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

[Ashley Seymour]

I am having a hard time remembering all the negative stereotypes. If I had gotten up ten times to go for popcorn and bathroom breaks I could understand how I may have missed something, but I am pretty sure I stayed in my seat the whole time.

I went to the Sunday evening show with my wife and 21 year old daughter. They both giggled the whole evening and I had as much fun with their enjoyment as with the movie. We kind of dominated the show as I didn't hear much fromt he few others who were there.

Having the lead actress not be a looker, having her be overweight, and most of all putting her against a pretty studly lead type. Seth

This casting of Nia sold the movie for me. I love to watch attractive stars, but hate it when they bring out a Nicole or a Charise and frump her up a bit in the beginning and expect you to be convinced that she undergoes a metamophasis on screen. If I took here out on a blind date and one of my buddies asked "well, how did she look?" I would have to respond, "She is nice to her mother."

I did not buy the fact that these two looked at each other and were smitten. Well, I could see her looking at him that way, but frankly not the other. So could I find her attractive? Yes, if she had the personality that has been alluded to above and was in the film. Frankly I did not find anything endearing about her personality that made her stand out. She seemed very nice and pleasant, but no electricity.

I don't hold a high standard of believability in films, but I don't want to reason and logic to be stretched too far.

This film was a nice little film. It told an interesting, funny story with an uplifting moral. Strange, maybe these are some of the reasons that it has become a hit.

 

[Holadem]

If I took here out on a blind date and one of my buddies asked "well, how did she look?"

The answer would be "she has a nice personnality..."
Dumb assumption on my part, but greeks are smart enough to spot what would be offensive to their culture. If they don't care, then I don't and neither should anyone else.
--
Holadem

 

[Patrick Sun]

Well, remember that Ian was tired of the blonde knockouts that his teacher buddy was always trying to set him up with, and Ian kept complaining that those types of girls were all the same to him. Then comes Toula, who's totally not like the blondes that have turned him off with their bland personalities, etc, and now he becomes more intrigued with her and then as he actively peels back the layers of Toula, her family becomes the hook that he gets even more attracted to in a "I didn't have that when I grew up" manner as it's shown that Ian's family is small and very staid and boring. So, it's conceivable that Ian did fall in love with someone so different from the blonde of the week, and then her familial ties made her even more attractive to him because perhaps he also wanted that big fat Greek family to take him and his small family into their large circle of friends and family.

 

[Patrick Sun]

One more thing, the screenplay embraced many of the strengths and weaknesses of Greek family traditions, and made all of it work because at the core of it all, everything comes from the heart, and when parents finally let their children find their own way, only then can the parents say that they did a good job in rearing their children. It's a fine line to walk for both the adult offspring and their parent, but with love and understanding and letting people in, it's the old adage of "you're not losing a daughter, you're gaining a son" math of marriage.

 

[Vickie_M]

I did not buy the fact that these two looked at each other and were smitten. Well, I could see her looking at him that way, but frankly not the other.

Now THIS is sad. That's a "stereotype" of good-looking guys that's far more offensive than the generalized ethnic variety that steve perceived, because it says that good looking guys are shallow bastards who should only date their own "kind" (good-looking girls). Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and the very idea that Toula wasn't good enough in the looks department, enough that you question Ian's attraction to her, is truly, truly ...well, I don't know what. Absurd, at least. (Then again, I'm still shaking my head at the thought that anyone would consider Toula overweight! This world sucks, I tell ya.)

I thought Toula was beautiful, and Ian was dreamy, and they made an extremely cute couple.

 

[Ashley Seymour]

Now THIS is sad. That's a "stereotype" of good-looking guys that's far more offensive than the generalized ethnic variety that steve perceived, because it says that good looking guys are shallow bastards who should only date their own "kind" (good-looking girls).
Sad, but true. You can't change human nature and Tula would not normally warrant a second look from guys that saw her in the restaurant. She looked much nicer in the travel agency, but in the movie we are led to believe that he found her personality, family, etc. as important or more so than her looks, but his first attraction to her is looks. I thought I made the point that the movie does a good job emphasizing the relationship that they developed.
I thought Toula was beautiful, and Ian was dreamy, and they made an extremely cute couple.
I think their relationship was beautiful. When they showed them in front of their house with their daughter that indicated that their was love in their between them and their daughter. And I still Tula was nice to her mother.

 

[steve jaros]

Vickie_M:

I think it would be wrong for either one of us to claim to know what the "greek community" thinks about the movie, unless there's been a scientific poll of some kind.

As for me, i believe that the evaluation about whether a film contains inappropriate stereotypes is one made by each of us individually, and not necessarily with reference to what 'community spokesman' of a particular ethnic group are saying.

And by my standards, BFGW was not an artistic risk, because i don't believe the intent of the film-makers was to challenge the public with their portrayal of greek-american life. To the extent that offensive stereotypes appear, it's (IMO) due to the sheer blundering of the filmmakers...

