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A Slice of Life
by Francine Brokaw
My Big Fat Greek Wedding
Take one Greek girl who has recently come out of her shell, add her boisterous family (parents, brother, sister, aunts, uncles, cousins), now mix in a man (not Greek) and his parents (quiet waspy people), and you get a big bowl of laughs.
This film was the surprise hit of 2002. And no wonder. It's a delight. The family could be Italian, Jewish, Irish, Polish, or just about any other kind, with a protective father and a mother who is always feeding people. You know who they are!
This is the story of Toula, a thirty year old girl who works in her parent's diner, Dancing Zorba's, along with her brother. Toula longs for a little more excitement in her life. So, she trades jobs with a family member and goes to work in her aunt's travel agency. Then one day she meets a nice young man. Ian is a schoolteacher, smart, funny, easy to be with, handsome, adoring, and not Greek. This is a bit of a problem for Toula. She's the only member of her family who has ever gone out with someone who is not Greek. But that doesn't deter her. She and Ian make a great pair, and for the first time she is really happy with her life until word gets out that she is dating Ian. But Toula's heart is with Ian and they become engaged. Knowing how important her faith and her family are to her, Ian converts to the Greek Orthodox Church.
Toula's entire family gets involved in planning the wedding, which turns out to be a big to-do instead of the simpler ceremony she envisioned. But her family is the most important thing to her, besides Ian. They get swept away with all the chaos and plans. It's easy to do with such a large and dynamic clan.
Ian tries his best to fit in. He learns a little of the language and hangs out with the family. He's completely devoted to Toula, and that is the bottom line. The family embraces their newest member, even though he is a vegetarian. No gyros for him! A non-Greek and a vegetarian. Obviously Ian isn't their ideal choice for an in-law, but the poor guy does his best to fit into the group.
There are too many funny parts to this film to lay them all out. It's been a staple in the theaters for an entire year, and now the DVD will be one hot item. The DVD contains both widescreen and full-frame versions of the film, commentaries, and cast and crew biographies. Nia Vardalos (Toula) and John Corbett (Ian) are perfectly cast and deserve a lot of credit for their performances.
My Big Fat Greek Wedding is the perfect movie to watch on Valentine's Day, or any day you want a little romance and a lot of laughs. But be warned, you will probably crave baklava or moussaka after watching this film. And don't forget the Ouzo. Opa!
The film is rated PG and has a running time of 95 minutes. Enjoy!
© 2003 Francine Brokaw
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