The Big, Fat And Ever-Growing Greek Wedding Franchise

There are three films in the My Big Fat Greek Wedding franchise, as well as a short-lived television spin-off. The first film, released in 2002, follows a young Greek-American woman who falls in love with a non-Greek man and struggles to get her family to accept him. The second film, released in 2016, sees the couple dealing with a rebellious teenage daughter and ageing parents. The third film, released in 2023, sees the family travel to Greece for a family reunion following the death of the family patriarch.

My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002)

The 2002 romantic comedy film "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" is based on a one-woman show by its star and writer, Nia Vardalos, about her experience marrying a non-Greek man. The film follows a similar plot, with the story of a young Greek-American woman, Fotoula "Toula" Portokalos, who falls in love with a non-Greek schoolteacher, Ian Miller, and struggles to get her family to accept him while she comes to terms with her heritage and cultural identity.

Toula, a 30-year-old member of a large, loud, intrusive Greek family, works in her family's restaurant, "Dancing Zorba's", but longs to do something more with her life. One day, Ian comes into the restaurant, and Toula develops a crush on him. She decides to pursue her interests by telling her parents that she wants to go to college to learn about computers, a decision that initially upsets her father, Gus. However, with the support of her mother, Maria, and her Aunt Voula, she gains more confidence, changes her image, and starts working at her aunt's travel agency, where they eventually begin dating.

Knowing her family would not approve of her dating a non-Greek, Toula keeps her relationship with Ian a secret. However, her lie is exposed when a family friend sees them kissing. Gus forbids them from continuing to see each other, but they continue dating anyway. Ian even agrees to be baptized into the Greek Orthodox Church to gain the family's acceptance. Despite the challenges, the couple perseveres, and the Portokalos family eventually accepts Ian, although they constantly insert themselves into the wedding planning.

The film received positive reviews from critics and was a box office success, grossing $368.7 million worldwide against its $5 million budget. It was nominated for Best Original Screenplay at the 75th Academy Awards and for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy and Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy for Vardalos at the 60th Golden Globe Awards. The success of the film spawned a franchise, including a 2003 sitcom, "My Big Fat Greek Life", and two sequels, "My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2" (2016) and "My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3" (2023).

My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 (2016)

The 2016 sequel to the sleeper hit "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" brings back the beloved characters of the Portokalos family for another wedding. This time, it is Toula's parents, Gus and Maria, whose marriage is in question when Gus discovers that their marriage certificate was never signed by the priest, technically invalidating their union.

Toula, now married to Ian, is also facing a tough time in her life. Her once-successful travel agency has closed due to the recession, and she is struggling with a rebellious teenage daughter, Paris, who feels smothered by her close-knit family and their interference in her life. Paris is applying to colleges across the country, desperate for independence and privacy. Meanwhile, Gus is convinced that he is a direct descendant of Alexander the Great and reaches out to an online ancestry site for confirmation.

As the entire Portokalos clan comes together for Gus and Maria's wedding, Toula and Ian also decide to renew their marriage, which has lost some of its spark. The film ends with the family dropping Paris off at her college dorm in New York.

"My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2" received mostly negative reviews from critics, who found it formulaic and unoriginal. However, it still managed to gross $90.6 million worldwide against an $18 million budget.

My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 (2023)

The Portokalos family is back for another adventure in "My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3," which was released in 2023. This time, the family travels to Greece for a reunion following the death of their patriarch, Gus. Toula, the protagonist of the previous films, attempts to locate her father's childhood friends in Greece. The film is dedicated to the memory of Michael Constantine, who passed away in 2021, and who played Gus in the previous films.

The film begins with the Portokalos family grappling with the loss of their patriarch, Gus Portokalos, and Ian's father, Rodney. Nick, now separated, returns home and displays immature behaviour. Athena and her husband Yiannis are caring for Maria, who is battling dementia. Toula and Ian are happily married but facing the challenges of parenthood as their daughter Paris struggles with the responsibilities of college.

The family is invited to a supposed reunion in Greece by Victory, a distant relative and the mayor of Gus' hometown, Vrisi. On the flight, Aunt Voula introduces her assistant, Aristotle, who is also Paris' college-mate, and Toula reveals she is bringing Gus' journal to give to his three childhood friends in Greece. When they arrive in Athens, they are greeted by Victory and go sightseeing. They find Gus' childhood home in the nearly abandoned Vrisi and meet Alexandra, Gus's old flame. However, Victory confesses that there is no reunion, and she had hoped the Portokalos family would help revive the village.

