My Big Fat Greek Wedding
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Movie Reviews of My Big Fat Greek Wedding
Movie Review: A Big Fat Celebration of Our Shared Humanity
Summary: 5 Stars
Like everybody else, I appreciate knowing in advance if a film is poor so I can avoid it; also, I prefer to "discover" an especially enjoyable film rather than hear or read raves about it in advance. This is one of three films I saw for the first time without knowing anything about them, the other two being Good Will Hunting and Bend It Like Beckham. Although I consider none a "great film," I thoroughly enjoyed all three but for different reasons I shall briefly discuss.Directed by Joel Zwick and starring Nia Vardalos (also author and screenwriter) as Toula, with Lainie Kazan (her mother Maria) and Michael Constantine (her father Gus) cast in important supporting roles, this film really could have portrayed any large and loving family's "big fat wedding." Growing up in a multi-ethnic neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago, I had numerous opportunities to attend weddings and receptions which were strikingly similar to those portrayed in this film but, of course, I had no idea what was happening as members of both families were involved in preparations. Much of this film's great appeal is probably explained by the fact that so many people can identify with the pre-marriage stresses, temper tantrums, threats, tensions, conflicts, alienations, reconciliations, etc. which author Vardalos and director Zwick examine so brilliantly...and so humorously.
Toula works in her family's restaurant, Dancing Zorba, and her "Prince Charming" proves to be a schoolteacher, Ian Miller (John Corbett). They meet, fall in love, and become engaged. So far, so good. However, the cultural differences between her family and his are significant. Adjustments and accommodations are necessary and often hilarious as the wedding day approaches. The film's ending is not merely happy, it is joyous. Refreshingly is the fact that in this film, there is a total absence of cynicism concerning ethnic differences. They are relevant to the story line and revealed with good humor. Those who enjoy this film are urged to check out Moonstruck (1987) and Return to Me (2000) in which ethnic and cultural values are also celebrated with style, grace, and exuberance.
Movie Review: Excellent and funny.
Summary: 5 Stars
I really don't know why some previous reviewers rated this film poorly. While a movie can be evaluated differently, by different people, the justification behind the one-star reviews makes me wonder whether the reviewers truly saw the movie.First of all, I am a Greek-American, born in the U.S. and reared in Greece until the age of 18 (now I am almost 36.) True, "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" does not demonstrate an authentic Greek wedding, as performed and celebrated in Greece, but this is not about the wedding, anyway. I don't know how Greeks, in Greece, feel about this movie, but I haven't heard, or read, any negative reviews either. Besides, this is a movie about a Greek family in the U.S., not Greece. As one reviewer implied, this story could have happened to anyone with strong ties to a culture. Getting the parents' blessing is very important, and the movie addresses that very clearly. Do all the Greeks care demonstrating that every word in English has Greek root? Absolutely NOT! Are there Greeks who enjoy this? Oh, YES, and I have met several of them; they are more fun to talk to than it appears in the movie.
That said, I can assure everybody that even though "My Big Fat Greek Weeding" exaggerates some of the conflicts among the members of a Greek-American family, it is not far from the truth. My wife, who is not Greek-anything, can testify, from her own experience. She loves this movie because she sees much of what she experienced before, during, and after our wedding in Greece. We could actually write a book about it:-)
I have not bought the CD yet, but saw the movie twice. It is funny, down-to-Earth, and for the most part, sincere and genuine. While mostly I enjoy action, [some] sci-fi, and non-romantic comedies, I give this one 5 stars. "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" will not disappoint, mainly because of its simplicity. Am I the only one who says so? I don't think so... The theaters, where I watched "My Big Fat Greek Wedding", were filled with the laughter of the viewers throughout the entire movie. The evidence in favor to this movie has been pretty strong.
Movie Review: GREAT MOVIE!!!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
It's very rare these days to see a comedy with no sex, violence, or foul language. But My Big Fat Greek Wedding proves that you really can make a movie without the sex and violence and make it just as funny. I went to see this movie just out of curiosity, and not surprisingly the theater was packed with people from little children to senior citizens. I guess the word-of-mouth success of this movie has proven to be wonders, because everyone was laughing throughout the movie. It really was funny!What's even more stunning about My Big Fat Greek Wedding is that it was released in April. Yes, April, about 5 months ago, and it is still playing! It was supposed to be released on DVD right about now! Well, I guess I'll have to wait a little while longer for the DVD of this movie to be released.
