Genre
Comedy | Romance
Director
Joel Zwick
Country
Canada | USA
Cast
Nia Vardalos, John Corbett, Lainie Kazan, Michael Constantine, Andrea Martin, Christina Paraskevopoulos, Gerry Mendicino, Louis Mandylor, Gia Carides, Joey Fatone, Stavroula Logothettis, Ian Gomez, Bruce Gray, Fiona Reid, Bess Meisler, Jayne Eastwood, Arielle Sugarman
Storyline
30-year-old Toula Portokalos (Nia Vardalos) is still single and living with her parents. After convincing her father (Michael Constantine) to go to university, she meets and fall in love with Ian Miller (John Corbett). There's only one problem: he is not Greek, and she is supposed to marry a Greek man.
Opinion
I've watched this film a lot when I was younger. Way too many times. I've also picked it weeks ago for a Thursday Movie Picks post, and I said it was a decent comedy. But I was wrong, because "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" is a nice, entertaining and hilarious comedy. So much better than I remembered.
The best thing about this film is probably its simplicity. It does not have a complex or twisted plot, it is just a simple love story that develops in a quite predictable way, but it is made engaging and interesting by the (big Greek) family conflict.
Than there's the main character, Toula. The great thing about her is that you don't need to be Greek to empathize with her. She is just a woman in her thirties, she has not that kind of beauty almost all the rom-coms characters have - she is kinda like Bridget Jones but without all the vulgarities -, and it's really easy to relate to having a relationship with someone your parents don't approve.
Sure, the Greek characters are stereotypical and exaggerated, but that's what makes the film so hilarious. And it's plenty of memorable scenes, like when the family ladies convince Gus, Toula's father, that working in her aunt's travel agency was his idea, or when all the ladies are getting ready for the wedding. And the best part is that this fil suits all ages.
Nia Vardalos gives a good performances as Toula, the ugly duckling - in my opinion, she is not ugly at all though. Lainie Kazan and Michael Constantine also give good performances as Toula's parents.
Than there's the main character, Toula. The great thing about her is that you don't need to be Greek to empathize with her. She is just a woman in her thirties, she has not that kind of beauty almost all the rom-coms characters have - she is kinda like Bridget Jones but without all the vulgarities -, and it's really easy to relate to having a relationship with someone your parents don't approve.Sure, the Greek characters are stereotypical and exaggerated, but that's what makes the film so hilarious. And it's plenty of memorable scenes, like when the family ladies convince Gus, Toula's father, that working in her aunt's travel agency was his idea, or when all the ladies are getting ready for the wedding. And the best part is that this fil suits all ages.
Nia Vardalos gives a good performances as Toula, the ugly duckling - in my opinion, she is not ugly at all though. Lainie Kazan and Michael Constantine also give good performances as Toula's parents.
I keep telling myself I'm going to watch this one day. However, every time I think about it I pass it up in favor of something else. Maybe I'll couple it with the sequel and make a night of it.
ReplyDeleteI think this is such a fun movie to watch. I love the grandmother that keeps wandering into the neighbours yard. This I can watch over and over again. Too bad the tv show was so, so awful.
ReplyDelete