*** Official "MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING" Discussion Thread (1 Viewer)

[Edwin Pereyra]

Alright, now I'm really curious. The Greek filmmakers claim that the events portrayed onscreen were based on real life experiences and were certainly accurate. In adldition, there are those of Greek decent here who claim that the film captured the essence of Greek life.

So, what exactly is offensive about this film?

Based on the film's target audience, I think they are smart enough to figure out that some of the situations presented were exaggerated for laughs.

One has to note that even a highly acclaimed film like The Godfather was criticized for its depiction of Italian Americans. The same is true for Goodfellas and The Sporanos. So even the greatest films will get some criticisms for whatever reasons.

~Edwin

 

[steve jaros]

Well for my part i'd have given the film a negative review even if the portrayal of Greek family life didn't strike me as overly-stereotypical. As i said in my first post, i found the comedy unfunny and the romance forced and unconvincing. IMO the film wasn't very good on any level.

 

[Rob P S]

***1/2 out of ****

 

[Guy_K]

I haven't seen any trailers or commercials or advertisements for this film, but I saw that it's made over 10 million so far. How did you guys hear about this film?

 

[Jason Seaver]

How did you guys hear about this film?

Every Thursday, I pick up the Boston Phoenix, highlight what's playing in Boston/Cambridge/Brookline theaters that I haven't seen yet, check the review (which I throw out, because it's snarky alternarag whining), and then hit IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes. A month or so ago, My Big Fat Greek Wedding was there - interestingly enough, in one of the big multiplexes as well as the boutique places. I put it on my to-see list and eventually got to it.

You can't expect an independent film to pound down your door like the studio blockbusters do; you have to be somewhat proactive and seek them out.

 

[Seth Paxton]

So I guess this is the review thread. Well here is what I put in the 2002 film thread.
10 of 10
Remember My Best Friends Wedding, or Father of the Bride, or any other wedding comedy. Well this is the funniest of them all. I knew it was supposed to be fun, but I was rolling with laughter as was the rest of the packed house (on the smaller megaplex screen, but still only about 10 seats left). The demographics were everywhere. I had a 50 year old woman and her mother on one side and a couple of 16 year old girls next to my fiancee. We all howled time and time again. EVERYONE laughed and loudly.
The film is that kind of funny. Besides that the film has really wonderful characters and quite a bit of warmth, charm and realism. It was nice to see a lead actress who was much closer to "normal". Pretty enough but not Hollywood beautiful or anything. And she gets paired with a guy who would normally be out of her league (John Corbett of Sex and the City fame) which is also a nice change in a film.
Man, was it refreshing to laugh so much at a film in such a genuine manner. It works on some formula, but with spins and performances that are simply outstanding. Andrea Martin gives yet another great effort to match her work in Hedwig last year.
The only problem is the obnoxious product placement for Windex.

 

[Seth Paxton]

My enjoyment of Greek Wedding was in no way because it is Greek. There were some characterizations in that film that I have experienced from other cultures including my own.