The next day, the family explores the nearby town, and Toula searches for Gus's friends without success and gets drunk on ouzo. Nick searches for the village's oldest tree, and Ian befriends a monk who possesses information about everyone's activities in the village. Meanwhile, Aristotle tries to communicate with Paris, who rebuffs his advances.

At dinner, Toula and Ian meet Peter, Alexandra's son by Gus, and his son Christos. After dinner, Christos and Qamar, Alexandra's assistant, take Aristotle and Paris to a club, where they reveal they are secretly betrothed. The following day, Toula informs her family about Peter but struggles to locate Gus' friends. Fortunately, Ian had received a list from the monk of those who had left the village, and Toula, Nikki, and Angelo are able to locate them.

The family also learns about Christos and Qamar's engagement, as well as Paris' academic probation. Peter and Alexandra disapprove, but Ian offers to intervene for Paris. However, the younger generation rejects external interference, opting to address their issues independently. Despite this, Peter eventually comes to terms with Christos and Qamar's relationship, and Alexandra follows suit. Victory recognizes the potential of a wedding to revitalize the village and initiates plans.

In a joyous celebration, Qamar's family joins the Portokaloses for her wedding to Christos. Paris opens up about her split with Aristotle, citing struggles with independence, and they agree to take things slow. Nikki and Angelo arrive with Gus' friends, and Toula presents them with his journal. Later, Toula, Nick, and Peter privately scatter Gus' ashes around the oldest tree in Vrisi. Toula and Nick decide to bring Peter back to America with them as part of the family.

"My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3" received generally negative reviews from critics, with some viewers suggesting that it did not live up to the first film in the franchise. However, it was noted for its beautiful scenery and sweet story, and some reviewers found it to be light-hearted fun. The film grossed $39 million worldwide.

My Big Fat Greek Life (2003)

The My Big Fat Greek Wedding franchise consists of three theatrical films and a television series spin-off. The short-lived TV series, titled My Big Fat Greek Life, aired in 2003 and is a continuation of the story from the 2002 film My Big Fat Greek Wedding. The series was created by Nia Vardalos, who also starred in and co-executive produced the show.

My Big Fat Greek Life follows the main character, Nia Portokalos (Vardalos), a Greek-American woman, as she navigates her family and her new non-Greek husband, Thomas Miller (Steven Eckholdt). Thomas is an English teacher who still does not seem to fit in with Nia's family's Greek traditions. The series is set in Chicago, and Nia's family members include her parents, Maria and Gus, who own the Greek restaurant where she works; her brother Nick, who feels ambivalent towards Thomas; her aunt Voula; and her cousin Nikki.

The series picks up after the wedding depicted in the film, focusing on Nia and Thomas' new life as a couple and their ongoing dealings with Nia's family. The honeymoon period is short-lived, as Nia and Thomas's return from their trip is complicated by Gus's gift of a house as a wedding present, making them feel like it will never truly be "their" home. The series also explores cultural clashes, such as when Thomas lies to Gus about knowing a celebrity, and when Gus loses his special parking privileges after Nia stops providing free meals to a policeman at the restaurant.

The sitcom premiered with high ratings, averaging 22.9 million viewers, but the ratings declined significantly in subsequent weeks, leading to its eventual cancellation. The show received poor reviews from critics, who noted the random character entrances and serious plot deviations from the film. Despite the negative reception, the seven episodes of the series are available on DVD from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.

The franchise's creator, Nia Vardalos

The My Big Fat Greek Wedding franchise consists of three films and a television series, all created by Nia Vardalos. The first film, released in 2002, was written by and starred Vardalos, and was based on her own experiences as a Greek-Canadian woman.

Nia Vardalos is a Canadian actress and screenwriter. Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, in 1962, she is the daughter of Greek-Canadian parents. She began her career in the Chicago-based Second City comedy repertory company, writing and performing in over ten revues of sketch comedy. She won Chicago's Joseph Jefferson award for Best Actress. Vardalos also had small roles in television shows such as The Drew Carey Show and Two Guys and a Girl.

Vardalos gained international fame with My Big Fat Greek Wedding, which became one of the highest-grossing independent films of all time and the highest-grossing romantic comedy of all time. The film was nominated for multiple awards, including an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay and a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for Vardalos.

Vardalos has since gone on to star in, write, and direct further films and television shows, including Connie and Carla (2004), I Hate Valentine's Day (2009), and My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 (2016). She has also collaborated with Tom Hanks on the film Larry Crowne (2011) and has adapted books for the stage, such as Cheryl Strayed's Tiny Beautiful Things. In 2023, she reprised her role as Toula Portakalos in My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3, which she also directed and wrote.

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