Full of obvious humour and stereotyped characters, My Big Fat Greek Wedding is nonetheless delightful, mostly because the movie does not pretend to be anything it isn't.
My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002)
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work ![]()
Reviews Counted:121
Fresh:91
Rotten:30
Average Rating:6.7/10
Consensus: Though it sometimes feels like a television sitcom, My Big Fat Greek Wedding is good-hearted and lovable.
Theatrical Release:Apr 19, 2002 Limited
Box Office: $241,250,669
Synopsis: “Nice Greek girls are expected to do three things: Marry Greek boys, make Greek babies and feed everyone until the day we die.” Toula Portokalos Everyone in the Portokalos family worries about... “Nice Greek girls are expected to do three things: Marry Greek boys, make Greek babies and feed everyone until the day we die.” Toula Portokalos Everyone in the Portokalos family worries about Toula (NIA VARDALOS). Still unmarried at 30-years-old, she works at Dancing Zorba’s, the Greek restaurant owned by her parents, Gus (MICHAEL CONSTANTINE) and Maria (LAINIE KAZAN) and smells like garlic bread. Vowing that she’d rather stab herself in the eye with a red-hot poker than work in the restaurant for the rest of her life, Toula is ready for a change. Unfortunately, the rest of her family is not. After taking a job at her aunt’s travel agency, she falls in love with Ian Miller (JOHN CORBETT), a high school teacher who is tall, handsome and definitely not Greek. Toula isn’t sure which will be more upsetting to her old-fashioned father, that Ian is a Xeno (foreigner) or that he’s a vegetarian. But none of it matters once he asks her to marry him. Toula knows that if he can pass muster with her crazy relatives and get baptized in the Greek Orthodox Church...their big fat Greek wedding, including one powder blue limousine, two ice sculptures and ten bridesmaids in turquoise dresses, will be a piece of cake, five layers high with a plastic staircase and a fountain of champagne. -- © 2002 IFC Films [More]
Starring: Nia Vardalos, Louis Mandylor, Gia Carides, John Corbett
Starring: Nia Vardalos, Louis Mandylor, Gia Carides, John Corbett, Joey Fatone, Andrea Martin, Lainie Kazan, Bruce Gray
Director: Joel Zwick
Director: Joel Zwick
Screenwriter: Nia Vardalos
Producer: Tom Hanks, Gary Goetzman, Rita Wilson
Composer: Alexander Djanko, Chris Wilson
Studio: IFC Films
Get This Movie
Rent DVD
Click on the "ADD" button to put this movie into your Netflix queue.
Buy DVD
Release:
Mar 3, 2009
Reviews for My Big Fat Greek Wedding
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.
This isn't a groundbreaking movie ... but its situations are so recognizable and universal that you don't need to be Greek to appreciate it.
An embarrassment, a film so humiliating to everyone involved, it is shocking that protesters haven't come out of the woodwork to scream bloody murder.
An alternately raucous and sappy ethnic sitcom...you'd be wise to send your regrets.
...manages — by virtue of its uncommon geniality — to convince us it’s about genuine human beings.
Out loud laughing, full of heart and humor and just wonderful feeling. Dare I say, a triumph!
The movie is consistently funny without ever going over the top -- a rarity in movies.
The reliability of the genre doesn't excuse predictable jokes, pat fiascoes and so many stereotypes that one is tempted to alert the Greek anti-defamation league.
Wedding feels a bit anachronistic. Still, not every low-budget movie must be quirky or bleak, and a happy ending is no cinematic sin.
Though likable, its stock brand of comedy makes “Meet The Parents” look like a magnum opus of comic achievement by comparison.
As a witness to several Greek-American weddings -- but, happily, a victim of none -- I can testify to the comparative accuracy of Ms. Vardalos' memories and insights.
This romantic/comedy asks the question how much souvlaki can you take before indigestion sets in.
With tiny little jokes and nary an original idea, this sappy ethnic sleeper proves that not only blockbusters pollute the summer movie pool.
This is a very funny, heartwarming film. It has fun with the quirks of family life, but it also treats the subject with fondness and respect.
Even if you can't pronounce "gyro" correctly, you'll appreciate much of Vardalos' humor, which transcends ethnic boundaries.
Perhaps the makers of My Big Fat Greek Wedding subscribe to the Quentin Crisp theory of housekeeping %u2013 "After the first four years, the dust doesn't get any worse" %u2013 but this feels more like 70 years of dust, and badly in need of an airing out.
Latest News for My Big Fat Greek Wedding
May 14, 2008:
Cannes 2008: Big Fat Greek Duo Reuniting for I Hate Valentine's Day ![]()
Among the films being shopped at Cannes this year is I Hate Valentine's Day, a romantic comedy that will reunite My Big Fat Greek Wedding stars John Corbett and Nia Vardalos. More...
February 26, 2007:
Box Office Guru Wrapup: "Ghost Rides" High Again at #1
Academy Award winner Nicolas Cage ruled Oscar weekend with his skull-on-fire motorcycle actioner "Ghost Rider," which held steady at number one in North America for... More...
August 31, 2006:
Box Office Preview: "Crank" Closes Up Summer Movie Season
The summer movie season comes to an official end with the Labor Day holiday weekend unleashing three new releases plus the national expansion of a fourth. More...
February 08, 2006:
Universal Reunites Tom Hanks & Nia Vardalos
According to Variety, Universal has tapped Nia Vardalos ("My Big Fat Greek Wedding") to pen "Talk of the Town" for Tom Hanks. The pair previously worked... More...
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 15% 15% | The Ugly Truth |
| 98% 98% | Up |
| 36% 36% | G.I. Joe: The Rise of … |
| 52% 52% | The Taking of Pelham 1… |
| 45% 45% | Ice Age: Dawn of the D… |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 36% 36% | Angels & Demons |
| 68% 68% | Funny People |
| 25% 25% | Four Christmases |
| 45% 45% | Shorts |
| 53% 53% | David & Layla |
RT On Current TV
DIRECTV 358 | Comcast 107 | DISH Network 196 | More...
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
CloseSponsored Links
Around The Network
- My Big Fat Greek Wedding at Rotten Tomatoes
- My Big Fat Greek Wedding at IGN
- My Big Fat Greek Wedding at AskMen
Fresh Links
Featured

TECHLAND gives us a first look at the extras, including Leonard Nimoy's last day on set!

AV Club looks at a beloved cult classic, Sam Raimi's Army of Darkness.

TIME offers us a closer look at the characters from the latest Twilight film.

Moviefone lists their choices for the least attractive men in Hollywood.
Promos

Get the latest Tomatometer updates on upcoming movies!



Top Critic


