPE. Movies like "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" have lived off this wondrous distortion of facts since the beginning of time and the reason for their continued success is that moviegoers never bother to question the gushing quotes of such renowned publications as Newsweek, People and the Los Angeles/New York Times. Simply put, to describe "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" as "hilarious", "brilliant" or otherwise "spectacular" is RUBBISH. This movie is schmaltzy, cringe-inducing and uninspired. 1990's "Father of the Bride" and "Muriel's Wedding" are a riot compared to this.
Here's the mundane storyline: Toula Portokalos (Vardalos) is a woman on the precipice of middle-age whose parents consistently give her grief about being an old maid - all they've wanted and planned for her since she was a child was to get married as soon as she came of age. What makes things worse for her is that her older sister Athena has been married for nearly a decade, has three children and is pregnant with her fourth. Toula is exhausted by the henpecking of her female relatives to find a husband and by her authoritative, sexist father Gus (Constantine) - he is against all things that elevate women above men, particularly regarding employment and higher education.
Problems arise when Toula finally meets Mr. Right, a college professor named Ian Miller (Corbett) whose background radically differs from hers. All spouses within the Portokalos family are of Greek lineage and Ian's opposing ancestry causes dissension with Toula's parents, particularly Gus. So Ian, being the nice guy that he is, decides to get baptized in a Greek Orthodox church so he can obtain a mandated marriage to Toula and make peace with her folks. The movie ends with the extravagant ceremony and reception, complete with an extremely generous wedding gift from Gus to the newlyweds that aims to wrench the heartstrings of its viewers.
There - I've told you the whole story, minus a few details. I'll also tell you that the script, lauded as "hilarious", is far from it. It isn't smart humor, it isn't slapstick, it isn't wry - it's totally uninspired and will leave many people scratching their noggins in utmost bewilderment. Where is the incredible mirth that the critics suggested? Those liars - I should've rented "There's Something About Mary" or "Dumb and Dumber" and gotten my money's worth. Families with a Greek lineage may enjoy the many inside quips, but being German-Irish myself, the jokes were lost on me.
Both Tom Hanks and wife Rita Wilson backed this project by serving as producers, giving the unknown Vardalos a chance to take her one-woman stage show to the mainstream. I'm beginning to think the Hanks were the ONLY reason this film was pushed in the limelight.
Bottom line: "Cutesy" and "heartwarming" would be the fairest ways to describe "My Big Fat Greek Wedding". If you want to be rolling in the aisles, rent "Bruce Almighty" - that's hilarity at it's finest, with a little "heartwarming" on the side.
Summary of My Big Fat Greek Wedding
It's not surprising that My Big Fat Greek Wedding grew more popular over the course of its theatrical release (whereas most blockbusters open big and then drop precipitously)--not only does it have believable situations and engaging characters, but these characters (particularly our romantic heroine, Toula, played by writer and performer Nia Vardalos) look like actual human beings instead of plastic movie stars. The result is the very accessible tale of Greek-American Toula (whose family sees her as over the hill at 30), who falls for a WASPy guy named Ian (John Corbett) and then has to endure the outrage, doubt, and ultimate acceptance of her deeply ethnically centered family. The actors invest their wildly stereotypical portrayals with sincerity and compassion, giving the movie an honest warmth instead of Hollywood schmaltz. But My Big Fat Greek Wedding ultimately succeeds because of Vardalos; her intelligent, down-to-earth presence and charm carry the film. --Bret FetzerComedy DVD Video
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