Review: My Big Fat Greek Wedding: culture clash and humor

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Very rarely does that gem appear in Hollywood -- a little independent comedy that turns out to be both funny and smart without having to resort to low humor to make you laugh. This one grew by word of mouth to hit success by being a well-made film, not necessarily by media hype and advertising overload. Step, for a while, into Toula's (Nia Vardalos) world. Second daughter in an extensive Greek family, she knows she's the homely one of the family. Elder sister Athena has married and is producing one baby after another, while younger brother Nick is busy being, well being Greek. Knowing she's a disappointment by not marrying (she is, by her family's standards, an old maid) and producing a numerous pack of grandchildren. When an english professor, Ian Miller (John Corbett) wanders into the family restaurant, Dancing Zorba's, Toula is instantly smitten -- and knows in her heart that if she just stays at her family's restaurant life is simply going to past her by. That's what I really liked about this film. It's not to get a man that Toula gives herself a makeover -- it's to make herself feel better. And with that confidence, she works at overcoming her shyness and steps out into the world. When Ian spots her again, both are attracted to each other. But there's one big problem -- namely that Toula is Greek, and Ian isn't. How they get from opposites attracting to the happy day is the meat of this film. And Ian is the sort of man that every woman wants to be with -- a smart, sexy guy who knows what he wants out of life, and isn't afraid to go after it. Men who have confidence like this will be successful and attractive. While Toula's family is played waaaaaaay over the top by Michael Constantine as the family patriarch, the stereotypes are gentle and not at all mean-spirited. And let's face it, if your family is as ethnically proud as this clan, you'll see yourself reflected in this movie at various spots. There's been times when we have all been embarassed by our families, and this one pulls it off with just the house alone, never mind the rest of the film. The contrast between WASP and Greek families is bitingly satirical. The other fun part of this is the courtship between Toula and Ian. It's not your typical Hollywood film where hero and heroine meet, fall into bed, and that's that. No, instead, they fall in love a bit at a time, and the frenzied kisses in the car brought back a lot of memories about those crazy times when you're falling in love to me. All in all, this is a great, funny, film that is low on the bad language meter, doesn't rely on too many cheap jokes for fun, and gets to the hysterical stage a few times. Parents shouldn't worry at all about letting their kids see it, and it's certain worth repeat viewings. The DVD comes with a choice of two viewing formats, widescreen and full-screen, subtitles in French, Spanish, Greek and English, audio commentaries by the leads and director, and cast biographies.