Is “selfie” a Greek Word? (CREDIT: Yannis Drakoulidis/Focus Features)
Starring: Nia Vardalos, John Corbett, Louis Mandylor, Elena Kampouris, Lainie Kazan, Andrea Martin, Maria Vacratsis, Melina Kotselou, Elias Kacavas, Gia Carides, Joey Fatone, Gerry Mendicino, Stephanie Nur
Director: Nia Vardalos
Running Time: 92 Minutes
Rating: PG-13 for A Quick Trip to a Nude Beach and a Lack of Familial Boundaries
Release Date: September 8, 2023 (Theaters)
What’s It About?: Toula Portokalos (Nia Vardalos) still has a wacky Greek family, but they’re not quite as boisterous as they used to be. Her dad Gus has passed away, her mom Maria (Lainie Kazan) is starting to get a little senile, and the once-regular family dinners are now few and far between. But they need to properly honor Gus’ legacy, so it’s time to head back to the homeland to make good on his final wish and deliver a journal to some of his childhood friends. Ergo, it’s time for pretty much the entire Greek population of Chicago to crowd onto a plane and enjoy several days of the sunny, low-key Mediterranean lifestyle.
What Made an Impression?: Low-Stress Love Stories: In case you’re worried about whether or not Gus’ journal is successfully delivered, well, I won’t spoil it completely. But I will say that it’s not an especially difficult task, and a rather simple MacGuffin to build an entire plot around. Which is one way of saying that there are other things going on to fill up an hour and a half, like the awkward courtship between Toula and Ian’s (John Corbett) college-age daughter Paris (Elena Kampouris) and some guy she ghosted named Aristotle (Elias Kacavas). Aristotle is along for the trip ostensibly as Aunt Voula’s (Andrea Martin) assistant, but we can all easily see through that thin cover of matchmaking. Anyway, Paris and Aristotle quickly become sweet on each other with minimal conflict. There’s some business about her failing in school, but that’s basically solved just as easily through sheer gumption. Another love story pops up as well and gets a bit of side eye because one of the characters is a refugee. But that also becomes not a big deal just as quickly. Maybe after all the rigamarole about Ian not being Greek, the family just decided to immediately accept any and all notions of love.
It’s All Greeks to Greeks: The Portokalos family has a habit of pointing out that certain words and bits of culture are – believe it or not – thoroughly and utterly Greek. And they’ve certainly got a point, as the Hellenistic period did indeed influence much of the Western world for the next couple millennia. But when they’re actually physically in Greece, those comments hit a little differently. Which is to say: everybody knows all that already! Anyway, it’s a gag that’s worth a few chuckles.
Just Let Them Say Funny Things: So My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 is low-stress, mostly plotless, and more or less an advertisement for the Greek tourism industry. But it still has some funny people doing some funny things, and it shows sparks of life when they’re allowed to make some mildly ribald comments. Andrea Martin in particular is as dynamite as ever, and she develops a charming rapport with Melina Kotselou, who’s apparently playing the mayor of the village. (It sort of makes sense in context.) Anyway, we could have used more of that odd couple combo. Otherwise, this is a sequel that’s just coasting by on the goodwill of its fanbase.
My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 is Recommended If You Like: Greek completism
Grade: 2.5 out of 5 Journals
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