My Big Fat Greek Wedding

My Big Fat Greek Wedding makes up for what it lacks in plot with a cast of amusing, lovable characters. Like any large extended family the Portokolos family is a collection of oddball, zany characters. Toula's father Gus can find the Greek root of any word, and believes windex to be a wondrous cure to any ailment. Toula's mother says "the man may be the head of the household, but the woman is the neck, she can turn the head whichever way she wants". And throughout the movie we see matriarchal power in action as she and Aunt Voula subtly manipulate Gus, the father. Toula's Cousin Nikki with her provocative fashion sense and brother Nick with his quiet passion for art, fill out the Portokolos personality tree.

In contrast the Millers are a subdued, small family. Ian has only two cousins. When Toula invites the Millers over for a quiet dinner to meet her parents they are in for quite a shock. The dynamics between the overwhelmingly extroverted Portokolos family and the reserved parents of the groom provide some amusing moments.

My Big Fat Greek Wedding had potential to be an exceptional film. It was hindered by a far too contrived romance and a particularly unconvincing performance by John Corbett as Ian Miller. His character was so lacking in personality, so bland, especially in contrast to the Portokolos family members. Plus the robotic delivery of his declarations of love were unbelievable. His character seemed an afterthought. Had Ian Miller been better acted, and developed as well as all of the supporting characters, the film would have been great. However, it is still an above average romantic comedy, providing many laughs and feel good moments.

An extremely good little film that shows that smart ideas, good writing, solid direction, likeable characters and an engrossing story will always win out in the end. Nia Vardalos stars as a Greek woman who just seems a bit out-of-place in her not always normal life. She is shy, reserved and ashamed of her heritage. Some makeup, a few college classes, stylish clothes and a travel agency job away from her father's restaurant are just the tickets to help her come out of her shell. Soon high school teacher John Corbett is entranced by her and they start a sweet love affair. Naturally she keeps the secret from her parents (Michael Constantine and Lainie Kazan) and the sparks fly when they eventually find out. They want their daughter to marry a Greek man and have lots of children, but Vardalos has other plans for her life. Corbett's love knows no bounds though as he makes it clear that she is the one he really wants. "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" happened due to good timing and lots of luck. Vardalos was struggling when Tom Hanks' wife (Rita Wilson) went to see the small play that the film is based upon. Wilson happened to see an advertisement for the show in the newspaper one day (the only day Vardalos could afford to run an ad) and the rest as they say is history. The film cost very little to make and usually second-rate director Joel Zwick ended up running the show. Vardalos' screenplay (Oscar-nominated) was the catalyst that put the film on the map and kept it there permanently. Most all the extras are real family members of Vardalos and Ian Gomez (who plays Corbett's best friend) is actually her husband in real life. Easily one of the most successful films of all time financially speaking (based upon the bargain basement cost and the astronomical showing at the box office), "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" is a wholesome film that the whole family can enjoy. It is another one of those rare films that feel like it was made during Hollywood's Golden Age of the 1940s. Not quite excellent, but dangerously close. 4.5 out of 5 stars.

My Big Fat Greek Wedding is a very simple, funny romance story that would probably be most appreciated by female audiences.

Nia Vardalos (the film's writer and star) is Toula Portokalos, a quiet young woman from a zany Greek family. As she explains in the great flashback introduction, all her life she has been brought up to be strictly Greek. But, the same upbringing also contains some traditional absuridites that she can't understand, although her parent's wish that she would adhere to. Toula's upbringing has only allowed her to look forward to one thing at this point in her life: get married to a nice Greek boy and have lots of babies.

This is not something Toula wants to here, and eventually, she gains the courage to break out of her introverted shield and gradually change herself into a bold, lovely woman. She stops working at her family's resturaunts and starts taking computer classes at the local college, which lead her not only to a better appreciation for herself, but leads to a job at her aunt's travel agency where she meets Ian Miller (Jon Corbet), and that is where our story begins.

Toula and Ian are in love, really very much so. But, this troubles Toula's mother and father, with her father (Michael Constantine) being more strict in traditional Greek upbringing than her mother (Lanie Kazan), when Ian proposes to Toula. For Toula's father, it is bad enough that she quit the family business to go to school and everything. But it is simply out of the question for him that she marry a non-Greek. So, Toula is torn between the two. This is a movie very much in the spirit of films like Bend it Like Beckham and somewhat like the Joy Luck Club in addressing roles of tradition in future generations of immigrants and the possibility and reason for preservation of such traditions.

Of course the film is a very simple movie, a simple love story, but a funny one nonetheless. We see the contrast between Toula's Greek upbringing, and Ian's very quiet, conservative family. Everyone was fantastic in this film, especially Lainie Kazan as Toula's mom, Michael Constantine as her father, and the wonderfully hilarious Andrea Martin as Toula's Aunt Voula.

I don't know the reason for so many negative reviews for this movie. I would say it was probably the best movie I saw in 2002, and one that I have seen many times since just because it a lovely little (and funny) story about a girl in love.

i usually hate dissing the other reviewers on these things because everyone is entitled to their opinions, but, even though they usually frustrate me, i always read the reviews to gauge how a movie affects the mainstream public, as i think that's usually the most important thing to be considered.

i just finished commenting on 'the rules of attraction', and it surprised me to see how there were more positive comments about that film than this one. it also surprised me to see that most of the negative reviews of this film talked about how they were 'bored' by this movie, or how nia vardalos is 'ugly', or how this film is only for 'women' or 'old people'.

granted, this movie has very little sex, violence, or MTV editing, but it does what most movies try to do and fail at doing; creates an engaging story with interesting characters. however, it's sad to see that this quality apparently doesn't carry much currency anymore, and that people can't deal with humor that's not shoved in their face or isn't right there on the surface.

the ironic thing about this is that MBFGW isn't even that innovative or unique. it takes the normal three act romantic comedy structure and, well, dehollywoodizes it a little bit. yeah, the main characters aren't typical hollywood hot. (well, john corbett is...) but you probably aren't either. and all these people commenting on how it's 'racist' or 'stereotyped'... nia vardalos, the writer, IS GREEK! this film is adapted from her one woman show! it's interesting that 'ethnic' films have to take on, what, a documentary form or something to seem authentic? if anything is racist, that is.

it's super that 11,000 people have voted on this film and that it grossed so much $$. even though, when it comes down to it, this is just a "better" romantic comedy which stays in the box for much of the time, it IS, indeed, better than most movie fare out there and its popularity gives me hope that the "boring" movies with "ugly" people may have a chance with the jaded tards of middle america.

My Fiancé is Greek and I am not. This move hit the nail on the head! The whole time I was watching this movie I was thinking this is my life Oh my God this is my life. I think people who gave this move bad reviews just didn't get it, because, they are not around or live inside the world of a Greek family. There are so many similarities to my Fiancés family it's almost creepy. For a crasher course to our wedding I told my whole family to watch this movie before they came. After the wedding was all said and done I had so many people from my side of the family came up to me and tell me your RIGHT! It was just like my Big Fat Greek Wedding!!! Especially since we had almost 700 people at our wedding and all we did all night long is dance in circles!!! It was a lot of fun!

This was the best movie in a long time and no one knows how true this movie really is until they live through it.

Sincerely, AJH