My Big Fat Greek Wedding": A Heartwarming Tale Of Family, Culture, And Lov

My Big Fat Greek Wedding is a romantic comedy film released in 2002. It follows a young Greek woman, Toula, who falls in love with a non-Greek man, Ian, and struggles to get her family to accept him while she comes to terms with her heritage and cultural identity. The film is a crowd-pleasing culture-clash romantic comedy that showcases the dynamics of a large, loud, intrusive Greek family.

The plot

My Big Fat Greek Wedding is a romantic comedy film directed by Joel Zwick and written by Nia Vardalos, who also stars in the film. The plot follows 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.

Toula is a member of a large, loud, and intrusive Greek family that only wants her to get married and have children. She works in her family's Chicago restaurant, "Dancing Zorba's", but longs to do something more with her life. One day, she meets Ian, a school teacher who comes into the restaurant, and develops a crush on him. That evening, she tells her parents that she wants to go to college to learn about computers, but her father becomes emotional, thinking that Toula wants to leave him. With her mother's help, she eventually convinces her father to let her pursue her dreams.

As the weeks pass, Toula gains more confidence and changes her image, switching her thick-framed glasses for contact lenses, styling her hair, and wearing makeup and brighter clothes. She enrols in a course on computers and tourism and starts working at her aunt's travel agency. Her newfound happiness catches Ian's attention, and he asks her to dinner. They continue dating and fall in love.

Knowing that her family would not approve of her dating a non-Greek, Toula lies about seeing Ian. However, her lie is eventually exposed, and her father forbids them from continuing to see each other. He introduces her to single Greek men, but she remains committed to Ian.

Ian proposes to Toula, and she accepts. Her parents reluctantly agree to the marriage, and Ian agrees to be baptised into the Greek Orthodox Church to please them. The Portokalos family constantly inserts themselves into the wedding planning, and Ian's quiet, conservative parents are overwhelmed by the loud and extravagant Greek family dinner where they meet. At the wedding reception, Toula's father gives a heartfelt speech, focusing on how the differences in the newlyweds' backgrounds do not matter. He and Toula's mother surprise the couple with a house as a wedding gift, which is right next door to theirs.

The film ends with Toula and Ian living next door to her parents, raising their daughter, and walking her to Greek school.

The characters

• Fotoula "Toula" Portokalos, played by Nia Vardalos, is a 30-year-old Greek-American woman who works in her family's restaurant, "Dancing Zorba's". She longs to do something more with her life and dreams of going to college to learn about computers. She develops a crush on Ian Miller, a schoolteacher who comes into the restaurant one day. Despite her family's objections, she falls in love with Ian and accepts his marriage proposal.
• Ian Miller, played by John Corbett, is an English teacher who falls in love with Toula. He is a non-Greek and has to overcome the objections of Toula's family, especially her father, who is upset that Ian is not Greek Orthodox. Ian agrees to be baptized into the Greek Orthodox Church to gain the family's acceptance.
• Maria Portokalos, played by Lainie Kazan, is Toula's mother. She is supportive of Toula's desire to go to college and helps convince her father to agree. She also plays a role in getting Toula and Ian together, despite the family's objections.
• Gus Portokalos, played by Michael Constantine, is Toula's father. He is initially opposed to Toula's plans to go to college and her relationship with Ian, but eventually comes around and gives a heartfelt speech at their wedding, welcoming Ian into the family.
• Aunt Voula, played by Andrea Martin, is Maria's sister and the owner of a travel agency. She supports Toula's plan to go to college and learn about computers, which she believes can benefit her business.
• Nikos "Nick" Portokalos, played by Louis Mandylor, is Toula's younger brother.
• Uncle Taki, played by Gerry Mendicino, is Voula's husband.
• Cousin Angelo, played by Joey Fatone, is Voula's son.
• Cousin Nikki, played by Gia Carides, is Voula's daughter.
• Yiayia, played by Bess Meisler, is Toula's grandmother who suffers from PTSD.
• Athena Portokalos, played by Stavroula Logothettis, is Toula and Nick's older sister.
• Mike, played by Ian Gomez, is Ian's best friend.
• Rodney Miller, played by Bruce Gray, is Ian's father.
• Harriet Miller, played by Fiona Reid, is Ian's mother.
• Mrs White, played by Jayne Eastwood, is a non-Greek neighbour.

