My Big Fat Greek Wedding
★★★
If you were alive in 2002, it was impossible not to see My Big Fat Greek Wedding. It was the movie that everybody talked about and adored. Revisiting it more than twenty years later, it still possesses the charm and warm feelings that are invoked with such things as family, weddings and culture. Yet, watching it now, you can't help but wonder what all the fuss was about. The film does an amazing job of crafting solid jokes and memorable moments, but as a whole, the plot is pretty weak.
It's easy to remember the vivid characters that star and writer Nia Vardalos created. The behind-the-scenes look of her Greek heritage is kind and inviting and this is mainly due to the fact that her family members are quickly etched into your mind. Their traditions and beliefs are quickly believed and understood and it's definitely the strength of the film. What Varadalos fails to do is to write a convincing love story between her character Toula and Ian (John Corbett). She is more interested in putting them in "fish out of water" moments than building the chemistry between the two. Ian tells Toula constantly that he cares and loves her, but we never see why.
My Big Fat Greek Wedding is a rare case where its parts are greater than its sum. You will undoubtedly be won over by the Portokalos family and their love for each other and food. If only the main characters could live up to the antics of their counterparts.