This is exactly the same way I felt. That is why I compared it to other wedding pictures. Should WASPs also be offended then? It's not like they come off shiny clean in the film (more like plain toast ).
The humor is in mixing cultures, how families of a certain background don't want mixing (I have several friends in this situation and I have dated in the same situation), and not in the least quite a bit of physical comedy and jokes based on a character not knowing a foreign language.
The family could be French, German, Russian, Indian, etc, etc and it would still be funny. Sure some of the basic habits and stereotypes would be different, but the humor would still be there. Heck, I'd go so far as to say you could have a northerner marrying a southerner and get the same humor for the most part (and have in other films). I mean am I the only person that thought of Steve Martin in Father of the Bride during much of the father's dialog/attitude?
I simply thought the acting was terrific with lots of subtle moments paired with outrageous moments.
And as I said the audience was all over the place in terms of demographics, didn't see a lot of Greeks, at least that seemed Greek or reacted to the film in a manner as if they were Greek (recognition of things or being offended).
And for what it's worth I saw Monsoon Wedding in a pretty full house and also did not get as much out of it as Greek Wedding. But then Monsoon is far more serious and visually artful. Greek stands firmly in the wacky comedy area with a strong dose of romance to go with it. Greek had to have at least 20 moments of boisterous laughter along with constant good humor that kept it flying along.
Cripes, the buzz in the theater when it was over was incredible.
I can be influenced a bit by the audience, but not that much. I laughed so hard at times that I was basically unaware of other laughter. Now at Men in Black 2 I also laughed quite a bit, but was often the only one. Not to compare the two since Greek is much funnier but to say that I say f**k em and will laugh anyway. To me the audience just reinforced what I was already thinking, that this film is a great comedy.
Again, the acting, both comedic and dramatic, is terrific. The father, mother, brother are all great, along with Martin and the 2 leads.

 

[Seth Paxton]

One last post about "truth in film". My fiancee works in the travel/meeting industry and has seen people get yanked down by their headset phones. When we first saw the trailer she leaned over and said "that happens all the time".
So dispute the truth of Greek culture all you want, but the travel agent work is spot on.

 

[JohnS]

My Big Fat Greek Wedding ***1/2
An excellent surprise.
A better version of Monsoon wedding.
Characters were fresh and funny.
Script was great, but thought it could have had little more funny moments, which would have made it a four star for sure.
DO NOT MISS THIS MOVIE!
I'm also going to add and agree with Seth Paxton that it was a nice change, to see a lead actress(who is one of the lead romantic parts), is normal and average looking.
Thats what makes the movie really refreshing.
Also, if anybody wishes to respond to this.
My friend and I were discussing this movie and he said, that the movie would have worked no matter what ethnic family you put in place of the greek family.
I don't know about that!!
The huge greek family and all of the relatives with their background, is what made the film.

 

[Edwin Pereyra]

Seth wrote:

Quote:

It appears that the audience reaction to my screening was not an isolated case after all. It is being repeated all over the country!
~Edwin

 

[ChrisMatson]

I saw this last night and the audience reaction was uproarious. I didn't know much about the movie going in to it, but I found myself engrossed. I have to say that this is one of the most funny movies I have seen in recent years.

 

[Dennis Pagoulatos]

Thanks for backing me up Edwin! :wink:

I didn't get into detail before about what seemed offensive to me, but here goes:

I know (and already knew) that it was written by a Greek woman...though she is pretty far removed from the culture.

The portrayal of the "Greek family" though obviously played broadly for laughs, was even at its core, way off. It was like someone taking all of the horrid Italian "mob" stereotypes and then exaggerating them a million times more; even the starting point is very misleading to someone who doesn't know Greek culture.

Was it funny? Some parts were funny, yes! I do think that the best thing in the film is Nia Vardalos, her performance was touching in several scenes (but I agree with what someone else said that there really was zero chemistry between her and the male lead)

A lot of other actors playing Greek characters in the movie are not Greek, and as a result their really bad "Greek accent" (sounds more like Russian to me...) comes off very badly to someone who knows what a Greek accent should sound like...not very authentic. (I know I know, its an American film...)

I couldn't help being offended; I didn't want to be (remember I was supposed to love this film!) but at the end of it...I was...

Since there is so little Greek culture anywhere to be found in the US, I hope this film, as well as it is doing financially, doesn't give people a false impression of Greeks as being crazy, loudmouthed, diner owning, bad makeup wearing, nationalist freaks!

