My Big Fat Greek Wedding

September 3, 2002 5:40 PM

My Big Fat Greek Wedding is still in theatres three months after its release. After seeing it last night I understand the hype and great word of mouth it continues to receive. Will Hollywood wake up and take notice?
posted by Macboy (46 comments total)

What hype and great word of mouth? Why wouldn't Hollywood take notice? Take notice about what? Didn't they make the movie? I'm confused.

By the way, I saw Ghostbusters again, it's still pretty good.
posted by Stan Chin at 5:59 PM on September 3, 2002

Two of the producers of My Big Fat Greek Wedding (that co-stars an N*Sync member) are Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson.

That is as Hollywood as they come.
posted by brittney at 6:03 PM on September 3, 2002

Without Hollywood you wouldn't have seen this movie. Playtone (Tom Hanks' production company) and an HBO subsidiary produced it. With the massive returns it garnered, they're sure as hell going to release more feel-good formula movies, as if That Thing You Do and Band of Brothers hadn't put the US over-budget on treacle.

Your wish is granted.
posted by raaka at 6:05 PM on September 3, 2002

Movie Works Out Exactly As Audience Hoped

ALTOONA, PA—Moviegoers at Clearview Cinema's 9:30 p.m. showing of "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" expressed delight Saturday, when the romantic comedy worked out exactly as they had hoped. "It was heartwarming enough to see the two young lovers get married after all they'd been through," said Janet Garlin, exiting the multiplex. "But to see the bride reconcile her feelings toward her crazy family? That was like a special bonus." Garlin said she hadn't been this satisfied by a movie's ending since the last movie she saw.
(via The Onion.)
posted by brittney at 6:14 PM on September 3, 2002

This interview with the head of the film's distribution company, and this NYTimes piece on its unexpected success give some background.
posted by liam at 6:15 PM on September 3, 2002

Okay, Okay - what I mean is this movie is has a family theme, no sex or violence and little advertising. It is still playing strong.
posted by Macboy at 6:18 PM on September 3, 2002

I think what Macboy meant by asking if Hollywood would wake up and take notice is more along the lines that people want to see good, original movies. This movie offers an insight into a culture that many who see the movie, i.e. the people who aren't from a Greek family, never see. It is this dynamic that has made this movie so successful and gave it such a long life in the theater. The success of this movie proves that there is a large audience who doesn't want to spend their seven dollars on shit like 'XXX'. They want movies with more substance, not just with a lot of explosions and almost naked women.

I also hope that the success of this movie causes Hollywood to stop making shit and start making movies that are meaningful. Unless you find movies revolving around explosions and lame one liners meaningful, in which case you probably weren't in line to go see My Big Fat Greek Wedding. I'm sure this is the reason that Tom Hanks produced this, because he realized it was spectacular and not the same old garbage that Hollywood keeps recycling over and over again.
posted by rift2001 at 6:23 PM on September 3, 2002

'XXX' has grossed $123 Million in 4 weeks, and I thought it was a great popcorn flick. I dig explosions, and I really like naked women. Yes, I agree, massive advertising helped, but wow, that was a fun movie. My Big Fat Greek Wedding (MBFGW), has been really impressive. Grossing $80 million, over 20 weeks, in HALF the theaters that XXX has. It even beat out XXX over Labor Day Weekend.

I also appreciate good movies like MBFGW, I'll have to go see it. Now, keeping in mind that I have not seen it, I'm going to blindly make this statement:

Hollywood majorly releases plenty of movies that are original and pretty good. People usually just don't go see them. It's a fluke that its doing so well. I remember many instances when I walked out of a theater in the last year and thought to myself, "Why hasn't anybody else seen this movie yet?"
posted by Stan Chin at 6:37 PM on September 3, 2002

One can only hope that it's sequel My Big Fat Greek Anniversary does not overshadow the sure to be sublime genius that will be Glitter 2: Electric Bugaboo.
posted by quin at 6:40 PM on September 3, 2002

The bumbling milquetoast fiance played by John Corbett was without a doubt, the blandest hunk that I've seen in a long time. My wife and I were both rooting for the obnoxious Greek parents to scare him off or better yet, kill him, bake him up in a giant spanakopita and serve it to unsuspecting guests at their restaurant!
posted by MrBaliHai at 6:41 PM on September 3, 2002

I'd pay a few bucks to see My Big, Fat Greek Wedding Night, but I don't think that's what Macboy is really getting at.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 6:46 PM on September 3, 2002

The Onion article is perfect.
posted by dogwelder at 6:48 PM on September 3, 2002

No pies were harmed in the making of this movie.
posted by larry_darrell at 6:56 PM on September 3, 2002

Two of the producers of My Big Fat Greek Wedding (that co-stars an N*Sync member) are Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson.

