My Big Fat Greek Wedding
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Movie Reviews of My Big Fat Greek Wedding
Movie Review: Heart-Warming Comedy and Romance
Summary: 5 Stars
Nia Vardalas stars as Toula, the plain unadorned 30 year old single, "unmarried" daughter of a Greek family who have successfully assimilated into American life. They are the owners of "Dancing Zorba's" a popular neighborhood Greek Restaurant in Chicago. Like Greeks everywhere, the cultural values are instilled into the offspring early in life and the extended family is *most* important ... it is central to their lives. This film is a light-hearted comedy which exaggerates some of the amusing moments about a good obedient daughter who is trying to meet the expectations of her Greek immigrant parents and who is also trying to be independent and make a life for herself.
While fulfilling her parents wishes and living within the cultural milieu of the family, Toula dreams of some independence ... she realizes she can contribute something more than being a seating hostess and cashier at the family restaurant. She recalls being in grammar school when she was the only dark brown haired girl, sitting alone eating her packed lunch, home-made "moussaka". At the next table a group of blond haired girls were laughing and asked her what she was eating, Toula told them. Afterwards, one had mocked her food, calling it "moose kaka", making all the girls giggle. At that age Toula felt she was an outsider ... now as a young adult, she wants to spread her wings, take a course at the local university, prove her self-worth and that she is intelligent, not so different from everyone else. She receives the support of her mother and Aunt who convince her dad that she would be a valuable asset at her Aunt's travel agency ... he agrees and they exchange family employees, her male cousin will work at Dancing Zorbas, while Toula will work at the travel agency. After this point in the film, Toula blossoms from a "plain Jane" into an attractive young lady who begins expressing her own interests apart from the family circle. While working at the agency ... a young man walks past the window and waves to her. She recalls he was a customer at Dancing Zorba's, when she was plainly dressed, awkward and shy, while serving him coffee. Now, she is both embarrassed and flatterred by his amusing antics as he tries to capture her attention when working. His ploy works ... they meet and date. Toula makes excuses to the family that she is taking a pottery class in the evening so that she can see Ian Miller, who is a grammar school teacher and vegetarian. He comes from a family that is best described as W.A.S.P.
The film has a superb build up of comedy and suspense as Toula and Ian become more serious. They learn about their unique differences but appreciate each other even more and consider them assets. One of the climaxes in the film is when Toula's female cousin catches her kissing Ian at the travel agency ... The cousin mentions the family knows Toula is dating a non-Greek because an Aunt saw them together and spread the news like wild fire. Ian learns protocol and asks Gus Portokalas, Toula's dad, for permission to date his daughter. Gus refuses because Ian is not Greek. Eventually, the families meet and iron out their differences as both Toula and Ian fall further in love ... The manner in which the couple win over Toula's dad and family is the stuff of great comedy. Both families gradually accept that Toula and Ian are meant for each other and will get married ... but only *after* Ian agrees to convert to the Greek Orthodox so he can marry within her church. Anyone familiar with Greeks who live in the USA will recognize the amusing characters, typical behavior and values that are so realisticlly portrayed in this film. The cast of characters is perfect. This film will appeal to a large audience of different age groups who enjoy comedy and romance.
Erika Borsos (erikab93)
Movie Review: A Greek-American reviewer
Summary: 5 Stars
...Yes, the Greek characters are exaggerated versions of a real Greek family, but that's what makes it a comedy! The movie is made by a Greek-Canadian, and the Greek community is completely fine with the movie, and they love it, so don't act like you're taking the moral high ground here. Ok, now that's out of the way.....This film, albeit at times just a sappy love story, is the first film for Greek-Americans (if you're not Greek don't worry, you will still love the film for the endearing characters and comedy). My mother and father who immigrated to the US from Greece years ago, saw the film, and told me what they thought. My mother said "It was very funny. But I don't understand the windex, Greeks don't do that" and I replied "Mom, a lot of the humor was for Greek-Americans" which brings me to the description of my Greek family. My father AND mother, and I'm not making this up, think that Rubbing Alcohol is the end all be all cure to all ailments. (Ok not windex, but what's up with that?) Greek children after growing up and getting married, customarily live in homes close to their parents, sometimes as neighbors (not always, but case in point, my sister and her family lives down the street from my parents). My father espouses the proud Greek history of philosophy and of Greek language, making the same claims as the Greek father in the film made, claims such as most of the English language is derivative of Greek. My father owns a hotel called the "Olympic Inn". I grew up in a community of blond haired, blue eyed kids making fun of the Greek food my mother packed me for lunch when I went to grammar school. I also went to "Greek school" (which despite what one Amazon reviewer who gave this movie a negative rating thought, Greek school is not some kind of ethnocentric indoctrination, it is merely a school usually held at the Greek church to teach Greek-American kids how to speak Greek).
