Best movie about the immigrant experience since An American Tail
YES
Release date: April 19, 2002
Director: Joel Zwick
Language: English, Greek
Who should watch this movie: Children of immigrants. Anyone who’s ever had a “lunchbox moment.”
When should you watch this movie: When you miss your family. When you start dating a yt boy.
The sell: My Big Fat Greek Wedding is a beautifully refreshing romantic comedy, where the romance itself is not the source of conflict, but rather…everything else. Two people from wildly different backgrounds fall in love and that love ends up grounding the otherwise chaotic story. Unlike the typical romance formula, the relationship of interest is not between the protagonist, Toula, and her fiancé, rather it is between Toula and her loud, Greek, family. It’s a story about familial love and cultural pride in the face of assimilation. Through introducing her fiancé to her enthusiastic and often overwhelming family, Toula grows to appreciate the uniqueness (and Greekness) of her upbringing. The jokes are genuinely funny and most have aged remarkably well into the 2020s. At risk of sounding jaded, I’d like to note that there’s a sweetness to this movie that’s hard to find these days. This story shines in its simplicity and heart, and there hasn’t been anything quite like it since.
