She is well known for her overnight success in 2002 of the low-budget film she wrote and starred in - “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”. The movie made $368 million dollars worldwide and made her an instant success. [1] While some may ponder at the incredible success of “Greek Wedding” others who come from different backgrounds will understand the charm and influence of such a movie. The reason why it did so well not only in North America but worldwide is because of the diversity.
For so many it was as if a camera had entered there homes and there family life. It was a chance for the new generations of immigrant children to finally have someone that understands them and there daily lives after school. Many school children born and raised here that do go home to typical “Canadian” households’ never quite understand and almost appear fearful of immigrant or cultured children. This was a way to inform, appreciate, unite and have fun with the very diverse world we are living in.
However, it was also a calling for parents and grandparetns living in North America. Adults these days are in the unfortunate position of attempting to raise there children with balance of there own history and culture in a different country with different traditions. “Greek Wedding” allowed so many people to familiarize with the characters lives especially Vardalos’ character Toula Portokalos.
Toula falls in love with a non- Greek Man, Ian Miller (John Corbett). In the beginning we see Toula, a single thirty something year old women, try to reinvent her self and get away from the years of humiliation from her past for being different. As she is going through the transformation she meets a teacher (Ian) and quickly falls in love with her. Ian is forced to accept her and her huge, conservative, Greek family and Toula must accept the fact that her life is not how her family always planned it to be. This shows the many obstacles and challenges that real life couples feel nowadays and this was one of the biggest appeals to the movie.
Another reason for its success is the humour and great detail that was added. We see Toula’s dad Gus (Michael Constantine) as the typical protective Greek father who is very proud of his Greek heritage. A perfect example of his pride is when he’s driving Toula and her friends to school and he can’t help but ask and prove “that every word comes from the Greek alphabet”. Other members of the family such as the sympathetic mother, odd aunts, uncles, cousins and siblings complete the picture and bring comfort to people as many of us have similar families.
It’s a shame that movie networks and industry members don’t see the potential and the great business they could have if they were willing to take the chance. At the end of the day all of us are immigrants and have different cultures and traditions. Why shouldn’t we celebrate that, why can’t we give everyone a chance to shine, and if it fails then stop producing them? There is after all nothing like humour, and in a time where there is serious humour lacking in the world and people are colliding, the best way is to celebrate how as much as we hate to admit it, we’re more similar in our own crazy way.
Personally, what I really love and relate to is the character of Toula. In the beginning we see how she feels like the odd one in both her lives, her family and school life. She is an awkward child and can’t seem to ever find her footing. To see her transform and become strong and independent was so great to see. Vardalos has done such an amazing job at capturing her and many other girls’ lives. She is one of the most underrated role models out there; she has a great message, and delivers it beautifully.
She is once again hitting our screens with her new film that hit theatres on June 5th, which not surprisingly revolves around Greece. “My Life in Ruins” has many similarities as “Greek Wedding” and looks to be a great way to bring back Vardalos. I hope she continues to write and create meaningful work that many can relate to, and do it all on her own terms.
[1] “Nia Vardalos says life is far from ‘in Ruins’” All Movies Online Article. June 12th, 2009.
The Holy Father gone to Turkey to redeem and consecrate the Greeks, so don't need no more soviet temples. Don't need no gyro blimpie Bart when got a regular Pope without the diner attitude. My pop kept hitting momma with a skillet on the head. Friends ended up in the hospital after their pop beat them. Pops got drunk and ruined my first car. Killed two cats and a dog, thrown out the window. Neighbor drowned the canaries in ouzo, lit, ate them. Ma overdid whip so she could give less pie. All our stuff came pilfered, with logos. Greeks overcook all meat so no one knows is bad. Another banned tenants flushing toilet paper. Waiters inpune sanitation because "dirty is natural and healthy." Priests just answered "behave, respect, tradition!" Now priest comes "no intercommunion!" Where was he when we needed him to protect us from our crazy parents? Don't sell me "educated Greeks" because we know all them Trojan Horse cheated on the exams. Besides it's just TV repair school. Remember all those jailed old disco Greeks, tax cheats to "protest" Jerome Ford stopping the Trojan Horse in Chyprious? We can't get good jobs because no one trusts Greeks, because of Trojan Horse. They always faked reading Greek. That's why we borrowed regular Catholic books instead of read Greek. Sure, we sacrifice to Greek myths three times a year to please yiayia, and she's nun the wiser when we go to regular Catholic Mass on Sundays when she bummed from bouzaki dances. Ain't need no more Bart, just the regular Pope. That's why we all married regular Catholic when we grew up. So they can trust us.
ReplyDeleteGreek Altar Boy Crib Sheet: The most common incantation in the Greek Liturgy is "Gyro Lays On" which is to bless the slapping of meat on gyros a shadow set of altar boys are making in the basement. The next most common is "Docks apartheid, go carts for nobody" to bless the racial segreagation of Greek ships, which were the primary vehicle for bringing slaves to America. They also say "To rhapsody the duckies, shoot them, shoot them some more" and "Socks on we must go that not just egg nog sold by garlic Louie" Their lordie prayer is really a witches brew: "Butter lemon on the horizon against dominance, alter the fasolia sou, general tomatoes, eastern horizons, obtuse geese, does the mean simmering, tuna tuna is monitors in pussing, coffee serve offering man, eastern offer toffee latte, alter geese, obtuse boners"