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This topic contains:
- details about My Big Fat Greek Wedding’s classification
and consumer advice lines
- a review of My Big Fat Greek Wedding completed by Young
Media Australia (YMA) on 6 December 2002.
About the movie
This section contains details about the movie, including its classification
by the Office of Film and Literature Classification (OFLC) and the
associated consumer advice lines.
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Name of movie
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My Big Fat Greek Wedding
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Rating
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G
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Consumer advice lines
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None
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Length
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90 minutes
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YMA review
This review of the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding contains
the following information:
A synopsis of the story
This is a story about Toula Portokalos, a 30 year old second generation
Greek woman who is caught between being a Greek woman and wanting
to be her own person. She is faced with the family pressure to marry
a Greek boy, have Greek babies, and feed everyone. Toula decides
that she wants more out of life and convinces her family that it
would be in their best interest to support her going to College
to study computing. Toula’s mum is supportive of the idea but her
father is not to keen on the whole idea. Toula begins College where
she blossoms; she changes her image and becomes a happier person.
She starts to be the woman that she wants.
Toula falls in love with Ian who is not Greek. She initially lies
to her parents, knowing that they would not approve of the relationship.
When the relationship starts to become serious so does the situation
at home as her family find out she is seeing Ian. Her father is
devastated and cannot believe that she is doing this to him. She
is told to stop seeing him, and her parents begin to invite a lot
of single Greek men around for dinner. Toula continues to see Ian
despite her parents' demands, but she can no longer hide the seriousness
of the relationship from her family when Ian proposes to her and
she accepts. Gus is still not happy about the situation, and Ian
does everything he can to be accepted by her family. He is baptised
in the Greek church by cousin Nikki so they can be married in the
Greek church. There is continuing concern expressed about Ian by
Gus through out the movie as the wedding is planned, planned by
everyone but Toula and Ian themselves.
The wedding day comes and everyone is happy. The movie ends on
a nice message when Gus gives his 'father of the bride' speech,
finally giving his acceptance that we are all different but the
same.
Use of violence
- Toula’s Yaya (Grandmother) slaps Toula’s father (Gus) across
the face when she first arrives in the family home after being
brought from Greece to live with the family. She verbally abuses
Gus about being a Turk and runs out of the house.
- Ian is trying to impress Toula out the front of her aunt’s travel
agency when he accidentally bumps into an old lady and falls to
the ground. The old lady beings to hit Ian with her hand bag a
number of times, while he is on the ground.
- When celebrating Greek Easter at the family restaurant, and
the engagement of Toula and Ian Nick verbally threatens Ian saying
that “He will get him if he hurts Toula”. He then says it was
a joke. He then says “I’ll kill you, I’ve got a gun and I’ll stick
it up your…..” He says he was joking again. Nick then yells out
to a male cousin who also replies with “I’m going to kill you”.
Joking again.
Material that may scare children
There is not much in this movie that will scare children. However,
the following scenes may disturb some:
- An uncle brings a full dead skinned lamb to the Portokalos family
home to be put on the spit to be cooked as part of the celebrations
of Ian’s mother and father coming to visit for the first time.
- When Nick is jokingly threatening Ian at the Greek Easter celebrations
(see under violence). Young children may not understand this kind
of joking around.
- When Aunt Voula tells of her story about having a lump in her
neck which grows and grows. When she finally goes to the doctor
and they check it out they discover a set of teeth and a spinal
cord - her dead twin sister.
- Scene in the family home kitchen where Nick is play wrestling
with his nephews . Toula’s mum (Maria) tells the boys to leave
Nick alone and then proceeds to ‘spit’ on her nephews for good
luck and to keep the devil away.
- In the Easter celebration scene at restaurant, some young people
may see Nick’s threats to Ian as being real even though he proclaims
to be joking.
Sexual references, nudity and sexual activity
- Toula and Ian are lying in bed, presumably after ‘making love’,
talking. Ian proposes to Toula and they begin hugging and kissing
in bed.
- As Toula’s and Ian’s relationship progresses there are some
scenes that involve kissing between the two. In particular there
is a section of the film that shows the ending of a number of
dates which involves Ian dropping Toula off in her street, and
the two kissing each other goodnight. Each time she is dropped
off the kissing and touching becomes more passionate.
- Toula’s cousin Nikki wears a lot of tops in the movie that are
very revealing of her cleavage. One scene shows her adjusting
her breasts to show more cleavage.