 

[steve jaros]

Michael Reuben wrote:
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A film does not have to "offend the political or cultural values of that public" in order to be good.
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I agree, which is why i haven't said that.
Michael Reuben wrote:
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This entire discussion of artistic risk is a red-herring......
It's just an irrelevant notion you introduced into the discussion in an effort to justify what, at bottom, is simply a matter of your personal taste.
************************************************** *******
? A red-herring for what? It's not like i believe my opinion about the quality of the movie is any more or less factually valid than the opinions of those who like it, such that i need to create distractions that justify it or otherwise blind others to the "truth" of the matter. All our opinions about BFGW are just that - reflections of our personal taste.
My invocation of 'artistic risk' was prompted by (i believe) Mr. Pfeiffer's statement that he thought MBFGW embodied the concept of artistic independence. That got me thinking about what artistic independence does/should mean and whether that applied to MBFGW. As such it flowed naturally from the discussion of the artistic merits of the film...
Discussing the 'artistic risk' of the film isn't any more or less relevant than discussing any other aspect of the film.
But, i must confess that *for a moment* i considered starting a new thread entitled "artistic risk in MBFGW", since it struck me as somewhat tangential to the general discussion about the popularity of the film... but then i considered how long such a thread would have lasted before it was shut down for not being included in the OFFICIAL discussion thread...

 

[Tim Glover]

After watching my beloved A&M Aggies squeak by Pitt today, I treated myself to MBFGW. I think it's one of the funniest movies I've ever seen. Great crowd too. I laughed so hard during the scene where Ian's parents arrive for dinner to meet Toula's parents that I was literally hurting. I haven't laughed that loud and long in a while.
A big !

 

[Patrick Sun]

"It's a bundt..bundt...bundt..."

 

[todbnla]

Just to fuel this thread, I just saw this movie again tonight for the second time with a group of friends. When we arrived 20 mins ahead of show time I was concerned that we were the only ones in the show! Boy was I wrong, by the time the trailers stopped, the entire mega plex Cinemark theater was full and the crowd loved the movie. They even clapped at the end, I still laughed just as hard as the first time I saw it too. Funny stuff.

 

[Tino]

And just to reiterate the great news for the makers of MBFGW, this weekend it became the highest grossing independent film of all time, passing the $140 million mark of The Blair Witch Project.
Congrats to Nia Vardolos, Joel Zwick and Co.

 

[Edwin Pereyra]

I guess instead of just being the sleeper hit of the summer, it is now the sleeper hit of the year.
By the way, I just saw Valdaros recently on TV. Boy, this was the best I've seen her look this year.
~Edwin

 

[Tino]

Instant success can do that to people....and a lot of money!

 

[Ryan FB]

Yep, $8 million this past weekend, making the total $148 million so far. Not bad for a $5 million investment .
I saw the film a couple days ago and found it sweet, enjoyable, and funny, but certainly nothing ground-breaking. I get the feeling it's not going to retain that "independent" charm for long though...one of the networks is thinking about a sitcom based on it ("My Big Loud Greek Family" from one of the interviews), and the writer/actress is planning a sequel. What I really hope this film will be able to do is provide ammo for other independent filmmakers needing money, as another example they can point out to prospective investors/producers that independent films can be successful.

 

[Seth Paxton]

By the way, I just saw Valdaros recently on TV. Boy, this was the best I've seen her look this year.

I did too and I agree. I also agree with Tino's reasoning behind this.
Also, wasn't she married but is now splitting up? I thought something like this (not unlike Jim Carrey) was happening in her life, and that she has been linked to some star lately.
Sorry to be gossipy, but Edwin started it. Anyway, if that is true who knows what the reasons are. It's her life to live, so more power to her (though I always hate to see someone getting dumped when then aren't up to the "standards" of the new star life of the other person).
So when does the show start? Isn't it a midseason replacement for this season, just waiting for some new show to suck.

 

[Tino]

As was reported weeks ago, It's called My Big Loud Greek Family and it will be a mid season replacement on CBS.
Apparently CBS didn't like the word Fat in the title, hence the change.
BTW, This is the first I have heard of marital troubles. Nia is married to Ian Gomez, who played John Corbett's friend in the film, and who also played Kerri Russell's boss in WB's Felicity.

 

[Seth Paxton]

Like I said Tino, I'm not sure its true or that I remember things right. It's cheap gossip at best at this point, and will never fully be relevent even if it turns out to be true.

 

[Edwin Pereyra]

MBFGW will go head to head with Chicago for Golden Globes' Best Picture - Comedy/Musical. With the advance word on Chicago, this one will be a tough call.
~Edwin

 

[Tino]

And what's the advance word on Chicago? I personally thought the trailer made the film look horrible.
And if they go head to head, count on MBFGW kicking its ass.