My Big Fat Greek Wedding is a romantic comedy film released in 2002. The film stars Nia Vardalos, John Corbett, Lainie Kazan, Michael Constantine, Gia Carides, Louis Mandylor, Andrea Martin, and Joey Fatone. It 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 film premiered at the American Film Market on February 22, 2002, and was released in theatres in the United States on April 19, 2002. It received positive reviews from critics and was a box office success, grossing $368.7 million worldwide. The film spawned two sequels, released in 2016 and 2023, and a brief TV series in 2003.
Characteristics | Values |
---|---|
Genre | Comedy, Romance, Drama |
Director | Joel Zwick (1), Nia Vardalos (4,5) |
Writer | Nia Vardalos |
Stars | Nia Vardalos, John Corbett, Lainie Kazan, Michael Constantine, Gia Carides, Louis Mandylor, Andrea Martin, Joey Fatone |
Year | 2002 (1,2), 2023 (3,4) |
Runtime | 1h 34m (2) |
Rating | 6.6/10 (0,2), 5.2/10 (3) |
Production Companies | Home Box Office (HBO) (0), Playtone, Gold Circle Films, Focus Features, HBO Films (4) |
Budget | $5,000,000 (0,1) |
Box Office | $368.7 million (1), $39 million (4) |
What You'll Learn
My Big Fat Greek Wedding is available to watch on Amazon Prime Video
If you're in the mood for a heartwarming rom-com, look no further than My Big Fat Greek Wedding, now streaming on Amazon Prime Video. This 2002 comedy-drama film stars Nia Vardalos as a young Greek woman who falls in love with a non-Greek man, Ian Miller, played by John Corbett. As they plan their wedding, they must navigate the challenges of getting their families to accept their relationship and each other's cultural backgrounds.
The film is a delightful exploration of family dynamics, cultural identity, and the joys and challenges of planning a wedding. It received positive reviews from critics and was a box office success, grossing $368.7 million worldwide against its $5 million budget. It was also nominated for Best Original Screenplay at the 75th Academy Awards and for two Golden Globe Awards.
The success of the first film spawned a franchise, with a sequel, My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2, released in 2016, and the third installment, My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3, released in 2023. The original film also inspired a brief TV series, My Big Fat Greek Life, which aired in 2003.
So, if you're looking for a feel-good movie night, grab some popcorn and stream My Big Fat Greek Wedding on Amazon Prime Video! With its charming story, talented cast, and heartwarming themes, it's sure to leave you smiling and maybe even wanting more from the franchise.
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The film was released in 2002
My Big Fat Greek Wedding was released in 2002. The film premiered at the American Film Market on February 22, 2002, and was theatrically released in the United States on April 19, 2002. It was then released in the United States via a limited release on April 19, 2002, before receiving a wider release worldwide over the summer, including a wide release in the United States on August 2.
The film was written by Nia Vardalos, who also starred in the lead role. It was directed by Joel Zwick and was based on Vardalos's one-woman 45-minute monologue workshop, which was in turn based on her own experiences marrying a non-Greek man. The film was a critical and commercial success, receiving positive reviews and grossing $368.7 million worldwide against its $5 million budget. It was nominated for Best Original Screenplay at the 75th Academy Awards and for two Golden Globe Awards.
The film inspired 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).
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It was written by and stars Nia Vardalos
My Big Fat Greek Wedding is a romantic comedy film written by and starring Nia Vardalos. It was released in 2002 and directed by Joel Zwick. The film is about a young Greek-American woman, Fotoula "Toula" Portokalos, who falls in love with a non-Greek man, Ian Miller, and her struggles to get her family to accept him while she comes to terms with her heritage and cultural identity.
Vardalos, a Canadian actress and screenwriter, was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, on September 24, 1962. She is of Greek descent, with a Greek-Canadian father and a bookkeeper and homemaker mother. Before writing My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Vardalos wrote and performed in sketch comedy revues and won Chicago's Joseph Jefferson award for Best Actress. She gained fame and critical acclaim for her work in My Big Fat Greek Wedding, which was nominated for several awards, including an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay and a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress.
