By Thomas Retzios ’18, Contributor
My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 is filled with more than just inside jokes that only Greeks will understand. Throughout the movie, my Country Day friends, my family, and the random middle- aged woman in the back were constantly “lol-ing.”
When I first saw My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2, I was a little skeptical. Before I watched the movie for the first time, I had so many questions about what was to follow, like: Will they overly fill it with cheesy Greek jokes? Will they bring back all the original cast? Why does my cousin keep making all these weird sounds? Surprisingly unlike its negative reviews, the movie was a very good sequel to the first movie. As sophomore and fellow Greek Alex Chantilas ’18 said, it was “so much better than a sequel should be.” Even though this movie was released 14 years after the original, the cast doesn’t appear to have aged too much since the first movie.
My one problem with the movie is the passage of time. The first movie took place in 2002, 14 years ago. In the first movie, Toula and Ian, the main characters, get married. In the second movie, they have a daughter who is an 18 years old and applying to colleges. Smart readers will realize that an 18 year old girl could not have been born in 2002, although this small logistical error will not be a problem for most viewers. Another problem is the music played during the wedding. Much to your surprise, during a typical Greek Orthodox wedding, “All of Me” by John Legend is typically not playing during the marriage ceremony. There is most likely a typical orthodox hymn is being chanted. An example:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IomxvOTf-So
Overall, the movie proves to an enjoyable experience that even non-Greeks will be able to relate to. The struggles of deciding which college to go to, having overly attached parents, and trying to stay “cool and hip” in your school are all reoccurring themes in this film. As Bry Aquino ’18 said, “this movie was historically relatable to anyone with a large family.” As a Greek person, I know every Greek stereotype depicted on screen is no exaggeration. While watching My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2, I realized that my family was exactly like the family on screen. We are loud, active members in every aspect of each other’s lives, and constantly go around telling others that the Greeks created everything. Inspired by the film, Maddie Morales ’18 stated that she, “wanted to marry into a Greek family now.”
Image Source: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3760922/