This film truly was very identifiable with Greek-Americans such as myself, where growing up in America meant a clash of cultures but at the same time, a love for the Greek history and the American heritage of democracy and philosophy borrowed from ancient Greece and fine-tuned. Despite the drawbacks to an overbearing family, I can't help but feel the strengh I can draw from it, which this film captures. Greek-American means, proud to be Greek, and proud to be American. Both countries have had a rich culture and proud history, as one touching part of this film demonstrates, where grandmother and mother share memories of their past living in Greece, the years of war, the after effects of Turkish, then later, Italian, then German, then Commmunist aggression. The Greek spirit through all of it's war-torn history, was not broken. And the same goes for the American spirit, always in threat from foreign aggression, but never faltering in the face of danger. This is the Greek-American heritage, and this is why I love this film so much, this is the first and ony film so far to acknowledge the Greek-American presence in American culture. Thank you Nia Vardelos for a touching and endearing film and getting this to the silver screen. And to those of you who loved the film and are not Greek, thank you for experiencing something I and many millions of Greek-American kids experienced. You saw my childhood, you saw my family, and you saw the Greek spirit. I hope you can find something to identify with in this film with your family. If you haven't seen the film, see it, and buy the DVD.
Movie Review: This is the proof that different is good
Summary: 5 Stars
When I saw the trailer for this movie, I had no intentions to watch it, because all previous movies of this sort have been bad. Time went by, and here in Colombia movies usually only come if they are succesful or if they have big names in the cover, which is pathetic, but I can't do anything about it. Anyway, I still saw thee trailer in E! and I decided to check the status of it in the box-office nad with critics, and I was puzzled to see that it was doing very good business and had a considerable number of good reviews, then I found out in t.v that Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson were producers, and I said to myself, well this is something to check out. When it finaly came here, it had already beaten Signs in the box-office and with a huge give or take [money amount], I took my mom to see it, she loves silly romance movies and so I said, if it's bad, at lest she will like it. The film started and I found it still to my surprise, amazing and amazingly funny, It got me ever since Michael Constantine says to Nia "You look....old". This is one of the best romantic comedies of all times. This may be because is soo different, most of the previous romantic comedies we had a big bucks leading lady(lets say Julia Roberts) and a convinient and sappy film, but this one, it managed to do a lot with very little. This movie is the proof that luck does exist, because from an unknown stand-up girl, Nia Vardalos became a girl with a [money amount] movie, an Oscar nomination, a Golden Globe nomination and a SAG nomination in best ensemble, plus a new t.v hit which I personaly like.And the film, well it's great, the situations are realistic, and according to the Greek comunity, true to their legacy, and just plain funny. And personaly, Nia is lovely, she has that Greek exotic quality that is so appealing. And the rest of the cast is just fantastic. I also found the soundtrack quite charming. I hope this film proves to all those people that hate Hollywood because they think is a place where little people don't have a chance. This film and all it did proves them wrong. It shows that talent and just a tiny bit of luck or divine intervention, like having Rita Wilson seeing the show of Nia, is enough for making it. I look forward for projects by Nia Vardalos, let's hope for our sake she keeps up her quality in her works, it would be really bad to see here do dull and sappy films trying to get more juice out of the concept of a big fat greek family, the t.v show is enough, let's hope she stars doing different things, is nice when actors are diverse, ... She won our hearts with this film. I highly recomend this film, it's very good when you are feeling droopy, it is very good when you just want to laugh. Thank good there are still fun and smart comedies, I am getting sick with the vulgar comedies that do every and any revolting just to see if people can laugh, American Pie epitomizes this, dumb and [dumber] films desperate for a laugh. That excess of crude humour is boring, this movie also shows you can be smart, witty and funny and the same time, and you don't have to expell any body fluids and sounds to do that. Kudos Nia Vardalos, keep it up.
Movie Review: One Big Fat Hilarious Greek Comedy!
Summary: 5 Stars
The surprise blockbuster film of 2002, My Big Fat Greek Wedding won over the hearts of movie viewers everywhere with its light-hearted comedy and interesting characters. Written by Nia Vardalos (who also stars in the lead role), My Big Fat Greek Wedding - which was originally intended for the stage - garnered the talented writer an Academy Award nomination for Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen. A feel-good, family-oriented film, My Big Fat Greek Wedding is one film movie buffs everywhere won't want to miss...