The film also features a large ensemble of additional family members, friends, and neighbours.

Stereotypes and diversity

The 2002 romantic comedy film "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" is based on the real-life experiences of its screenwriter and lead actress, Nia Vardalos, who is of Greek heritage. The film centres on a young Greek-American woman, Toula Portokalos, who falls in love with a non-Greek man, Ian Miller, and the challenges she faces in getting her traditional Greek family to accept him. The film has been praised for its diverse representations, showcasing multiple generations of loving relationships between mothers, daughters, aunts, and cousins.

While the film has been applauded for its positive portrayal of diverse relationships, it has also been criticised for perpetuating stereotypes about Greek culture and immigrants. For instance, Toula's father is portrayed as wanting her to "get married and make babies," reflecting a traditional and patriarchal view of a woman's role in society. Additionally, the film portrays a large and boisterous Greek family, which could be seen as perpetuating the stereotype of Greeks as loud and dramatic.

However, it is important to note that these stereotypes are presented affectionately and are integral to the film's comedic tone. The film also challenges some stereotypes by presenting strong and independent female characters who take control of their lives. For example, Toula, with the help of her mother and aunt, convinces her father to let her pursue her dream of going to college and working in her aunt's travel agency.

The film also explores the theme of cultural diversity and the challenges of cross-cultural relationships. Toula and Ian come from different cultural backgrounds, and the film highlights the importance of curiosity and open-mindedness in navigating these differences. Ian, for instance, shows curiosity about Toula's Greek background and readily accepts her culture, even agreeing to be baptised into the Greek Orthodox Church to gain her family's acceptance.

In conclusion, while "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" employs some stereotypes about Greek culture and immigrants for comedic effect, it also presents a diverse range of characters and relationships and highlights the importance of family, open-mindedness, and cultural acceptance.

Reception and reviews

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. 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 Nia Vardalos at the 60th Golden Globe Awards. It also received nominations for 20 awards and won 20, including the People's Choice Awards for Favorite Motion Picture and Favorite Comedy Motion Picture.

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a 76% approval rating based on 130 reviews, with an average rating of 6.7/10. The website's critics 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." Metacritic assigned the film a weighted average score of 62 out of 100, based on 29 critics, indicating "generally favourable" reviews. Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A−" on an A+ to F scale.

A review on IMDb describes the film as a "very pleasant surprise", praising Vardalos's writing, the direction of Joel Zwick, and the performances of the cast. The review also notes the film's pacing and acting, calling it a "funny film".

A Common Sense Media review calls the film a "crowd-pleasing culture-clash romantic comedy", praising the positive messages about the importance of family and finding a balance between independence and staying true to one's roots. The review also highlights the believable sweetness between Vardalos and John Corbett, and the film's ability to be both riotously funny and heart-catchingly touching.

The franchise

The success of My Big Fat Greek Wedding spawned a franchise, including a short-lived TV series and two sequels. The film inspired the sitcom My Big Fat Greek Life in 2003, though it was poorly received and short-lived.

The first sequel, My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2, was released in 2016, 14 years after the original film. The plot centres on a family secret that brings the Portokalos family back together for another wedding. The film received negative reviews from critics but was a modest box office success.

The second sequel, My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3, was released in 2023. The plot follows the death of the family patriarch, with Toula attempting to locate her father's childhood friends in Greece for a family reunion. This third film was dedicated to the memory of Michael Constantine, who played Gus in the first two films and passed away in 2021.

Frequently asked questions