We need more movies like this, especially at a time when our world had changed so much in the past year. We need to laugh and smile again. Of course, you should also see My Big Fat Greek Wedding to make up for your experience after seeing the utterly dreadful film known as Star Wars Episode II.
(SMALL SPOILER ALERTS -- DO NOT READ FROM HERE IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO KNOW)
- Pronouncing the word "bundt". Lainie Kazan's character uses the cake for something more useful. She puts a plant in the hole of the cake.
- Ian Miller speaking Greek. One of the phrases he says translates to "I have three balls." Not basketballs or baseballs, but THOSE types of balls.
- "The family is dry like toast" (in reference to Ian's mother and father)
- At the end of the movie, Ian Miller tells Toula that he once had a zit on his face and removed it. How? "I put Windex on it." I'll never look at Windex the same way again (BTW, if you have a zit, don't try removing it with Windex)
- At the wedding celebration after the ceremony, the scene which ties it all together, where Toula's dad is at the podium speaking: "Miller comes from the greek word 'millos,' which means apple. 'Portakolos' means orange. Apples and oranges, but in the end we're all fruits."
Movie Review: Big Fat Enjoyment & Laughter
Summary: 5 Stars
This movie definitely received a lot of hype - but for good reason. A relatively unknown comedienne was discovered by Rita Wilson (actress and wife of Tom Hanks) and her story was put on film - and it starred the unknown comic, not some Hollywood-type, plastic person. You do not have to be Greek to enjoy this film. The main character (Toula, played by creator/author Nia Vardalos) is growing up as a chubby, hairy, lonely girl in a very Greek, very large home with very eccentric relatives. Her family holds fast to strong family values and unlike all too many families today, they hold strongly to their ethnic traditions.Vardalos tells the story of her life, her loving & nutty family and how she made the decision to change her appearance, education and attitude at age 30 to pursue her dreams. From her father's love of his own Greek heritage to his obsession with the miracle healing powers of Windex, the viewer will quickly fall in love with these quirky characters, warts and all.
Despite some deeply held biases, her family is very loving, if not over-protective. When they find out she has been dating a non-Greek man, they go bonkers... but they come around and grow to love their soon-to-be son-in-law.
The movie is less about the wedding and more about the family... the positives and negatives of growing up in a big, loud, loving family and how true love conquers all. Best of all, this is based on the true life story of lead actress Nia Vardalos.
Her real life husband portrays the friend/colleague of her husband in the film and many of her own relatives made cameos through out.
Great acting, great comedic timing and an over-all feel-good film. Family safe? That depends. It is definitely implied that the lead characters have a less than platonic relationship before they are married, but there are no [love] scenes and no nudity in the film. It's up to the parents to decide what age is appropriate for their kids on this one. A really young child may not appreciate what is going on, but anyone 12 and up should get a kick out of this movie.
Movie Review: Warm humor and irony.
Summary: 5 Stars
I suppose every one on the planet has heard of this movie by now: a Greek girl named Toula grows up to become a hardworking woman suffocating under her strong Greek family's traditions and values; she begins a belated process of personal growth, going to college and sneaking out for dates, to her parent's horror, while she's only slightly middle-aged. Toula meets a WASP vegetarian professor who's parents are so dignified they are practically dead. Because she loves her family and her WASP professor, Toula's able to let us see the humorous side of all them, and herself, without being mean.
That may the movie's greatest seller of all, that it manages to be funny without being hurtful or crude. In this age when even the people at Disney seem to think that bodily functions are funny (I thought every kid over the age of 8 was supposed to have outgrown that) this movie is refreshing.
The other refreshing part was that this was a movie about people willing to make sacrifices for the people they love. Ultimately, that is what families that work do for each other, and in this movie almost everyone gives up something for the benefit of other people in the family. Toula's parents must give up some of their prejudice; so must her fiance's parents. Her fiance joins the Greek church and is dunked for his baptismal so that Toula's parents can at least have their Greek wedding. Toula must give up, among other things, self-pity and self-loathing to allow herself to be loved.
I suppose there may be people in this country who have not been subjected to family pressures. Those ten people shouldn't buy this.
Now, about the DVD. You get both wide-screen and full-screen in the set. YES! You also get a chance to see subtitles in four languages including, what else?, Greek!
You also get some biographies of some of the characters in the movie, but that's all. I guess we're all kind of spoiled, and would have liked some "extras". But at least we did get the wide and full screen thing and all those subtitles....