| Copyright © 2006 Ed Bagley
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| | "all's well that ends well."
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| My Big Fat Greek Wedding - 4 Stars
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| | The cast is not star-studded and proves
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| (Excellent)
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| | that you do not need to be a headliner to
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| My Big Fat Greek Wedding is simply one of
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| | deliver a headliner's performance and
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| the best movies ever made about close
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| | then some. Joining Nia Vardalos, Michael
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| families and their traditions.
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| | Constantine and Ian Miller with
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| This film is on par with Fiddler on the
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| | significant and meaningful contributions
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| Roof (winner of 3 Oscars among 8
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| | were Lainie Kazan as Toula's mother
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| nominations) and A Christmas Story
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| | Maria, Louis Mandylor as Toula's brother
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| (winner of no major awards and no Oscar
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| | Nick, Andrea Martin as Aunt Voula, and
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| nominations), proving that the biggest
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| | Gia Carides as Cousin Nikki.
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| award-winners are not the only great
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| | Vardalos, Constantine, Mandylor and
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| movies.
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| | Carides were the only true Greeks in the
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| A Christmas Story and My Big Fat Greek
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| | cast.
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| Wedding were matched bookends in that
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| | There is a point in the film when Toula
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| both films were not thought to be worthy
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| | feels she is losing the battle and
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| of financing by typical Hollywood backers
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| | laments that "the man is the head of the
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| and ended up as independent films with
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| | house." Her mother Maria tells her that
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| limited distribution before becoming huge
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| | "the man is the head, but the woman is
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| successes.
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| | the neck, and she can turn the head any
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| A Christmas Story, a low budget film that
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| | way she wants." Maria does so in a
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| was not expected to do well, was released
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| | confrontation with her husband that
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| just before Thanksgiving in 1983. By
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| | should make women proud.
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| Christmas the film had been pulled from
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| | This film will warm you heart, entertain
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| theaters because it was thought to have
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| | your soul and cause you to walk away a
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| been "played out." It was only because of
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| | better person for having seen this superb
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| complaints from moviegoers that it was
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| | effort in moviemaking. Toula's personal
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| brought back to life and has since
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| | growth as a young woman freeing herself
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| developed a loyal following of fans that
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| | from forced expectations against
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| will not let it die.
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| | insufferable odds is so precious that you
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| My Big Fat Greek Wedding was filmed
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| | want to take her home and adopt her.
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| because a gutsy Greek girl named Nia
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| | I once went to a Polish funeral and was
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| Vardalos believed in herself and in her
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| | amazed that when the funeral was over and
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| one-woman stage show to keep performing
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| | the reception began, the whiskey flowed
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| until Rita Wilson saw the play. She
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| | and all of the immediate family and
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| persuaded her husband Tom Hanks to
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| | friends had a heck of great party
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| produce a movie version.
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| | drinking, dancing and singing.
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| Wilson, like Vardalos, is Greek. Wilson's
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| | I learned more about family traditions in
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| reward as one of the producers with her
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| | different cultures at that Polish
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| husband and Gary Goetzman was to see the
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| | funeral. Some cultures celebrate the life
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| project completed. The PGA Golden Laurel
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| | of a loved one after the funeral.
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| Awards remembered Rita Wilson by giving
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| | Despite the complications presented in My
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| her the Visionary Award in 2003. The
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| | Big Fat Greek Wedding you come away
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| three producers also won the Golden
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| | wanting to be Greek because you see the
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| Laurel Award for Producer of the Year.
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| | love and the fun that they have much more
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| So we have in My Big Fat Greek Wedding a
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| | than any disagreements or
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| low budget, independent film that was
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| | disappointments.
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| about to make Hollywood history.
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| | The interaction between Toula and her
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| To show you how dumb the Hollywood
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| | brother Nick is really sweet, touching
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| financial backers were and how smart Tom
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| | and funny.
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| Hanks was the estimated $5 million budget
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| | At one point, Nick is impressed with
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| for My Big Fat Greek Wedding generated
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| | Toula's ability to break with tradition
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| worldwide revenue of $368 million.