That is as Hollywood as they come.

yah true, but the woman who wrote it (based on her stage play of the same name) and stars in it is from winnipeg, manitoba. which is pretty much as non hollywood as they come... yet jam packed full of great but mostly undiscovered talent so it's really exciting that MBFGW is being received so well. wheee!

i <3 winterpeg
posted by t r a c y at 7:06 PM on September 3, 2002

Mmmmmm. Spanakopita. Yum.
posted by five fresh fish at 7:11 PM on September 3, 2002

Hollywood majorly releases plenty of movies that are original and pretty good.

Maybe a couple. It's hard to find them amongst all the chaff though. Hollywood's about the bottom line, plain and simple, and the average moviegoer in America wants to fork out their cash to see True Lies or American Pie. That just means the average moviegoer doesn't want to think a whole lot at the movies, and is there purely for escapism.

Sometimes I want escapism, but I like to use my little bitty brain on occasion too.
posted by Kafkaesque at 7:21 PM on September 3, 2002

MetaTalk thread on this post.
posted by Hildago at 7:32 PM on September 3, 2002

I just can't believe the Greek anti-defamation league hasn't hit on them yet.
posted by semmi at 7:40 PM on September 3, 2002

WOW - what makes what I want to post and discuss not that important Hildago? Sorry I'll work on better front page material next time. "Push a guy down the stairs" or "World Summit Has Official Toilet Paper" have me rivited...
posted by Macboy at 7:42 PM on September 3, 2002

Saccharine and predictable as MBFGW may have been, I found it particularly refreshing that the characters had a certain unpolished, raw quality about them.

Except for that overly cheesy, bottom-lip-biting meta-hunk John Corbett, that is. That role might have been better suited for a less blatantly dreamy, more self-effacing guy, someone with a neo-Cusackian flair, perchance.

And hopefully that's the last time I ever use the phrase "neo-Cusackian."
posted by yalestar at 7:44 PM on September 3, 2002

...and I found myself thankful for every minute that SCTV alum Andrea Martin was onscreen, too.
posted by yalestar at 7:46 PM on September 3, 2002

I've personally found that there has not been a capable Cusack caliber romantic lead since... well, Cusack. And even he has lost his flair recently with Serendipity and America's sweetheart. The lover loser thing fades after you hit 30. Oh where, where is the new generation of Cusack? Or at the very least, a Patrick Dempsey?

I'm afraid we will not see the second coming of Cusack for awhile. But I hold steady vigil.
posted by Stan Chin at 7:54 PM on September 3, 2002

I don't think you'll see another Cusack, especially after he is president
posted by Macboy at 7:57 PM on September 3, 2002

The movie was fun and all, but even if it was original in who it was about and what ethicity the family was, it was still completely predictable and sticky sweet. I don't understand what all the fuss is about.
posted by Dzolali at 8:41 PM on September 3, 2002

rift2001: some people actually don't want meaning in a movie; and like movies like XXX precisely because there is no meaning. I don't like movies with meaning for the same reason I didn't like English class in high school. I don't want to think. I just want to be entertained. (That said, I have been planning to go see Greek Wedding, simply because of the underground hype it's been getting).
posted by kate_fairfax at 8:51 PM on September 3, 2002

I am constantly blown away when I see a movie I love and read the comments on imdb and people saying that the movie made no sense and they hated it. I like the non-formulaic, guy-loses-girl-or-dies. vs. some of the 'feel good' movies at the multiplex.

I read a comment about clerks a few years ago where the person hated it because it was in black & white and didn't seem polished enough for her taste.
posted by birdherder at 9:17 PM on September 3, 2002

The bumbling milquetoast fiance played by John Corbett was without a doubt, the blandest hunk that I've seen in a long time.

