Yoda
08-25-02, 07:42 PM
This is a film a few of you may not have heard of. Its original release (limited, of course) took place over four months ago. It's word-of-mouth, however, has been through the roof, and it's now grossed over $60 million domestically, sitting in over 1,000 theaters nationwide. And it's not very hard to see why.
My Big Fat Greek Wedding stars Nia Vardalos (who wrote as well as starred) as "Toula" (that's her nickname) Portokalos. She is, of course, Greek. Very Greek. Her family is even Greeker (if that's a word). She starts the film as a sort of "ugly duckling," and her father's urges to find a husband, along with her growing restlessness as to how her life is unfolding, boil together early on. Suddenly, a man walks into her family's restaurant (Ian Miller, played by John Corbett) and the boiling overflows. He's charming and handsome, and serves as the last straw to send her on a quest to change her life before it becomes too late.
Her father (Gus Portokalos, played flawlessly by Michael Constantine) is hilarious throughout. From his over-the-top Greek pride (they have the Grecian flag painted on their garage door), to his offensive yet amusing distaste for educated women, to his odd faith in the healing power of Windex, he is stupid, loving, ridiculous, and very, very funny.
Many clichés are toyed with, but thankfully few are played out. Her "makeover scene" where she dons contacts, a new hairstyle, and a change in wardrobe, could have easily degraded into something akin to Robin Williams trying on various goofy outfits in front of a full-body mirror, or some teenage girl walking into the room and stereotypically stunning everyone because she traded her glasses and jeans for eyeliner and a dress.
You will, however, be forced to sit through more than one scene involving multiple family members overwhelming the bride and groom. This is handled in such a way so that it's seen as comforting and familiar, rather than boring and repetitive, though.
The humor is honest and clean, and the movie is wholesome and enjoyable. Its emotion is genuine, making its comedy (even the few slapstick moments involved) all the more powerful.
Predictable at times, but honest, funny, and even heartwarming, My Big Fat Greek Wedding is one of the best films I've seen this year. The comedy isn't particularly subtle (though the tiny nod to That Thing You Do!, which, like this, was at least partially produced by Tom Hanks, is), but it's funny all the same. Go see it!
The Bottom Line: My Best Friend's Wedding meets The Royal Tenenbaums (sorta). :D
My Big Fat Greek Wedding stars Nia Vardalos (who wrote as well as starred) as "Toula" (that's her nickname) Portokalos. She is, of course, Greek. Very Greek. Her family is even Greeker (if that's a word). She starts the film as a sort of "ugly duckling," and her father's urges to find a husband, along with her growing restlessness as to how her life is unfolding, boil together early on. Suddenly, a man walks into her family's restaurant (Ian Miller, played by John Corbett) and the boiling overflows. He's charming and handsome, and serves as the last straw to send her on a quest to change her life before it becomes too late.
Her father (Gus Portokalos, played flawlessly by Michael Constantine) is hilarious throughout. From his over-the-top Greek pride (they have the Grecian flag painted on their garage door), to his offensive yet amusing distaste for educated women, to his odd faith in the healing power of Windex, he is stupid, loving, ridiculous, and very, very funny.
Many clichés are toyed with, but thankfully few are played out. Her "makeover scene" where she dons contacts, a new hairstyle, and a change in wardrobe, could have easily degraded into something akin to Robin Williams trying on various goofy outfits in front of a full-body mirror, or some teenage girl walking into the room and stereotypically stunning everyone because she traded her glasses and jeans for eyeliner and a dress.
You will, however, be forced to sit through more than one scene involving multiple family members overwhelming the bride and groom. This is handled in such a way so that it's seen as comforting and familiar, rather than boring and repetitive, though.
The humor is honest and clean, and the movie is wholesome and enjoyable. Its emotion is genuine, making its comedy (even the few slapstick moments involved) all the more powerful.
Predictable at times, but honest, funny, and even heartwarming, My Big Fat Greek Wedding is one of the best films I've seen this year. The comedy isn't particularly subtle (though the tiny nod to That Thing You Do!, which, like this, was at least partially produced by Tom Hanks, is), but it's funny all the same. Go see it!
The Bottom Line: My Best Friend's Wedding meets The Royal Tenenbaums (sorta). :D