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| | (he secretly wants to study art) and
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| The Hollywood backers thought America
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| | says, "Don't let your past dictate who
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| filmgoers would not accept an ethnic
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| | you are, but let it be part of who you
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| film. I wonder how many of the same
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| | will become." "Nick, that's beautiful,"
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| backers recognized that Fiddler on the
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| | replies Toula, to which Nick adds, "Yeah
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| Roof, produced 31 years earlier in 1971,
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| | that dear Abby really knows what she's
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| was an ethnic film about a Jewish family
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| | talking about."
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| which broke with the tradition of
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| | Nia Vardalos wrote the script and earned
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| arranged marriages.
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| | an Academy Award nomination for Best
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| My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002) became
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| | Screenplay, was nominated for 6 other
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| the highest-grossing independent film of
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| | lesser screenwriting awards and won 2. My
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| all time, surpassing The Blair Witch
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| | Big Fat Greek Wedding is directed by Joel
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| Project (1999). It also became the
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| | Zwick who won two minor awards for his
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| highest grossing movie never to have hit
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| | effort. I feel he deserved more
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| number one at the box office, surpassing
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| | recognition.
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| Dances with Wolves (1990).
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| | The film garnered little attention among
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| Incredibly , the film was still running
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| | the big award givers but did
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| in several theaters even after its
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| | appropriately win the People's Choice
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| initial video release.
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| | Award for Favorite Comedy. Almost as an
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| This film is essentially the story of
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| | afterthought, My Big Fat Greek Wedding
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| Toula (Nia Vardalos), a 30-year-old Greek
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| | won the Best Independent Comedy Film
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| woman who falls in love with John (Ian
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| | Award from the U. S. Comedy Arts
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| Miller), a non-Greek man, and struggles
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| | Festival. It would be my pleasure if some
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| to get her family to accept him while
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| | of the Comedy Film Award judges were
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| both of them come to terms with their
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| | Greek.
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| heritage, cultural identity and mutual
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| | There is Greek love throughout this film,
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| compatibility.
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| | from Rita Wilson's vision to the
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| As Toula says, "Nice Greek girls are
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| | thousands of Greek Americans who said,
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| supposed to do three things in life:
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| | hey, this is Greek, this is good. The
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| marry Greek boys, make Greek babies, and
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| | Greek community really made the film
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| feed everyone . . . until the day we
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| | become a box office record-setter while
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| die."
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| | we non-Greeks came on board later and
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| Her father, Gus Portokalos (Michael
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| | enjoyed the film just as much.
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| Constantine) says: "You better get
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| | When I left the theater, I went looking
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| married soon. You're starting to look
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| | for ouzo, the Greek anise-flavored
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| old!" Gus also says, "There are only two
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| | liqueur so celebrated in the film at
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| kinds of people, Greeks and people who
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| | Greek gatherings. They would down a shot
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| wish they were Greek." He believes any
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| | of ouzo and shout "oumpa."
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| ailment can be cured with Windex.
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| | I married a girl from a very traditional
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| My Big Fat Greek Wedding is the Greek
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| | Italian Catholic family. Every Christmas
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| community at its most accurate and best,
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| | my wife makes Italian cookies with
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| all of the suffocating love, demanded
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| | anise-flavored frosting, no wonder I
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| tradition, motivation by guilt, male ego,
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| | loved My Big Fat Greek Wedding.
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| female influence, pride of race, sibling
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| | Anyone who wants a job watching My Big
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| ties, extended family, romance and
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| | Fat Greek Wedding should be Greek, love
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| sacrifice for those we love.
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| | ouzo and love having fun. Others need not
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| This film is not heavy and dripping with
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| | apply unless, of course, they might want
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| drama, this is a romantic comedy mixed
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| | to be Greek, want to try ouzo and have
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| with strong family traditions that proves
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| | fun!
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| Shakespeare's sage observation that
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