My Big Fat Greek Wedding Movie Review (2002)
A romantic comedy about a woman finding her own path as she navigates the expectations of her lively Greek family, My Big Fat Greek Wedding is a warm, hilarious film with a fantastic ensemble and a quotable script.
In 2002, I was in graduate school. My classes were all in the evening, so daytime was dedicated to schoolwork, housework, and going to the movies. I would go to the theater with the intention of seeing some random film, see that My Big Fat Greek Wedding was playing, and watch that instead. It’s that good of a movie.
My Big Fat Greek Wedding is about Toula Portokalos, a frumpy Greek woman who works in her family’s Greek restaurant and lives at home with her parents. She has always dreamed of something bigger, but Greek kids are expected to work in the family business, marry other Greek kids, and produce more Greek kids. When she begins pursuing her dreams, she meets Ian Miller, a teacher who is an only child with two cousins he never sees, and they have to decide whether their relationship can work within the freneticism of her huge Greek family.
I love this movie. I’ve seen it at least a dozen times, and I’m likely to see it at least a dozen more. It is warm and funny, and I both laugh out loud and get choked up every single time I watch.
My Big Fat Greek Wedding is one of those vehicles that has produced quote after quote used in daily life. In my family, “You like ‘em? I make ‘em.” is a standard, and we say it fairly often. But there’s, “My brother Nick has two jobs: to cook, and to marry a Greek Virgin,” “The man is the head, but the woman is the neck. And she can turn the head any way she wants,” and, of course, the frequent suggestion that if you have a physical ailment, you put Windex on it.
I am a little biased toward the setting because I am a diehard Chicago girl. This is a bit of a love letter to my city, though they filmed in Toronto as well, and it always brings a smile. As they walk around our gorgeous harbor at night and nod to Greek Town with the restaurant, the film’s characters are also very Chicago. I have joked that the same person who curses you out in traffic will, if they hear you cough, give you advice on what kind of tea will help. But it’s not a joke because that actually happened to me. We are the most loving people if you respect our space, city, and traditions.
The entire cast is fantastic, with Nia Vardalos, John Corbett, Lainie Kazan, Michael Constantine, Gia Carides, Louis Mandylor, and Tony Award-winning Andrea Martin, to name a few. They all “get it,” and the comedic timing is phenomenal.
The script, beautifully paced and featuring both hilarious and touching moments, is based on Nia Vardalos’s life. Vardalos’s former husband, Ian Gomez, plays a supporting role in the film, and Vardalos has said she originally made a list of all the wacky things that have happened to her involving her family, which went into the creation of this movie.
The theatre nerd in me is dying to say one other thing. The “rule of three” is a principle that, if you say or do something three times, it is more satisfying for the audience. (Think the three little pigs or “To be, or not to be, that is the question.”) In this film, it is used over and over. During one scene, Toula’s mother, Maria, turns on three lights in sequence around father Gus’s grumpy face. In another, Toula says, “Dad… dad… dad…” before speaking. In another, her brother threatens Ian three times in a row. I am here for all of it.
My Big Fat Greek Wedding is a relatable film about love, family, and very few boundaries. It is the kind of film that you fall in love with such that it just becomes part of your existence, and when you need a movie to lift your spirits, it’s one you turn to. I love it.
Runtime: 95 minutes
Motion Picture Rating: PG
Languages Spoken In The Film: English
Should You Watch It? Yes
Did I Cry? I always get choked up
My Rating: 4.75/5 Stars
Available: Free on Hulu and Max, to rent on Prime Video, or may be available for free on other streaming platforms
