6.5 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
A young Greek woman falls in love with a non-Greek and struggles to get her family to accept him while she comes to terms with her heritage and cultural identity.
Starring: Nia Vardalos, Michael Constantine, John Corbett, Lainie Kazan, Andrea MartinComedy | 100% |
Romance | 71% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
Spanish: DTS 2.0
English SDH, French, Spanish, Greek
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
UV digital copy
DVD copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (locked)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
My Big Fat Greek Wedding is the little film that could. It was made independently for about $5 million by Tom Hanks's Playtone production company, after actress Rita Wilson, a/k/a Mrs. Hanks, saw writer and star Nia Vardalos perform the script as a one-woman show at an obscure Los Angeles venue. When the film opened in April 2002, it played on just over a hundred screens, because neither Playtone nor any of its producing partners could afford (or would fund) a wider release. The distributor was tiny IFC Films. But one year later, the gentle comedy that Vardalos based on the pandemonium that erupted in her extended family when she announced she was marrying a non-Greek had grossed over $240 million. Such is the power of word-of-mouth. But word-of-mouth requires something good to talk about. Vardalos' script ingeniously synthesized two familiar elements in a mix that has never been replicated in quite the same way. One element was the comedy of ethnic family life in America, epitomized by Moonstruck. The other was the traditional romantic comedy in which true love triumphs and the lovers fated for each other live happily ever after, but not before overcoming obstacles that provide opportunities for both warmth and laughter. In recent years, the romantic comedy has become an endangered species, as screenwriters seem to have forgotten how to imagine credible obstacles for a star-crossed couple to overcome. Instead, they resort to cringe-inducing devices like making the man a boor, the woman a bitch, or both partners emotionally immature and unable to commit, all of which has to be resolved by third-act contrivances that aren't remotely convincing. Vardalos, by contrast, gave audiences the story of a grown-up couple deeply in love (though not without the insecurities that beset all persons contemplating marriage). The obstacles came from somewhere that millions of viewers could instantly understand and relate to: their families.
Cinematographer Jeffrey Jur has had a long and varied career that includes the musical numbers of Dirty Dancing, the hard-boiled realism of The Last Seduction, the stylized artificiality of HBO's Carnivāle and the sun-drenched hyper-reality of Showtime's Dexter. For My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Jur went for an everyday look that's just a touch brighter, like the colors generally favored by the women in Toula's family. Like the personalities, the lighting on the Portokalos family is subtly exaggerated. (In the Miller household, by contrast, there are more shadows.) Judging by HBO's 1080p, AVC-encoded disc, you'd never realize what a low-budget product Greek Wedding really was. Black levels are generally solid, fine detail is well-rendered, and contrast levels are appropriately set. Colors are strong where they should be, without bleeding or oversaturation. A very fine grain pattern is evident on close inspection, and there is no indication of filtering or other inappropriate digital tampering, and no artifacts of any kind. Despite the potential for a "sitcom" look, Jur's careful lighting and HBO's professional preparation of the Blu-ray has ensured a film-like presentation that lets Greek Wedding play like a movie.
According to IMDb, Greek Wedding was released in Dolby Surround, which would be consistent with budgetary constraints. Even so, original stems were no doubt preserved, which would be the basis for the 5.1 mix presented on DVD as Dolby Digital 5.1 and now on Blu-ray as DTS-HD MA 5.1. Not surprisingly, given the nature of the film, this is a front-centered mix that emphasizes dialogue. The rear channels provide an expanded sense of presence, but if there were any genuine surround effects, I missed them. The score is by Chris Wilson (Rita Wilson's brother) and cellist Alexander Janko, and it adds an additional ring of Greek authenticity.
The DVD released by HBO in 2005 and included with the Blu-ray contained only a commentary. The Blu-ray adds deleted scenes and a new documentary.
Nothing that Vardalos has done since Greek Wedding, either as writer or lead actress, has been successful, including a short-lived TV adaptation of the film and the Tom Hanks-directed Larry Crowne, which Vardalos co-wrote with Hanks, and which bombed despite the combined star power of Hanks and Julia Roberts. What this shows is not so much that Greek Wedding was a fluke as that success in filmmaking is a rare and difficult thing, as much dependent on luck as talent. A unique confluence of script, director, producers and cast combined to create this sleeper hit, but the release date may also have been critical. In the dark national mood of 2002, a comedy offering both laughter and the hopeful prospects of romance, family reconciliation and the American dream was perfectly timed. That the film holds up is a tribute to its craftsmanship and the durability of its appeal. Highly recommended.
10th Anniversary Special Edition
2002
10th Anniversary Special Edition | My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 / The Boss / Mother's Day Fandango Cash
2002
2016
2001
10th Anniversary Edition
2002
Deluxe Edition
2003
1997
2005
2005
2002
2008
2004
25th Anniversary Edition
1997
2018
2002
2009
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2008
Extended Cut
2008