My Big Fat Greek Wedding (DVD)

Nia Vardalas stars as Toula, the plain unadorned 30 year old single, "unmarried" daughter of a Greek family who have successfully assimilated into American life. They are the owners of "Dancing Zorba's" a popular neighborhood Greek Restaurant in Chicago. Like Greeks everywhere, the cultural values are instilled into the offspring early in life and the extended family is *most* important ... it is central to their lives. This film is a light-hearted comedy which exaggerates some of the amusing moments about a good obedient daughter who is trying to meet the expectations of her Greek immigrant parents and who is also trying to be independent and make a life for herself.While fulfilling her parents wishes and living within the cultural milieu of the family, Toula dreams of some independence ... she realizes she can contribute something more than being a seating hostess and cashier at the family restaurant. She recalls being in grammar school when she was the only dark brown haired girl, sitting alone eating her packed lunch, home-made "moussaka". At the next table a group of blond haired girls were laughing and asked her what she was eating, Toula told them. Afterwards, one had mocked her food, calling it "moose kaka", making all the girls giggle. At that age Toula felt she was an outsider ... now as a young adult, she wants to spread her wings, take a course at the local university, prove her self-worth and that she is intelligent, not so different from everyone else. She receives the support of her mother and Aunt who convince her dad that she would be a valuable asset at her Aunt's travel agency ... he agrees and they exchange family employees, her male cousin will work at Dancing Zorbas, while Toula will work at the travel agency. After this point in the film, Toula blossoms from a "plain Jane" into an attractive young lady who begins expressing her own interests apart from the family circle. While working at the agency ... a young man walks past the window and waves to her. She recalls he was a customer at Dancing Zorba's, when she was plainly dressed, awkward and shy, while serving him coffee. Now, she is both embarrassed and flatterred by his amusing antics as he tries to capture her attention when working. His ploy works ... they meet and date. Toula makes excuses to the family that she is taking a pottery class in the evening so that she can see Ian Miller, who is a grammar school teacher and vegetarian. He comes from a family that is best described as W.A.S.P.The film has a superb build up of comedy and suspense as Toula and Ian become more serious. They learn about their unique differences but appreciate each other even more and consider them assets. One of the climaxes in the film is when Toula's female cousin catches her kissing Ian at the travel agency ... The cousin mentions the family knows Toula is dating a non-Greek because an Aunt saw them together and spread the news like wild fire. Ian learns protocol and asks Gus Portokalas, Toula's dad, for permission to date his daughter. Gus refuses because Ian is not Greek. Eventually, the families meet and iron out their differences as both Toula and Ian fall further in love ... The manner in which the couple win over Toula's dad and family is the stuff of great comedy. Both families gradually accept that Toula and Ian are meant for each other and will get married ... but only *after* Ian agrees to convert to the Greek Orthodox so he can marry within her church. Anyone familiar with Greeks who live in the USA will recognize the amusing characters, typical behavior and values that are so realisticlly portrayed in this film. The cast of characters is perfect. This film will appeal to a large audience of different age groups who enjoy comedy and romance.Erika Borsos (erikab93)

Loved everyone in the movie. Highly recommend!

My Big Fat Greek Wedding (Joel Zwick, 2002)So I finally got around to seeing My Big Fat Greek Wedding. And, as the last American on the planet who hadn't seen it yet, is anyone really going to want to read the hundred seventy-eight-millionth review of this movie? I'll keep it short.Veteran TV director Joel Zwick (whose only other big-screen attempt was the pathetically awful Second Sight in 1989) hits one way, way out of the ballpark here. My Big Fat Greek Wedding is (as the neverending TV ads tell you) the number one romantic comedy of all time, by gross ticket sales. I mean, the thing almost cleared a million in Argentina, of all places. A quarter billion and counting, in America (and that's not including VHS/DVD sales and rentals). And for once, the public seems to have gotten it right... but not that right.Yes, the movie is laugh-out-loud funny. Yes, much of it rings true. But if you've ever seen Second Sight (and I cannot stress how horrifically bad that movie is), you'll see traces of Zwick everywhere. The movie just boils over a few times too often. There are a couple too many obvious panderings to its audience (whose brilliant idea was it to cast Joey Fatone? Please...). While they don't take away form the movie as a whole, given when I saw it, I couldn't help but compare it to Real Women Have Curves, with which it shares the main subtext of the immigrant family fitting into American life. And in every case, the latter film comes out on top. Everywhere Real Women Have Curves is dignified and restrained (please, no girdle jokes from the peanut gallery), My Big Fat Greek Wedding is... well, not. There's too much that says "we're trying to manipulate you;" not in the script, but in the direction. And thus it ranks a cut below Real Women Have Curves, but not enough to knock it out of 2002's top ten list. *** 1/2

I wanted to own the first My Big Fat Greek Wedding dvd, too! It's so funny and sweet! The second movie is even better!!!!

