Oct. 31, 2002 – As "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" continues opening around the country, its filmmakers are enjoying outlandish and unexpected success. "Some of us were talking at the beginning about $20 or $25 million if we're lucky, but no one ever dreamed of hitting $100 million," Rob Schwartz, head of distribution for IFC Films, which released Greek Wedding, told USA Today in early September.
To date, "My Big Fat Greek Wedding," which cost only $5 million to make, has grossed more than $177 million, breaking all sorts of box office records since its limited release in April. Growing from 108 theaters then to 1,967 as of last weekend, the independent film owes much of its success to word of mouth.
Audiences love the movie, and demand is going strong. The film has broken local viewing records in at least one community, having played continuously for more than 15 weeks at the Pleasant Street Theater in Northhampton, Massachusetts.
So what's all the fuss about? Toula Portokalos (Nia Vardalos) is a frumpy 30-year-old hostess at her father's downtown Chicago Greek restaurant, Dancing Zorbas. Toula has three rules to life, the same three rules that govern all Greek women: to marry a Greek man, to have Greek children and to feed everyone until the day she dies. Her possible choices of husbands are limited, and her parents, Gus (Michael Constantine) and Maria (Lainie Kazan), are rushing her to marry.
Toula talks her father into letting her enroll in computer classes at a college, and she begins to blossom in Cinderella-like fashion. Before the switches jobs to work in the travel agency of her Aunt Voula (Andrea Martin), the man of her dreams enters Dancing Zorbas in the form of a non-Greek Prince Charming, Ian Miller (John Corbett).
Toula finally convinces her father to let her marry Ian, and melee kicks into high gear as Toula's extended family plans her "big, fat Greek wedding."
This year's sleeper hit is a romantic comedy that is surprising and delighting audiences everywhere. It's a feel-good film for the whole family, and the bigger the family, the better.
"My Big Fat Greek Wedding" is 1 hour and 35 minutes. It is rated PG for sensuality and language. The film opens today at Sunny Isle Theaters.
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