- Toula’s bridesmaids dresses show a lot of cleavage near the
end of the movie.
- When getting ready for the wedding some of the bridesmaids are
in their underwear. This is not out of context as it is all about
getting ready for the wedding.
Use of alcohol and other drugs
- Toula’s parents are in the bedroom discussing Toula going to
College to study computing. Gus makes reference to Toula getting
into drugs if she leaves him and goes down town to study.
- When Gus and Maria put on a party to celebrate meeting Ian’s
parents for the first time Ian’s parents are given a lot of ouzo
to drink, and end up getting drunk.
- Lots of alcohol and drinking implied at Toula’s and Ian’s wedding.
- Drinking ouzo portrayed as a big part of Greek culture in the
movie.
Coarse language
- In a scene near the beginning of the movie Aunt Voula’s adult
children are arguing at Dancing Zorba’s (family restaurant). Nikki
makes reference to her brother's “Big ass girlfriend” and tells
him to “Bite me!”
- Toula and Ian are sitting on the floor of her aunt’s travel
agency , after he has been bashed by the old lady out the front,
and they make reference to Ian receiving “An old lady ass kicking”
Ian comments with the use of the word “Jesus”.
- Toula’s brother Nick is wrestling with his three nephews who
are all clinging on to him as he walks into the family kitchen.
Maria tells the boys off and says “No punching Theo Nicholas in
the nads”.
- On two occasions Toula’s brother Nick is joking around with
Ian teaching him how to say things in Greek. Instead of telling
him the correct pronunciation he teaches Ian ‘rude’ things to
say. For example, instead of saying ‘Thank you’ Ian is taught
how to say “Nice boobs” to Maria and instead of asking everyone
in to the house he announces “I have 3 testicles”.
The movie’s message
The movie presents a view of the world of traditional Greek culture,
the loudness, the food, the guilt, the negativity, and the strong
family values.
Values that parents may wish to encourage include:
- importance of family and the strength of family bonds;
- love;
- respect and tolerance of differences shown by Ian and Toula;
- acceptance of differences. Gus finally tells a story about apples
and oranges at the end of the movie, showing that he accepts Ian
into the family.
Unfortunately even though this movie is a comedy it does present
with a number of issues which parents may want to discuss with their
children. For example:
- Toula is lying to her parents about seeing Ian. She tells them
she is going to pottery classes.
- Toula is made to feel like she has to keep secrets from her
family.
- Toula’s father Gus makes reference on a number of occasions
about there being no need to educate girls when talking about
Toula.
- Women should get married, have babies, and feed everyone. This
is their lot in life.
- Toula’s parents use a lot of ‘guilt tripping’ and manipulation
to get what they want.
- Through out the movie family members appear to be always arguing
with each other as a way of relating to each other giving the
impression that it is ok to talk to each other like this.
- It is ok to trick people into things. Maria and Voula deliberately
trick Gus into letting Toula work in her aunt’s travel agency
instead of being honest and straight forward about it.
- Toula lives in fear of not pleasing her parents, and is made
to feel like she has to lie to them to keep them happy. There
is pressure on her to do the right thing by her parents, even
if it is not doing right by herself.
- Stereotyping of Greek people. Only some Greek people choose
to live this way.
- Toula’s father always making reference to Greeks being superior.
- People not listening to each other properly, and forcing own
beliefs on others, eg Maria making Ian eat, even though he didn’t
want to.
- Lack of tolerance and understanding shown for different cultures.
Toula’s family of Ian, not being a Greek boy, and Ian’s family
of Toula because she is Greek.
- Toula has no control over her wedding, her family takes over
and she has no say in it. Toula does not stand up for herself.
- Windex does not heal wounds. Throughout the movie Gus sprays
peoples wounds with Windex in the belief that it is a healing
agent.
Overall comments
Although this is a comedy and there is no real excessive use of
language, violence or sexual references. This is a movie to be viewed
by people 12 years of age and up. It is a movie that would be better
understood and appreciated from an adult viewpoint.
Young people from 12 years of age and up would be ok to watch this
movie, with possibly some parental guidance needed if the need arises
to discuss any of the negative messages given in the movie.
Children below this age could watch this movie with out any adverse
effects, but they would not fully understand all the humour or underlying
storyline. They would find some humour in the film where slapstick
is used.
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