Living in Chicago, Toula Portokalos (Nia Vardalos) is a thirty-year-old single woman working in her family's restaurant, Dancing Zorba's. In dire need of a makeover and hoping for a life beyond the restaurant, Toula and her mother conspire to convince Toula's father Gus (Michael Constantine) that she should take some computer classes. Gus demands it (believing it's his idea), but his first wish for Toula is that she will marry a good Greek man.
Seeking a new life of career advancement, Toula again enlists her mother's aid in convincing her father that she should go to work at her Aunt Voula's (Andrea Martin) travel agency. In addition to her new career, Toula gets a total makeover to go with her new life. But things take an unexpected twist when, while working at the travel agency, Toula catches the eye of a local high school English teacher, Ian Miller (John Corbett). The two begin dating, and they fall in love. Only one problem, though... Ian isn't Greek!
When Gus finds out that his daughter has been secretly dating a non-Greek, he's furious. But when Ian and Toula decide to get married, Gus must learn to accept his new son-in-law-to-be. Ian must learn to accept Toula's big family, and Toula must learn to accept herself...
Nia Vardalos exhibits her true out-of-this-world talent when she performs not only as the writer of My Big Fat Greek Wedding, but also as the lead character Toula. Playing her part to perfection, Vardalos creates an onscreen chemistry with John Corbett which is simply magical. The couple comes across as realistic and fun, yet not overly clichéd and melodramatic in their pronouncements to one another. The result is that My Big Fat Greek Wedding becomes a true celebration of happiness for two individuals (one the audience feels privy to).
Overall, My Big Fat Greek Wedding is a smash success - as a comedy, a romantic comedy, and a clash of cultures comedy. Vardalos's uncanny portrayal of an American Greek family where half the relatives are named Nick or Maria is hilarious. And the blending of two people and two families into one despite the differences between them is an uplifting and inspiring story that can't help but merit a smile. Nia Vardalos is charming as the sweet and innocent Toula, and her writing is beyond compare - that's why My Big Fat Greek Wedding is a definite must-see film you can't afford to miss...
The DVD Report
Movie Review: A rare treasure of endearing fun... applies to any cross culture relationships!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
May 5th, 2007. Alessandra Prado, Alex Ariano and I visited Martha Oliva who is at home recuperating from foot problems and we brought her this DVD to watch as a group... the best medicine available... for this movie is a rare treasure of endearing fun... which applies to any cross cultural relationships!!!
The plot is simple, a young Greek woman, still living with her parents at the age of 30, under a domineering father who tells her she is "looking old" and not yet married, falls in love with a rather handsome University professor, who does not share her heritage, her sense of belonging to a large family, or her cultural identity.
Toula Portokalos, played by Nia Vardalos, works as a waitress in her family's Greek restaurant, "Dancing Zorba's" and one day sees the handsome Ian Miller come in to meet one of his friends and she falls in love at first sight. She is entranced by his sight, he notices her, but she can not believe it possible.
Toula is inspired to look for more out of life and enrolls in PC classes at the University, the dialogue of her parents as they decide whether a "woman should be educated" or not, is simply some of the funniest lines ever!!!
As she excels at the required courses to run an efficient travel agency, Toula, with the help of her encouraging mother, convinces her aunt that she should go and work for her... They sit to tell the father... or was it the father's idea that she should go to work at the travel agency?
The day Ian Miller, played by John Corbett, happens to walk by her place of employment provides some of the funniest clips of this film, which keeps you laughing from beginning to end!
The couple begin an endearing romance, one that we thoroughly enjoy as it develops into a beautiful love affair. But... beware! The family finds out and the father is livid at this WASP [White Anglo Saxon Protestant] moving into Greek territory, something unheard of in the tradition of this lovely Greek family.
As the families start to get to know one another, some of the scenes are so funny that we laugh to our hearts content. Being Cuban American, many of the scenes remind us of our own struggle to bring different cultures together as we have weaved the fabric of our families with many other cultural threads.
During the film we admire the way Toula transforms from a quiet, introverted and shy person into a rather sophisticated young woman. The wedding entrance has one of the most memorable scenes as the Greeks overwhelm the bride side of the guests... doing what is culturally correct to bring good luck to the bride... causing revulsion and shock to the American side of this couple.
Simply... don't miss seeing this film... By now we have seen it 6 or 7 times and we find ourselves enchanted and constantly laughing. Indeed a rare treasure and a MOST own DVD!!!