‘My Big Fat Greek…’ Phenomenon!

 


Possibly the best thing that ever happened for Greek Americans was this film.

This romantic comedy, released in 2002, made Greek Americans loveable.

Perhaps one of the most loveable minorities in the USA. 

For a time, Greek mothers perhaps became more legendary even than Italian ones.

Or maybe (or maybe not) for the classic Jewish mothers. Who can trump a Jewish mother in full cry? 

But the Greeks in this film came close.

However you rank bossy mothers, “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” made the excessive demands of the

Mediterranean matriarchal family once again hysterically funny.  American audiences who didn’t know

much about Greek family structures had their own never-forgotten family dynamics which were triggered

by the film. But this time it was so, so funny!

The storyline had a young Greek American woman who lived in Chicago and worked in her

family restaurant fall in love with a non-Greek-American man.  Laugh-out-loud situations ensued. Eventually,

of course, all was well, and they married in a colorful Greek Orthodox ceremony, whose highlight was the

bride and groom being carried aloft on chairs while everyone cried and cheered.

It was a crazy popular film, with two sequel films and a television serial. It is still available to stream on

television.  The original film, which cost $5 million, made $368.7 million.

Of course, it’s easy to love and to watch for a repeat time or two. 

But who could ever have predicted that an unexpected result was a new embrace and recognition of

Greek Americans?  For decades, most Americans would have a generally favorable opinion of Greek food and

going out some time for an ethnic meal in a Greek restaurant.

Yet suddenly this film made all things Greek in America not just special fun but something that was, in

the slang of that time, “way cool,” and that everyone must experience. Was it true that in Greek restaurants

people exuberantly broke dinner plates as they dance around with arms linked?

Break plates! Dance around!

Buy Kronos, my Greek family saga, on Amazon Kindle!

Ompah!

    Laurie Devine, Author


Kronos ~ Now Available on Amazon Kindle!


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