Critic's Corner: MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING

This film, which can be rentedfrom your local video store, israted on a scale of 1 to 4 caducei:

MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING

(2002):What do youmean you haven'tseen this movieyet? It is a rareoccurrence whena film is so popularthat it is stillplaying in sometheaters while itis being released on video—thatshould tell you something abouthow good this one is. This lightheartedromantic comedy (whichhas now spawned a televisionshow) is about a woman (NiaVardalos) planning her weddingwith a man (John Corbett) shethinks is perfect—his only flaw,according to her very culturallydedicated family, is that he is notGreek. From this plot the filmbecomes part Cinderella story,part fish-out-of-water story, andpart quirky ethnic-idiosyncrasiesstory—a fabulous mix.Born out of Vardalos' 1-womanoff-Broadway show, this film ispolished, clever, and a delight towatch.The cast is memorable andthe comedy they weave togetheris pitch-perfect. The film's well-craftedscript has helped to makethis one of the most successfulindependent films of all time andit truly deserves its Oscar nomination.With a PG rating, this isthe perfect film to watch with thewhole family. I know that I can'twait to see it again.

Rating: 4

Lisa A. Tomaszewski, managing editor ofPhysician's Money Digest, is currentlyworking on her PhD in literature at DrewUniversity in New Jersey. She is an avidfan of film and has taught a summer filmcourse at Fairleigh Dickinson University.She welcomes questions, comments, orsuggestions for future film reviews at732-656-1140 ext 195 or ltomaszewski@pmdnet.com.