My Fat Greek Wedding 3 (2023)

Me and the Misses went to see "My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3" the other evening.  I am a fan of the original film, and do have some love for the second one, but this film felt different.  I love the characters, and I loved the story.  The fact that the original film was an indie film hit that took Hollywood by surprise is kind of a cool, which reinforces William Goldman's theory "that Hollywood knows nothing".  Nia Vardalos is a favorite of mine, and she has some really great comedic chops. Ms Vardalous is the writer of these films and she based them on her growing up, and her family, so it feels personal, which are the films strength.

The first one is a gem, and the second is cute, and well done.  But the third seems forced.  Right from the beginning we know something is different as pictures of the actors Michael Constantine & Bruce Gray  fade to black & white.  The two actors passed away in both 2021 & 2017, and it feels fitting to included them in this film.  

We also see the great Lanie Kazan as Toula's mom who seems to be suffering from Alzheimer's.  Kazan plays it with laughs and she has fun with the part.  She's that good, but the laughs seem forced, and the picture feels like a tourism commercial for Greece.  There's a lot of family interaction in the first two films, and the comedy comes from that.   Here it's meeting the wacky locals and the interaction that the family has with them, and it feels just forced.  The stereotypical old lady from the village who comes out of nowhere, and has a secret.  The crazy female mayor of the deserted town, whose a crazy party girl and idealist. The big handsome strange Greek who has a secret also.  And of course the race to find Gus' old friends in time for the re-union and how both Nicki (Gia Carides) & Angelo (Joey Fatone) find them and get them to the town where there is a wedding between the Greek strangers son & a Syrian refugee.  The cinematography is gorgeous and I'm sure the Greek tourism board loves it, but the filmmakers skirt the seriousness of growing old, and of loss.  Maybe that's a different movie, but it would have helped if it showed more of the human condition that we all go through, and maybe by doing so it would be more relatable with its audience.  Instead it feels like comedic sketches put together. for our amusement 

After all the first two films is all about that.  The different generations mixing and not understanding each other at first, but realizing that they have more in common then they would like to realize themselves.  In the first film it was Gus and his daughter Toula and his love for her & her love for him, and how they find each other and understand each other better, which culminates in a wedding between the younger generation of an immigrant family.

In the second film it's all about Gus and Marie's marriage, and how we all can take one for granted, and that sometimes you have to say "I love you" and not take that for granted.  It's a nice story, and well done.  Both Michael Constantine & Lanie Kazan show how really good they are in the second film.

This third film feels one too many maybe.  I loved seeing the characters again.  Nia Vardalos get's pretty and pretty as she get older, and it is good seeing John Corbett as her husband.  The characters suddenly realize that their in Greece and they need to enjoy themselves a bit more, and it's these scenes that bring a smile to your face.  Yet it feels like it wants to be a screwball type of movie when it isn't.  Maybe it's the loss of Mr Constantine that makes it feel something is missing, but both Andrea Martin (Aunt Voula) & Marie Vacratsis (Aunt Frieda) make up for a lot, and are spectacular together.  The scenes between them are fabulous and it is there that you see a glimpse of the first two films.

Nia Vardalos directs the film, and she does a great job pulling it all together.  So did I like the movie?  At first no.  It felt too fast paced like it needed to get to Greece as soon as possible to go through some comedic skits, but as it went on it did get better.

I do love the theme that Vardalos kind of anchors the films together with and that is that we are more alike then our differences.  Our differences make us who we are, and no matter what culture we come from we all seek love, happiness, and family.  That's the key to these films family.   A family grows from one generation to the other and there is continuity in that.  In the end there is a celebration of family new and old, and a continuation of the Portokalos family.  That's something to revel in and celebrate, so yeah in the end it's a feel good film that makes you laugh just like you're own crazy family does, and you can see we're actually all not that different from each other. So celebrate it & enjoy.   Opa!