Really?? That's a drag cos when Corbett played Chris in the Morning on Northern Exposure, I thought he was tool cool for school, man.
posted by jonmc at 9:57 PM on September 3, 2002

um that would be "too cool.." not "tool cool" which would mean god knows what..
posted by jonmc at 10:07 PM on September 3, 2002

pfftt.. when will hollywood take notice of Diamond Men, starring none other than former New Kids on the Block member, Donnie Wahlberg... You'd think it'd be a horrible indie film, but you couldn't be wronger... ever..
posted by lotsofno at 10:12 PM on September 3, 2002

not "tool cool" which would mean god knows what..

Jonmc: Right on! No more penalties for dead fish!
posted by MiguelCardoso at 10:22 PM on September 3, 2002

I went to see the flick because my girlfriend wanted to see it. I laughed quite a bit, I'll admit, which is rare these days (for me). For a feel good movie, as someone put it, MBFGW seemed to be non-stop action to me. Those characters never took a break. I found any sort of predictability to be a non-factor. The story was refreshing and simple. I think it's worth checking out.
posted by Witty at 1:49 AM on September 4, 2002

Hildago, please kiss my ass and get a life. Dull links do make for good discussion...
posted by Macboy at 5:00 AM on September 4, 2002

Yeah, but dull links are still dull links.
posted by dg at 5:07 AM on September 4, 2002

jonmc: Corbett used to bug me on Northern Exposure too. I thought the Chris character was a vapid, irritating weenie. Obviously, YMMV.
posted by MrBaliHai at 5:57 AM on September 4, 2002

So it's a new day, macboy. Another chance to write another front page post. What other movies did you like?
posted by crunchland at 7:29 AM on September 4, 2002

Crunchland -

Have you seen the new Tom Green movie yet?
posted by Macboy at 8:22 AM on September 4, 2002

Moonstruck with Greek actors
what's so original?
posted by matteo at 9:35 AM on September 4, 2002

"I'm gonna call you on that one, Witty. Here's the point again: Crafting a front page post that's nothing more than a link to a movie's IMDB page is about as lame a post as anyone can possibly make. It doesn't matter what movie it is, or what fascinating question the poster poses in the text of the post. Not taking a minute to find a single interesting link to give to the community aside from a movie's IMDB page is basically an "Aw, who gives a shit" to everyone here."

Mediareport - move along. If it offended you, turn it off, read another link. Geez If I knew this put everyone's panties in a wad I wouldn't have posted. sigh
posted by Macboy at 10:33 AM on September 4, 2002

who the hell wants more escapist crap?

people only liked it because it was 100% predictable, like your damn john grisham, nora roberts, james patterson and other genre writers.

give me interpretive art or give me death.

i guess im really in the wrong country for that.
posted by Satapher at 12:15 PM on September 4, 2002

who the hell wants more escapist crap?

Everybody else.
posted by Stan Chin at 12:22 PM on September 4, 2002

who the hell wants more escapist crap?

Everybody else.

Please stop speaking for everyone, Stan. I get it that you are trying to "be an ass" in this thread, as you said in MeTa.

Anyway, I agree with Satapher.
posted by Kafkaesque at 12:38 PM on September 4, 2002

Sorry, I meant, "everybody else who makes up the majority of the movie-viewing public, thus the popularity and gross revenue of escapist crap, who coincidentally make up a large portion of the audience for John Grisham and Tom Clancy, and that's not a bad thing because interpretive art house flicks are usually really bad in my opinion."
posted by Stan Chin at 12:46 PM on September 4, 2002

OK then. You can have your escapist crap. I just wish there were a bit more accessibility to intelligent film.

Example: I live in Orange County, CA. There are literally thousands of screens, every mall is teeming with them. Number of screens showing art house movies: 10, tops.

I also believe a lot more people would like art house cinema if they were even aware of its existence.

But there you go. Just as there are "writerly" and "readerly" books, there are films in which the audience is not just an empty vessel or passive observer and is called upon to be an active part of the film experience. Not everyone likes that I guess.
posted by Kafkaesque at 12:55 PM on September 4, 2002

Not that this has anything to do with the movie in the post, which I haven't seen and frankly doesn't interest me much.
posted by Kafkaesque at 12:56 PM on September 4, 2002

There are literally thousands of screens, every mall is teeming with them. Number of screens showing art house movies: 10, tops.

Wow, you live in an where ten screens are dedicated to showing the kind of movies you like, and you're complaining? I'd think that just one within a reasonable distance would be plenty to satisfy your craving for meaning.
posted by kindall at 1:27 PM on September 4, 2002

Hmm. You have a point there kindall.
posted by Kafkaesque at 2:03 PM on September 4, 2002