-Dennis

 

[Seth Paxton]

Yeah, because Goodfellas never portrayed Italians as a bunch of loudmouthed, bad makeup wearing, crazy, violent, nationalist, mafia-types.
And Scarface never portrayed Cubans as a bunch of greasy, loudmouthed, crazy, violent, nationalist, drug dealing types.
What about Scottish people in So I Married an Axe Murderer? Same thing again.
The examples are endless, which is what Edwin and I both mentioned. The film follows in the path of many other films, but did so in a lively and fresh manner. But the point is that this isn't the first film to have fun with the cultural quirks of someone's family, and I don't think you are supposed to walk away from the film saying "yeah, that's what they are all like."
Funny enough all I saw was yet another group of people who felt a kinship with their roots, but were also able to accept "outsiders" into their family. They were also warm, generous, very successful...you are right Dennis, that's not what a real Greek is about at all. :p)
I mean the moral of the story is that you can't be limited by your roots, but you should always grow from them. It's an appreciation of family and culture that she grew up with and her husband comes to appreciate it too.
I can't tell you not to feel what you feel. But IMHO you are reading too much into the film to find it offensive.

 

[DennisP]

Saw MBFGW last week and thought it was a wonderful film. Such a refreshing change of pace from what I usually see in the theaters. The story was quite funny and poignant at times..and I found myself laughing out loud on more than a few occasions (I can't remember the last time I laugh out loud in a theater). It was refreshing to see the actors in this movie look like real people and not poster people for Vogue or GQ. This movie is a real sleeper and I recommend people get out to see it before it leaves your area. So many good shows like this come and go too quickly...it's unfortunate more people don't get the chance to see them.

 

[Dennis Pagoulatos]

Hardy harr harr, Seth!
Seriously though, I'm glad you liked the movie...I guess this movie is aimed at general American audiences which obviously enjoy the movie very much given the reaction here, and at the box office.
A lot of "more Americanized" Greeks that I've spoken to from back home (NYC) also seem to like the movie a lot; by "Americanized" I mean they don't speak the language, and are usually 2nd or 3rd generation Greek Americans.
Now what I'm really upset about is that this movie may have beaten AOTC at the box office this weekend! What an outrage!! :wink:
-Dennis

 

[Seth Paxton]

Not really trying to ride you there Dennis, but I was serious about the points inside the joke (other films with stereotypes which are well-regarded; and other parts of the Greek portrayal in the film).
I have no problem with your feelings on the matter, but I am spinning my wheels in confusion trying to figure out how the film got on your bad side. Maybe if you were just a flake I could brush you off as a crackpot.
And, yeah, how about MBFGW going past AOTC after playing 12 weeks to Clones 8. If only it would pass Ya Ya. There is no reason for Wedding to make less than Ya Ya. The film needs more expansion I think. The theater we saw it at was undersized for the crowd.

 

[Nikos]

I'm a first gen Greek-American that loves the Greek culture and after seeing MBFGW with a large group of my Greek friends, I just can't wait till this movie comes out on DVD.
Yes, there were some depictions that were far-stretched but hey, this movie was, in majority, a comedy. I laughed hard enough to almost pop a vein in my forehead. No matter how crazy some of the content seemed, there was always a Greek family I knew that I could relate it to - that makes it priceless.

Alright, now I'm really curious. The Greek filmmakers claim that the events portrayed onscreen were based on real life experiences and were certainly accurate. In adldition, there are those of Greek decent here who claim that the film captured the essence of Greek life.

I can see how the ideas to some of the portrayals were based on real life experiences, but as I stated above, they were also stretched a bit out of proportion to get a higher factor - and they succeeded.
Nikos

 

[Dennis Pagoulatos]

Hmmm...maybe I should give it another shot? Maybe I had PMS that day or something...
I think I'll go see it again...maybe this coming weekend if there's time...
-Dennis

 

[Edwin Pereyra]

It appears that My Big Fat Greek Wedding is now the unqualified surprise hit of the summer.
From Link Removed:

