My Big Fat Greek Wedding [G]

Toula Portokalos is a Greek tragedy: 30 years old and unmarried. But then Toula meets the man of dreams: Ian Miller, a charming, handsome schoolteacher… who is not Greek. Amidst the shame and unhappiness that her family displays at her choice of husband, it becomes apparent to the lovebirds that the only way that Toula’s family is ever going to accept Ian is if he becomes Greek. But in the lead-up to her wedding day, Toula will have to face much more than mere culture clashes. 

A tale of romance equally powerful to match that of Christian and Satine from Moulin Rouge!, Clare and Henry from The Time Traveller’s Wife, or Romeo and Juliet from Romeo and Juliet, My Big Fat Greek Wedding is a classic romantic comedy that encompasses everything from moral acceptance, to overcoming adversity, to serving lamb instead of meat. I absolutely LOVE this movie! 

Toula Portokalos is a Greek tragedy: 30 years old and unmarried. But then Toula meets the man of her dreams: Ian Miller, a charming, sensitive, and handsome schoolteacher… who is not Greek. Amidst the shame and unhappiness that her family openly displays at her choice of husband, it becomes apparent to Toula that the only way her family will ever accept Ian as their son-in-law is if he becomes Greek. But in the lead-up to her wedding day, Toula will have to face much more than mere culture clashes. 

What makes a really good romantic comedy, or romance story in general, is the gestures of love and overcoming adversity. The romantic tale of Toula and Ian is not that dissimilar to that of Romeo and Juliet; two star-crossed lovers who come from completely different worlds. In My Big Fat Greek Wedding the comedy is a little more tangible, really obvious at times, and conveyed beautifully by the two extreme families: Toula’s being stereotypically Greek; loud and invasive and vibrant, and Ian’s being really dull and placid with no interesting features at all. It’s goes from one extreme to another and it’s all done in a really tasteful and warm way. 

Nia Vardalos stars as Toula in addition to writing the story. Her performance was witty, charming, and really gorgeous and it was wonderful to see her physical transformation: beginning the film as ”frump girl” and slowly changing into a really beautiful woman. 

Starring John Corbett, Michael Constantine, Lainie Kazan, Louis Mandylor, Joey Fatone, Andrea Martin, and Ian Gomez, My Big Fat Greek Wedding is a wonderful film filled with food, romance, family, defiance, and comedy. It’s always nice to come back to this one because it’s nice and light, but at the same time very heart-warming and powerful. 

OPA!