Don't Believe the Hype

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

To all those who have watched it: I hope you enjoyed it as much as I do.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

Nia Vardalos captures the unhappiness of Toula who is 30, single ,works unhappily at the family restaurant with no future prospects & dresses to reflect her quiet despair , drowning in the noise of her large , loud , hirsute , intrusive , brash , working-class Greek immigrant family in Chicago, crushed by her dramatic , sweet , manipulative , over- emotional Greek father , who believes that women shouldn't be educated , but must be Greek virgins who marry nice Greek boys & become matriarchs who rule the family kitchens.Toula's father is subverted by her mother & aunt who scheme together , resulting in a new Toula- a woman who takes charge , gets an education , a new job, new friends , confidence & catches the eye of her future husband, played by John Corbett, an easy going high school teacher who adores her & isn't Greek ( to Toula's fathers dissapointment ) but is an upper middle class wasp, with conservative , refined , quiet country-club , lawyer parents. The latter half of the film is about a mildly hilarious clash between the Greek working class and the upper crust prim , polite wasps , with Toula cringing all the way to the altar.

It's tough to watch something from outside and be able to tell how someone else is going to experience something that you yourself are very familiar with. Also I don't think Italian families are that different. But it's a nice touch to see the Greek community get some. Although some may be an understatement. The movie went big, leading independent movie grosses (maybe still the highest grossing independent movie in America? I haven't checked lately) when it was released.Does that make a good movie? Not necessarily, it actually brings out a lot of people who may watch this and look for things that went wrong. And this is so cliché that it is prone and susceptible to attacks. There are a couple of moments where I actually had to laugh, but that was not enough to actually enjoy the whole thing. Don't get me wrong, all the people involved seem nice and cool and everything, but I just didn't think they achieved everything that was possible (watch Highway to Hellas to see how it's really done).

Boy, how well does this film holds up 14 years later. Can we finally admit to its greatness now?Whatever tropes it derives from the rom-coms of old serve only to make us feel comfortable in its grasp. But don't let the formula fool you. This film is anything but cloying. It opts out of cliché and sappy--instead, giving us rompy situations that we could actually see happening in our own lives. Toula, played by Nia Vardalos, who also wrote the film, is a 30-year-old woman whose family fears will become an eternal spinster. She doesn't seem to care about her appearance, and she is very awkward when it comes to talking to other people. She is of Greek origin, and her family won't let her forget it. They're the type who only talk to other Greek people. On the other hand, Toula doesn't care.She meets Ian (John Corbett), who isn't Greek. They fall in love and want to get married, but have to deal with the wrath of her family--mostly her father, played by Michael Constantine.The cast is perfect--especially Constantine, who we are often times convinced is Vardalos' actual father playing himself.The humor is mostly made of inside jokes from Greek culture. If you're not savvy on that, you might think you won't understand. But the script does an excellent job of not making us feel like an outsider. And most of us have families with weird traditions and tendencies, too, so we get it.There are a few lulls in the narrative, but the script always recovers well with something funny around the corner.My Big Fat Greek Wedding is truly funny in the most organic way possible. The scenarios all seem real. Vardalos is believable and hilarious in the lead role. She channels the sort of uninhibitedness that Lucille Ball was known for. Almost like a Kristen Wiig before her time.But most of all, this film speaks to generations of society who can't see past cultural differences. It was relevant back in 2002, and is still very much that way now. It's a tale we've been seeing, in one way or another, for centuries now, but still can't seem to get us to change our ways. Although no one's life is at stake in this film, we could all learn a thing or two from the story. It's deceptively deep. Twizard Rating: 94

My Big Fat Greek Wedding is narrated by Toula Portokalos. She says that all Greek women are expected to marry a Greek man, to have Greek children and to feed everyone until the day she dies. However at the age of 30, still single and working at the family restaurant she feels that she is the only woman in her family who has failed at being a typical Greek girl. One day while at the restaurant, Toula meets Ian Miller a non Greek school teacher and is mesmerized by him. She then decides to go to college. Although her father Gus does not initially approve of her seeking a career, he eventually allows her to take computer classes at a local community college. While going to college Toula gains more confidence. She changes her frumpy appearance and gives herself a makeover. She starts to work at a travel agency, where she meets Ian again. They start dating and eventually fall in love. When Gus finds out Toula is dating a non Greek he is outraged and forbids them from seeing each other. However they continue to see each other in secret and eventually Ian proposes to Toula. Toula's family is then force to accept Ian. The audience sees a clash of cultures as Ian and his family becomes engulfed in Toula's Greek culture as the wedding date draws closer. The director does a good job of teaching the audience about Greek culture while adding a nice comedic element to the film. The film is a sweet romantic comedy that anyone who has a crazy family will be able to enjoy and relate to this film.