It's all the insanity, mayhem, and craziness of wedding planning that a comedy could ask for. Plus, let's throw in the Greek culture to shake things up a bit. Well, things were certainly shaken up a lot and we appreciate that. Fotoula "Toula" Portokalos, played by Nia Vardalos, becomes the first in her Greek (very Greek) family intending to marry a non-Greek, specifically Ian Miller, played by John Corbett. Hijinks ensue as her family first does not approve of the relationship, particularly her father, and subsequently try everything in their power to make the wedding go off without a hitch, complete with inviting the entire Portokalos clan, including all 20+ first cousins and beyond, to meet their soon-to-be in-laws. By the way, is one of the cousins played by a guy from N*SYNC or the Backstreet Boys? I can't remember which group I'm thinking of. Anyway, Michael Constantine is easily my favorite in the movie, playing family patriarch Kostas "Gus" Portokalos, a man intent on continuing every Greek tradition until the end of time and curing every ailment with Windex. The family's neighbor, played by Jayne Eastwood, who is only seen "returning" the crazy Greek grandmother, is a close second...everyone should use that performance as an example on how to play the straight-man among the craziness and the hilarious. This is a great comedy about weddings and the insanity surrounding the preparations for these festive events that will appeal to just about any culture...I mean, what culture hasn't experienced this kind of craziness in one way or another? Enjoy.

If you haven't seen it...you should. Funny, quirky, sweet. Predictable buy most romance movies are...its in the title for goodness sake! :-)

Great movie, reasonable price, super fast shipping. A++++++ seller.

I recently bought this DVD for a friend for their birthday so have not watched this copy. But have seen the film several times and will be purchasing one in the near future for myself as it is a wonderfully light-hearted "feel good" film of which there seem to be so few of nowadays. It is another example of one of those highly successful low budget films full of good humour which you just can't help laughing at and is a gem of a film.It is EXTREMELY well acted and magnificently cast which no doubt is a major factor in making it the success it is. The emphasis is very much upon a Greek family living in the USA. The new world is embraced but everything good is derived from their Greek culture and heritage (according to the Father!) Without spoiling the plot or storyline for anyone, there is a scene with a family get together and one person is introduced to them. The Aunt invites them to dinner and is advised that the person "Don't eat meat". This is repeated out loud by the whole gathering causing an audible silence in the room and to which she simply replies, "that's OK we'll have lamb!" ??? Lol!If you are feeling a little down in the dumps, this cannot fail to cheer you up. The only tears in this film are of laughter!Needless to say the delivery was on time and in good condition. Another successful Amazon purchase.

This is one of my favourite films. It's witty, the characters are lovable, the storyline sweet. But on watching it again, I realised that it relies on stereotyping, turning characters into caricatures. My daughter loved it. She doesn't get distracted by details like I do! Maybe the Greek Americans of Chicago are like the film depicts them. Nia Vardalos has done well overall. And if you like this film, don't miss out the next one where she becomes a tour guide in Greece! It circulates under two titles but is the same film.

You don't need to be Greek in this awesome comedy to enjoy the laughs! Granted, some of the gags and jokes make sense a bit more if you are, but the stereotype being mocked here is found in all cultures. I have Asian, Middle Easter and African friends and colleagues that LOVED this film and keep referring to it time and time again even more than a decade later!Some of the characters depicted in this film are just typically Greek - "what you mean you are vegetarian?". "Ah, OK, I make lamb then!".

I disliked this movie intensely for one main reason, It's story was like a rejected sitcom pilot. The jokes and situations were so predictable and lame that I could actually say the jokes before the actors.There could have been a much better story there if only it was cultivated and polished with a little more care.I found the stereotyping of Greek and English family life offensive and inaccurate. Being familiar with both cultures, I feel I am right in my assessment.If you are looking for a basic story, with below average acting and writing, then perhaps you will enjoy this film. I for one, thought it was incredibly, unbelievably bad.

A real feel good film, this is an absolute gem guaranteed to make you laugh and cry. Perfect ugly ducking turning in to a swan retelling for the here and now - it's all about the power of loving and of being loved. The story is gentle and funny, with plenty of great comedy moments and a strong underlying theme running through it about the importance of family and acceptance. 5***** and definitely one for my movie top ten!