The movie first introduces us to Toula who is a thirtish unmarried woman who works as a hostess in her family's restaurant.  We quickly find out that she is part of a huge Greek family with uncles, aunts and cousins everywhere.  Her whole life is centered around her family and being Greek.  Her father, played by the marvelous Michael Constantine, preaches to everyone how everything in the world can be traced back to Greece or to the Greek language.  Of course, this leads him to believe that the only man worthy of marriage to Toula is a respected Greek man.  Toula eventually takes the brave step of trying to live her own life and takes a job at her aunt's travel agency where she soon meets the charming Ian Miller who is not Greek.  They soon fall in love, much to the chagrin of their respective families, and the rest of the movie centers on Toula and Ian trying to convince her family (especially her father) that they are in love and that they can be together even though Ian is not at all Greek.

      What I especially like about this film is it's refreshing storytelling of a romantic comedy.  Instead of using the tired old formula of the in-love couples eventually breaking up and being depressed, only to come back together at the end of the film, this movie takes us on a joyous, happy funny ride from beginning to end.  Sure, this film isn't making deep social messages and the characters don't have dark, mysterious secrets, but it is a most entertaining and touching film.  And having lived in Greece for three years, I found myself connecting to all the Greek customs and mannerisms reflected in the film.

      All the characters in this movie are fun to watch, even some of Toula's loud and obnoxious relatives.  Corbett and Vardalos connect as a romantic pair and both are most charming and likeable.  While much of the comedy is predictable and somewhat lightweight, the romance between this couple is what holds the movie together and makes us laugh and feel for them.  Also, Michael Constantine is marvelous as Toula's overbearing Greek father.  He only wants the best for his daughter but has a hard time accepting that she might actually want something different.

      Many romantic comedies are fairly lame in my opinion but this one held my interest throughout and made me laugh quite a bit.  I certainly recommend this film for those wanting to see an engaging, funny romantic comedy with witty dialogue and good characters.

     -- Mike ( 3 out of 4 pops )

Talk about this film with other Popkorn Junkies

      Matt ( 3 out of 4 pops )

      This ain't the greatest film ever, so I'm not gonna patronize it.  But it is a good film.  A good film that was made on a shoestring budget and I can't help but say I'm glad it's the sleeper hit of the year.  And I'm a supporter of low-budget/indie films in general, so it's good to see one of them succeed against all these big-budget blockbusters.  The cast is composed of unknowns and relative unknowns, and they're all terrific.  Nia Vardalos, the star who also wrote the screenplay, is not the conventional Hollywood beauty, though she is attractive.  But it's always reassuring to see a romantic lead who doesn't appear like she's ripped off the pages of "Vogue."  The actor who plays the Greek father is absolutely hysterical and provides the film's funniest moments.  I assume he's an actual Greek.  If not, he did a damn good job at steeping himself into the character.  Prior to watching the movie, I knew very little about Greek culture and it was interesting to learn about their unique little customs and traditions.  There are a few dull moments and some of the gags are either too broad or simply go nowhere (the bad dinner date montage).  But it's a harmless, feel-good comedy with a good deal of laughs and no moments of extreme saccharine.  The characters and performances are perfectly credible, so you never feel manipulated.  So grab your date, grab some popcorn, grab some sodas and grab a ticket for "My Big Fat Greek Wedding."  You'll have a very good time.    

      Pappy ( 2 out of 4 pops )

      A big fat waste of time.   Well, not totally.  Yeah, it is way better than such Hollywood factory movies like Steve Martin’s "Father of the Bride" and it had some good laughs, but I really think this is one of those films that gets good reviews simply because it was a low budget and better than expected.    The film is slow, somewhat uneven, many of the jokes are repetitive, and the story is very thin.   By the way, the wedding is really only the last 15 minutes or so.  

      James ( 4 out of 4 pops )

      This movie has been playing in my area for 30+ weeks so I think it's about time I get around to seeing it! I enjoyed every minute of it, and no I understand how a movie can be in theaters longer than "Lord of the Rings", "Attack of the Clones", "Titanic", and "Harry Potter'. Wow. There's so many laugh-out-loud funny parts in this movie, I think I missed a few because I was laughing so hard! If you have put off seeing this movie like I did, then you absolutely must see this movie!