Big chorus of 'That's us!' greets 'Greek Wedding'
By Claudia Puig
USA TODAY
Rita Wilson was in the Hamptons last weekend when she heard about some friends who were attending an unusual bash: a Big Fat Greek Wedding party.
''They loved the movie so much that they got together with all their friends who had married into ethnic families and decided to have a big party to celebrate their ethnicity,'' says Wilson, who produced the picture along with her husband, Tom Hanks. ''In the Hamptons, can you believe it?''
Almost nothing strains credulity when it comes to My Big Fat Greek Wedding, the summer's biggest low-budget hit.
Since opening April 19, the romantic comedy about a 30-year-old Greek-American woman and her eccentric family has grossed $23.6 million. While that sounds like a paltry sum compared with $100 million summer hits, it's a tidy profit considering the film's $3 million budget.
''The picture doesn't stop going,'' says Dan Marks, senior vice president at Nielsen EDI. ''It's a big hit.''
Wilson was happy when the picture -- based on a play by actress Nia Vardalos, who wrote and stars opposite Sex and the City's John Corbett -- hit just $10 million.
''That this movie is succeeding without huge stars in it, but with good writing and good themes, has been so satisfying,'' Wilson says. ''There's so much happening in the world, it's scary and tense, and it's so nice to just go and escape and laugh.''
Wedding offers an alternative to the usual summer slate of special-effects-soaked action sagas.
''It's essentially a classic feel-good movie, and in today's cynical times, perhaps it has more relevance than ever,'' says Paul Brooks, president of Gold Circle Films, which co-funded the production with HBO. ''It doesn't seek to be anything magnificent. It's not saying anything extraordinary or different. It's just talking about life and love in an accessible way, with real heart and real humor. People have responded to that.''
The movie is playing on 499 screens in 45 cities (films from major studios often open on more than 3,000 screens) and likely will expand to 60 cities by next week and more after that, says producer Gary Goetzman.
Fans of the PG-rated film are popping up in every age group, producers say.
Among them is Michele Turan, a 55-year-old high school English teacher from Tarzana, Calif., who attended with daughter Tanya, 30.
''It was a warm, feel-good movie,'' Michele says. ''The acting was very good and the story was simple but entertaining.''
The driving force behind the film is the engaging performance of Vardalos. ''She connects with the audience on so many levels,'' says Goetzman.
Vardalos, 39, says what she loves most about the success of the film is unquantifiable: ''A woman came up to me and said, 'This is all about my family.' I asked her, 'Are you Greek?' She said, 'No, I'm Irish.' Everybody is seeing their family up there.''
With such a small film, an expensive national ad campaign is out of the question so the lead actors have been spreading the word town by town.
''Nia and John have literally gone everywhere,'' says Bob Berney, senior vice president of marketing for IFC Films, which is distributing the movie. ''They would call, and every hour they'd be in another city.''
Vardalos enjoyed the cross-country tour. ''We'd get up at 6 a.m. and go do the local TV shows and local radio shows; we met every deejay,'' she says. ''I don't think our publicity tour will rest until we feel that every single red-blooded American has seen our Big Fat Greek Wedding.''
For Vardalos, it's a personal journey. The love story she wrote and adapted for the movie closely parallels her romance with her husband, actor Ian Gomez.
''I took every moment of the last 20 years of my life, and I squished it into this screenplay, and I took every wedding I've ever been to and stole from it, and I just wrote what I knew,'' Vardalos says.
She's a bit stunned that crowds of moviegoers are embracing it. ''I still wake up every morning, thinking I've made it all up,'' she says. ''I can't tell you how much my life has changed. I had lunch with a friend today and got asked for an autograph four times. I was sure my parents had set it up.''

~Edwin

 

[Mark Pfeiffer]

While I'm not nearly as fond of it as many of you--I think it's a pleasant film that's not terribly memorable--I am happy to see a film like this perform so well. IFC obviously knew what they were doing when they opened this in two multiplexes here in addition to an arthouse. It's still playing at all three theaters, which is nothing short of remarkable considering how relatively old it is in box office terms these days.