2002, PG, 96 minutes

My Big Fat Greek Wedding taps into that lively, fun feeling that you get from a big traditional wedding, and at the same time emphasizes the idea of accepting people who are different from you, even if it means welcoming them into your family with open arms. It is this spirit that has caused millions of people from across the country to come pouring into theaters to see this little film, and for the most part they seem to be satisfied. The movie itself is quite similar: it's satisfying but doesn't really offer much.

As our slightly depressed narrator tells us at the very beginning, Greek women raised in Greek families are supposed to do three things: get married, have lots of babies, and feed lots of people. Despite not being married at the age of thirty, she accepts this as the status quo she is supposed to adhere to, and she views herself as a failure for being so far from it. When she finally does meet someone, of course he isn't a fellow Greek, which causes a huge problem when she falls in love with him and he proposes. How will her family accept a non-Greek? Will they be happy that she's happy and going to follow her pre-destined pattern minus the Greek husband? The answer is obviously yes, as there are no real surprises in this movie and to say I'm spoiling it by saying so is a complete joke. If you're going to like this movie, it's because of the process of our heroine's trials and tribulations with her huge family, much like the reason we enjoy a romantic comedy is the process of watching two people fall in love even though you know it's going to happen.

A movie like My Big Fat Greek Wedding is difficult to assess as a film critic, and brings the nature of film criticism to question. Do critics grade a movie based on what they believe a general audience will appreciate, or are they supposed to focus on the artistic aspects of the story and the technical accomplishments of the director? I believe the true answer lies somewhere in the middle, as movies should be reviewed as a combination of gut reaction combined with an expertise of film, its techniques, and history. So for this film, I think most people will definitely enjoy it, but as someone who assesses movies on more than just popcorn level, I can't say it's actually very good. There's nothing particularly unique about it, which is essentially the thing that has attracted audiences (who can relate to those cliché moments because they're authentic and genuine), and the acting is sufficient at best. At the end of the day, I will admit that its spirit is addictive and hard to ignore, but in my book a movie needs more than that to garner a hugely positive review.

If you like the idea of a big family gathering with lots of alcohol, food and fun, the odds are very likely that you'll enjoy My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Cynics or extreme film buffs, however, should definitely stay away as they will probably find themselves rolling their eyes time and time again. Generally speaking, I say go see it, perhaps love it, but please don't build it up to be anything more than it actually is.