My Big Fat Greek Wedding

Rating: 4.5/5

A film that swept the nation upon its' initial release, My Big Fat Greek Wedding still remains humorous and charming.

Thirty year old Toula (Nia Vardalos) comes from a very large, loud, and eccentric Greek family. She still lives at home with her parents, and is constantly being told by her father Gus (Michael Constantine) that she must marry a nice Greek boy. One day while working at her parents' restaurant, a tall attractive man catches Toula's attention, but she is too shy to speak anything remotely coherent to him. Assuming that he wouldn't notice her anyway, she lets him walk away.

When Toula finally tires of working in the restaurant, she decides that she needs a change in her life. Much to her father's dismay, Toula goes back to school to learn more about computers. Once finished with her classes, she begins to work at her aunt's travel agency. It is there that Toula sees the handsome man from the restaurant again. Now more confident in herself, Toula strikes up a conversation with him, learning that his name is Ian (John Corbett). The two fall head over heals for one another, which is great for Toula, until her family learns that she is in love with a non-Greek.

When My Big Fat Greek Wedding first came out, I remember there being an incredible hype about the film. Whenever this happens, it can be both a blessing and a curse. When there is such buzz about a movie, of course the film will get more theater viewings, but it can also create overly heightened expectations for a film. When I first watched this movie, I was slightly underwhelmed from what I saw, compared to what I heard, so I didn't have the greatest first impression of it. However, when I rewatched it many years later, I was able to see the movie for its' appeal and clever writing.

There are times in My Big Fat Greek Wedding where the depictions of Toula's family appear almost too wild or ridiculous, however Vardalos did base many of the sequences in the film off of her real life experiences. I'm sure some things were over exaggerated for the purpose of the film, but even so, because of her personal perspective into the topic, some of the craziest or loudest scenes in the movie come off as unique and witty, rather than garish and overdone. It is Vardalos' performance as well as her Academy Award nominated screenplay that make My Big Fat Greek Wedding as fun and easily rewatchable as it is.

One of the many things that makes My Big Fat Greek Wedding so entertaining, is the simplicity of it. Yes, there are scenes where things appear bizarre or overcrowded, but they are few and far between. There is a wonderful juxtaposition between the scenes of Toula's countless family members, and the quiet scenes between her and Ian. Not only does it make the film appear balanced, but it also shows the vast difference between Toula's Greek life and her romantic life. Had this film been completely filled with members of her family, it would have been overbearing with all of the colorful personalities that make up her entire family. By finding the perfect blend of calm and crazy, the film is not only entertaining, but quite well done.

Since my initial rewatch, I have gotten into the habit of watching this film whenever I am in the mood for something fun and easy. It is a great go to for when you need to watch a movie that doesn't make you think or worry. My Big Fat Greek Wedding was unique when it first came out, and is still innovative to this day.