Why some movies are successful at the box office and others
aren’t has always fascinated me, particularly those that have very low budgets
yet go on to gross ridiculous sums of money.
A prime example of this occurred in 2002 with Nia Vardalos’ My Big Fat
Greek Wedding, a film that plays like an extended episode of a generic
sit-com. With a budget of $5 million it
went on to gross $369,000,000 worldwide.
That’s a 73 percent return on the original investment. The movie placed 20th on the box
office chart during its first week of release and steadily rose as the summer
went on to peak in the number two spot for three straight weeks.
How to explain this massive success? One critic – his name
escapes me now – felt that the reason so many flocked to the film was in
response to the attacks of 9/11. These events ripped apart the social fabric of
the country, instilling in Americans the notion that all we held to be true –
particularly the sanctity and security we find in our homes as well as the
shelter and love we find with our families – was forever compromised, which
sent people reeling. The critic opined that audiences were in search of these
qualities and found them in Vardolas’ Portokalos family and through them, vicariously
embraced all they were missing.
Whether you agree with this or not, it’s as good an explanation
as any as to why Greek Wedding struck a chord and perhaps to a lesser extent
explains how its sequel managed to pull in $18 million during its first weekend
of release, up against the juggernaut that was “Batman vs. Superman.” I suppose
some comfort can be found spending time with the smothering Portokalos clan
rather than seeing meta-humans destroy the world.
Greek Wedding 2 is more of the same where Vardalos’ Toula
is concerned. Her marriage to the ever-affable and eternally patient Ian (John
Corbett) is secure but they’ve fallen into a rut, going through the paces of
their lives and union with nary a spark in sight. Like so many married couples, they find that
the only thing they have in common is their daughter Paris (Elena Kampouris), a
smart young lady who’s learned to run in the opposite direction whenever any
member of her family appears. (You see
where there’s one, the rest are soon to loudly follow. This is the film’s answer to highbrow humor). Anxious
to put as much distance between her and home, Paris begins applying to colleges
that are far, far away. This sends Toula into an even deeper funk.
The only inspired bit of plotting concerns her parents, Gus
and Maria (Michael Constantine & Lainie Kazan) who after 50 years of wedded
bliss, discover that their marriage certificate was never signed, thus negating
their union. Of course, in order to stay
true to the title, another wedding is planned for the cranky seniors but not
before an airing of grievances occurs between them. Hilarity, apparently, ensues as the numerous
aunts, uncles and cousins put in their two drachmae concerning how this should
all come about.
This is what I like to call a “comfort food” movie. Think of Greek Wedding 2 as the equivalent
of a plate of meatloaf and mashed potatoes (or would it be moussaka and
rice?). You know exactly what you’re
going to get and while it might not be a four-star cinematic meal, it proves
satisfying as it fills a need. Gentle,
predictable and nap inducing, the film’s innocuous nature answers the nagging
question “If Iceberg Lettuce were a movie, what would it be?” For that, we
should be grateful.
This article appears in Mar 24-30, 2016.
