Movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding

¶ … Big Fat Greek Wedding directed by Joel Zwick [...] differences between Greek and American culture. "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" is a funny movie about the differences in culture that can lead to unhappiness and lack of self-esteem. The main character grows up in a Greek family that wants to protect her, but she manages to find love and happiness anyway. While the film uses stereotypical examples of Greek and American culture to make its points, it is still charming, funny, and entertaining.

This film really plays up the differences between Greek and American culture, and makes them charming all the same. Poor Toula Portokalos, the main character, is trapped in her father's Greek restaurant. Over 30, her family considers her an "old maid," and it is clear she is not happy under her father's thumb. She is dowdy and timid, and afraid to stand up to her very strong and opinionated father. He thinks her only goal in life should be to get married and have lots of children. This is a very real example of Greek culture and how it looks at women in general. While her father thinks he is the one in control, and making all the decisions, his wife really influences him, and plays a major role while making him think he is the strong decision-maker of the family. This is another important illustration of Greek culture. The women are actually quite strong, but they play a game allowing the men to think they are the ones with the power and strength. Toula's mother recognizes she is unhappy and wants to help her, while her husband is oblivious to everything but his own beliefs and concerns.

These foundations build upon the differences between Greek and American culture. To most Americans watching this movie, the Portokalos family seems old-fashioned and a little silly. Most Americans give their daughters and wives more freedom, and most American women would not stand for the father's domineering role. Toula does not stand for it either, but she rebels in a different way, but she still gets what she wants.

Another important aspect of Greek culture portrayed in the film is how the family expects Toula to marry another Greek, and they have a hard time accepting the "outsider" she is dating. This also seems very old-fashioned compared to American culture, that is much more accepting about blending families and religious beliefs in most cases. Some of the scenes where Ian tries to fit into the Greek family are funny, and they show that Ian is open to new cultures, while the Greeks are stubbornly hanging on to their old ideas.

Another cultural difference in the film is the family. The Greek family is very large, loud, meddling, and sometimes obnoxious. They insist that their way is the only way, and do not understand Ian's vegetarianism any more than they understand tofu and organic beef. They are lusty, earthy, and opinionated, a far cry from Ian's family who does not fit in the Greek family's society any more than the Greeks fit in theirs. This is funny, but it is sad too, because both families eventually put up with each other, but do not truly respect each other, and that says something about Greek and American culture, and how accepting it is, ultimately, of different cultures and beliefs. This is shown subtly in the church, where Ian's side of the church has sparse attendance from a small family, while Toula's side is filled with boisterous relatives from everywhere. The families are different, but now they will blend and hopefully become much more accepting of both cultures.

There are also many smaller, more subtle (and not so subtle) references to Greek culture throughout the film. The front yard filled with statues and garish garden decorations is only one icon in the film, there are many more. The bright blue bridesmaid dresses, the liberal pouring of Ouzo at the party, the Greek dancing, and the inability to accept Ian unless he converts to the Greek Orthodox religion are all Greek cultural issues that show how they are different from Americans and American culture.

Probably most amusing is Toula's father's insistence that just about every word in the English language has Greek origins. It's funny, and lightens the mood of the film, poking fun at the Greeks, but also at the Americans reaction to Gus' theories. Actually, the all the stereotyping in the film could come off as offensive, but instead, it comes off as endearing and comical, mostly because Toula is coming to terms with her Greek heritage, which she essentially rejected when she left the restaurant and took classes at the community college. She was attempting to create a "non-Greek" life for herself, and in a way, she succeeded, but she was also turning her back on her heritage, partly because her family embarrassed her. Here is probably one of the strongest lessons in the film, and one of the reasons it works so well. Ultimately, Toula learns to accept her family quirks and all. Most people are ashamed or embarrassed of their family at one time or another, no matter what culture they are. Learning to accept them comes with maturity and understanding. Toula learns her family is really OK, no matter how "strange" they are on the outside. Her experience could be anyone's experience, Greek or not, and it is here that the two cultures begin to blend, and the message of the film seems to say, "culture really does not matter - people matter."