My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002)
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76% of critics liked it
(129 reviews) -
69% of users liked it
(700,474 ratings)
One woman's rocky road to the altar gets played for laughs in this comedy, adapted from the one-woman off-Broadway show written by and starring Nia Vardalos. Toula (Vardalos) is a Greek-American woman who is in her early thirties and single, with no immediate prospects of changing that status… More One woman's rocky road to the altar gets played for laughs in this comedy, adapted from the one-woman off-Broadway show written by and starring Nia Vardalos. Toula (Vardalos) is a Greek-American woman who is in her early thirties and single, with no immediate prospects of changing that status any time soon. This bothers Toula a bit, but not half as much as it distresses her mother (Lainie Kazan) and father (Michael Constantine), who want to send her to Greece in hopes of finding a husband in the old country. Toula isn't interested in leaving the country to find a man, but since she works in the family business -- a Greek restaurant in Chicago called Dancing Zorba's -- she has to hear about it whether she likes it or not. One day, after seeing a handsome stranger in the restaurant and not having the courage to talk to him, Toula decides she needs a bit of self-improvement. Despite her dad's misgivings, Toula signs up for a night-school class studying computers, trades in her glasses for contact lenses, gets a different job at a travel agency, and spruces herself up with a new look and a new attitude. To her very pleasant surprise, she once again encounters the handsome stranger, who soon asks her out on a date. Schoolteacher Ian Miller (John Corbett) is seemingly perfect -- he's tall, handsome, smart, good-natured, and soon in love with Toula -- except for two little things: he's not Greek, and he's a vegetarian, both of which horrify Toula's family. When Ian pops the question (and Toula says yes), the bride-to-be has to negotiate a reasonably peaceful meeting between Ian's upper-class parents and her own working-class extended family. There's also the matter of the wedding, which Toula's mother is planning around the notion that quantity IS quality. My Big Fat Greek Wedding also features Ian Gomez (Vardalos' real-life husband), Louis Mandylor, Andrea Martin, and Joey Fatone (from the pop group *NSYNC). Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson helped produce the film through the auspices of their production company, Playtone. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Directed By
- Joel Zwick
- Written By
- Nia Vardalos
- Genres
- Comedy, Romance
PG,
- In Theaters
- Apr 19, 2002 Wide
- On DVD
- Feb 11, 2003
- Studio
- IFC Films
Critic Reviews
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Joshua Rothkopf, Chicago Reader
Second City alum Nia Vardalos stars in this ethnic comedy, which she also wrote -- an ambitious way to break into a leading role; too bad the results are insubstantial.
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, Time Out
The result feels a little over-egged at times and the love match lacks chemistry, but Ian's whistlestop induction into a different style of language, food, drink, dress and dancing allows a few good one-liners.
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Peter Howell, Toronto Star
You don't have to be Greek to enjoy My Big Fat Greek Wedding, and that's precisely the point of it.
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Rick Groen, Globe and Mail
My Big Fat Greek Wedding is a very slim movie that succeeds on its own modest terms without pretense or apology. No wonder it's easy to like.
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James Berardinelli, ReelViews
The movie is consistently funny without ever going over the top -- a rarity in movies.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
Currently unavailable on Flixster
Cast
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Nia Vardalos
as Toula
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John Corbett
as Ian Miller
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Michael Constantine
as Gus
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Lainie Kazan
as Maria
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Andrea Martin
as Aunt Voula
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Joey Fatone
as Angelo
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Gia Carides
as Nikki
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Louis Mandylor
as Nick
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Bess Meisler
as Yia Yia
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Fiona Reid
as Harriet Miller
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Bruce Gray
as Rodney Miller
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Ian Gomez
as Mike
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Jayne Eastwood
as Mrs. White
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Gale Garnett
as Aunt Lexy
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Gerry Mendicino
as Uncle Taki
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Marla Vacratsis
as Aunt Frieda
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John Kalangis
as Greek Teacher
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Christina Eleusiniotis
as Toula at 6
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Kaylee Vieira
as Schoolgirl
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Marita Zouravlioff
as Toula at 12
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Sarah Osman
as Athena at 15
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Petra Wildgoose
as Car Pool Friend
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Melissa Todd
as Car Pool Friend
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Stavroula Logothettis
as Athena
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Constantine Tsapralis
as Foti
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Frank Falcone
as Suitor
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Eugene Martel
as Suitor
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Joe Persechini
as Suitor
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Peter Xynnis
as Suitor
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Anthony Kandiotis
as Priest
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Nick Kutsukos
as Bouzouki Player
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Peter Tharos
as Yianni
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Chrissy Paraskevopoulos
as Cousin Jennie
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Kathryn Haggis
as Cousin Marianthi
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Charlene Bitzas
as Aunt Nota
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Chris Savides
as Greek Chanter
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Constantine Vardalos
as Greek Chanter
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Scott Khouri
as Waiter
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John Tsifliklis
as Wedding Singer
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Peter Chalkiopoulos
as Wedding Band
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Peter Gogos
as Wedding Band
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Spiro Milankou
as Wedding Band
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Victor Politis
as Wedding Band
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Jim Rouvas
as Wedding Band
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Arielle Sugarman
as Paris
