My Big Fat Greek Wedding": A Heartwarming Comedy About Family, Culture, And Lov

My Big Fat Greek Wedding is a 2002 romantic comedy film about a young Greek-American woman, Fotoula Toula Portokalos, who falls in love with a non-Greek man, Ian Miller, and struggles to get her family to accept him while she comes to terms with her heritage and cultural identity.

The plot of My Big Fat Greek Wedding

The plot of *My Big Fat Greek Wedding* centres on a young Greek-American woman, Fotoula "Toula" Portokalos, who longs to do something more with her life. Working in her family's Greek restaurant in Chicago, "Dancing Zorba's", she dreams of a different future. One day, a schoolteacher named Ian Miller enters the restaurant, and Toula develops a crush on him.

Toula decides to take control of her future, telling her parents that she wants to go to college to learn about computers. Her mother, Maria, is supportive, but her father, Gus, is upset, believing that Toula wants to leave him. However, Maria and Toula's Aunt Voula eventually convince Gus to agree to the plan.

Toula's new-found happiness and confidence catch Ian's attention, and he asks her out to dinner. They continue dating and fall in love. Knowing her family would disapprove of her dating a non-Greek, Toula lies about seeing Ian, but her deception is soon exposed. Gus is furious that Ian did not ask his permission to date Toula, and forbids them from continuing to see each other. Despite this, Toula and Ian continue their relationship, and Ian eventually proposes.

Toula's family reluctantly agrees to accept Ian, but only after he agrees to be baptised into the Greek Orthodox Church. As the wedding planning gets underway, Toula's family inserts themselves into every detail, from the bridesmaid dresses to the invitations. Ian's conservative parents are overwhelmed by the loud and extravagant Greek family, and Toula worries about whether her father has truly accepted Ian.

At the wedding reception, Gus gives a heartfelt speech, focusing on how the differences in the newlyweds' backgrounds do not matter. He and Maria then surprise the couple with a house as a wedding gift, which is conveniently located right next door to Gus and Maria's house.

The film's main characters

The film's protagonist is Fotoula "Toula" Portokalos, played by Nia Vardalos, who also wrote the film. Toula is a 30-year-old member of a large, loud, intrusive Greek family. She works in her family's Greek restaurant, "Dancing Zorba's", but longs to do something more with her life. She falls in love with Ian Miller, a school teacher, played by John Corbett.

Toula's parents, Gus and Maria Portokalos, are played by Michael Constantine and Lainie Kazan, respectively. Gus is stubborn and emotional, and is initially resistant to Toula's desire for change. Maria, on the other hand, is supportive of her daughter and often acts as a mediator between Toula and Gus.

Aunt Voula, played by Andrea Martin, owns a travel agency where Toula begins working. She is described as pushy and is complicit in helping Toula keep her relationship with Ian a secret from the rest of the family.

Other notable characters include Toula's younger brother, Nikos "Nick" Portokalos (Louis Mandylor); her aunt's son, Cousin Angelo (Joey Fatone); and Ian's parents, Rodney and Harriet Miller (Bruce Gray and Fiona Reid), who are quiet and conservative, in stark contrast to the loud and extravagant Portokalos family.

The film's director and writer

The film My Big Fat Greek Wedding was directed by Joel Zwick and written by Nia Vardalos, who also starred as the film's protagonist, Fotoula "Toula" Portokalos.

Vardalos first developed the story as a one-woman 45-minute monologue workshop, based on her own family and her experience of marrying a non-Greek man (actor Ian Gomez). The workshop was performed in various cities and proved popular, with actress Rita Wilson, who is of Greek origin, recommending that her husband, actor Tom Hanks, produce a movie version. Hanks' production company, Playtone, agreed to produce the film based on Vardalos's original vision.

Vardalos has since written and starred in two sequels, My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 and My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3, which she also directed.

The film's critical reception

My Big Fat Greek Wedding received positive reviews from critics and was a box office success, grossing $368.7 million worldwide against its $5 million budget. The film received a score of 62 out of 100 on Metacritic, indicating "generally favorable" reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes, it achieved a score of 76% based on 130 critics' reviews, with an average rating of 6.7/10. The Rotten Tomatoes consensus reads:

> "Though it sometimes feels like a television sitcom, My Big Fat Greek Wedding is good-hearted, lovable, and delightfully eccentric, with a sharp script and lead performance from Nia Vardalos."

The film 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. It also won a number of other awards, including Best Acting Ensemble at the Critics' Choice Awards and Favorite Motion Picture at the People's Choice Awards.

The film's inspiration

The film My Big Fat Greek Wedding is based on the writer and star Nia Vardalos's own experiences. The story of a Greek-American woman who falls in love with a non-Greek man and struggles to get her family to accept him is inspired by Vardalos's life. She wrote a one-woman 45-minute monologue play about her experiences, which later became the film.

Vardalos's play was initially developed in the HBO Workshop and then tested in Chicago, Toronto, Europe, and Los Angeles. It was performed at the Hudson Backstage Theatre in LA in August 1997 and later moved to the ACME Comedy Theatre. The play was popular and sold out for much of its run, thanks in part to Vardalos's marketing it across Greek Orthodox churches in the area.

Vardalos met with various executives about making a film version of the monologue and began writing a screenplay. However, she objected to their suggestions for changes, including altering the plot and casting a well-known actress in the lead role. Eventually, Tom Hanks's production company, Playtone, contacted Vardalos about producing a film based on her original vision.

Despite being based on life in the Greek community of Winnipeg, the film was set in Chicago and shot in Toronto and Chicago. The film premiered in 2002 and became a sleeper hit, grossing over $368.7 million worldwide. It also received positive reviews from critics and was nominated for several awards.

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