The film My Big Fat Greek Wedding is based on Vardalos's own experience as a Greek-Canadian woman who married a non-Greek man, actor Ian Gomez. It started as a one-woman 45-minute monologue workshop, written by and starring Vardalos, which was developed in the HBO Workshop and performed in Chicago, Toronto, Europe, and Los Angeles. The workshop was popular, and Vardalos marketed it across Greek Orthodox churches in the area. The story was then adapted into a film, with Vardalos starring as Fotoula "Toula" Portokalos, a character based on herself.
In addition to writing and starring in the film, Vardalos was heavily involved in the casting process. She and producer Gary Goetzman offered the role of Ian Miller to John Corbett after overhearing him express his interest in a bar. Tom Hanks, whose production company Playtone produced the film, supported Vardalos's vision for the film and her casting in the lead role, stating that it "brings a huge amount of integrity to the piece because it's Nia's version of her own life and her own experience."
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The film was directed by Joel Zwick
My Big Fat Greek Wedding is a romantic comedy film directed by Joel Zwick and written by Nia Vardalos. The film was released in 2002 and stars Vardalos, John Corbett, Lainie Kazan, Michael Constantine, Gia Carides, Louis Mandylor, Andrea Martin, and Joey Fatone.
Zwick is an American director and producer, known for his work on television shows and films. He has directed episodes of popular TV shows such as "Full House", "Family Matters", "Step by Step", and "Perfect Strangers". In addition to "My Big Fat Greek Wedding", Zwick has also directed films such as "Fat Albert" and "Rodney Dangerfield: Opening Night at Rodney's Place".
Zwick's direction of "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" played a crucial role in the film's success. The film received positive reviews from critics and was a box office hit, grossing $368.7 million worldwide against its $5 million budget. 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.
Zwick's direction successfully captured the heartwarming and humorous story of a young Greek-American woman, Fotoula "Toula" Portokalos, who falls in love with a non-Greek man, Ian Miller. The film explores Toula's struggles to get her traditional Greek family to accept Ian while she also comes to terms with her heritage and cultural identity. Zwick's handling of the subject matter and the performances of the cast resulted in a film that resonated with audiences and critics alike.
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It grossed $368.7 million worldwide
My Big Fat Greek Wedding was a box office success, grossing $368.7 million worldwide against a $5 million budget. The film became a sleeper hit, growing steadily from its limited release. Despite never hitting the number one spot for a box office weekend and being an independent film, it grossed over $368.7 million worldwide, becoming one of the top romantic films of the 21st century. It was the fifth highest-grossing film of 2002 in the United States and Canada, with $241,438,208 in box office sales, and the highest-grossing romantic comedy domestically in history.
The film's worldwide success is even more impressive when considering its production budget. With a budget of $5 million, the film made over 70 times that amount in box office sales worldwide. In fact, domestically, it held the record for the highest-grossing film that had never been number one on the weekly North American box office charts until the 2016 release of the animated film Sing. When adjusted for inflation, the gross of My Big Fat Greek Wedding was even higher, equivalent to $322 million in 2016. The film is among the most profitable of all time, with a 6150% return on an (also inflation-adjusted) cost of $6 million to produce.
The success of My Big Fat Greek Wedding also extended beyond the box office. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 76% of 130 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.7/10. Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 62 out of 100, based on 29 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews. Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A−" on an A+ to F scale. The film's popularity led to 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).
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Frequently asked questions
You can watch My Big Fat Greek Wedding on Amazon Prime Video or Cinemax.
My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 was released in theatres on March 25, 2016. It is likely available to rent or buy on streaming platforms.
My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 was released in theatres on September 8, 2023. It was also released on digital platforms on September 26, 2023, and on Blu-ray and DVD on October 31, 2023.
The series My Big Fat Greek Life is available to watch on DVD from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.
My Big Fat Greek Wedding is also available to watch on HBO.