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