My Big Fat Greek Wedding [PG]

Tula is a good Greek girl. She lives at home with her father, who believes that all words (including 'kimono') have roots in Greek, and mother, who proves that a man who thinks he's in charge is married to a wise woman. She works in her father's restaurant and knows what is expected of her ' marry a good Greek man, have lots of Greek babies and feed everyone'. Disillusioned with her life (her parents are beginning to despair that at nearly 30 she is too old to get married), she enrols on computing course at the local college. This allows her to spread her wings and the ugly duckling develops into a swan.

Then she meets Iain, a teacher who comes from a very normal middle class family and is not Greek. When they get engaged, all hell breaks loose in Tula's traditional Greek family.

My Big Fat Greek Wedding is not so much a film about a wedding as an affectionate look at big families - the hordes of cousins, the tactless Aunts, the way any family gathering is a huge party, the way everything you do is common knowledge and the way everyone has an opinion and feels they have the right to interfere in your life. It tackles the conflicts when the traditions of first generation immigrants meet the ideas of their American offspring and indicates the compromises that can be reached. This is a must see movie for anyone who is part of, or is thinking of marrying into, a large family. It's probably even more amusing if you're Greek (I'm not, but I found it hilarious).

The show started off as a one woman comedy act before crossing over to film and is funny with the occasional genuinely touching insight. I haven't laughed so much in ages. I wonder when it comes out on video…..

Jeevani Mantota (DI Reviewer), 09/10/02

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