A Greek Voyage. Review on My Big Fat Greek Wedding Movie

The Story

Boy meets Greek girl (not just any girl). They fall in love and get engaged. Now the wedding should be relatively simple to go about. Not when you have a very Greek family! The main characters of this reel of giggles is the extended Greek Portokalos family who take over the lives of the bride and groom-to-be. A touching and amusing story plot written by Nia Vardalos, bringing us a glimpse into the lives of the Greeks; Welcome to the review of My Big Fat Greek Wedding.

The characters

Nia Vardalos is Toula Portokalos, the 30-year-old daughter of Gus Portokalos and defies tradition when she falls in love with a non-Greek man. The movie begins and ends with a monologue of her true life experiences with her family and her own Greek wedding. From a frump “seating hostess” to glamorous airline travel agent, Toula has the assistance of contact lenses and some deft make-up to add some color to her drab life.

John Corbett is the tall and gorgeous Ian Miller, a high school teacher who falls in love with a Greek woman and is all set to marry her. What he doesn’t know is that he also has to marry into her large, extended family of uncles and aunts and countless cousins. From being baptized the Greek way to learning the Greek language, this suitor pulls out all the stops just so he fits in with this vociferous family and all their eccentricities.

Michael Constantine is Gus Portokalos and father of the bride. I cannot imagine a better character in a better role. His lined and careworn face makes for the perfect father and owner of the famous Greek restaurant “Dancing Zorbas”. A sweet man who believes that the cure to all ailments is Windex and who can find the root of any word in the Greek language. Although his daughter has chosen a non-Greek man to marry, he does his best to not only induct Ian into the family and its traditional ways but even arranges for an extravagant wedding present.

Lainie Kazan plays the part of Maria Portokalos and the supportive mother of the bride. When Toula wants to further her knowledge, she goes to her father for permission. When it is refused, Maria diffuses the situation by manipulating her husband into giving a positive answer. Watch how she manipulates situations to smoothen the path of the lovebirds towards marital bliss.

Andrea Martin as Aunt Voula deserves a special mention for her colorful expressions and her “tactful” handling of situations. She plays a significant role in getting Toula out of the family’s restaurant and into her own travel agency, thereby unwittingly bringing her niece and Ian together.

Other characters

Louis Mandylor is Toulas brother. A cook at the family restaurant but also an artist who is constantly ignored for all his efforts towards the redesigning of the menu.

Gia Carides is Cousin Nikki who becomes the godmother of the newly baptized Ian Miller. With her seductive ways, one wonders, how long Ian will remain faithful to his betrothed Toula and her family.

Fiona Reid and Bruce Gray are Harriet and Rodney Miller, strait-laced parents of Ian Miller who are introduced to the Greek drink Ouzo by Aunt Voula. Watch as the boring family of Ian Miller are welcomed into the lively and noisy Portokalos clan.

Ian Gomez is Mike, Ian Millers fellow teacher and best friend who is on a mission to set Ian up.

In an effort to distract Toula from her non-Greek suitor, her father invites “friends” over for dinner; each one wackier than the next. You see, the Family knows that there are only two kinds of people - Greeks and non-Greeks. In such an extended family, one cannot have any secrets. And when there’s a wedding, why should you brood over trivial things like the wedding invitations, wedding guests and venue, etcetera, etcetera. The movie has quite a few laughs to dole out and some puns. I was thrilled with the “peek” into the Greek way of life and am glad that director Joel Zwick agreed to do this film.

The casting could not have been more perfect. All the characters have come from some ethnic background; either Greek or Italian, etc and thus they blend into the whole scenes.

Special mention must be made to the composers Chris Wilson and Alexander Djanko who brought the scenes to life with their wonderful music.

After all the movies with the American way of life stamped all over it, My Big Fat Greek Wedding comes as a refreshing change. The Portokalos family is the temperamental family who stick together. Even with their strange feasting habits, loud mannerisms and other equally strange quirks, they still are a warm and loving unit that look out for each other. The final scene is one that’s sure to send you off smiling.

Enjoy the movie with the Greek cheer “Oopah”!