MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING 2

US, 2016, 94 minutes, Colour.
Nia Vardalos, John Corbett, Michael Constantine, Lainie Kazan, Andrea Martin, Gia Carides, Joey Fatone, Elena Kampouris, Alex Wolff, Louis Mandylor, Bess Meisler, Rita Wilson, John Stamos, Rob Riggle.
Directed by Kirk Jones

Everybody loved My Big Fat Greek Wedding – but that was back in 2002. There was a brief television series in 2003 with the main cast participating except for John Corbett. So, audiences have been waiting for 13 years for a sequel. Obviously, there will be many takers.

Toula and Ian now have a daughter aged 17, Paris, making applications to go to college, finishing her last year at school. As might be expected, she finds living in a Greek family, with all the extended relations, rather oppressive, and she reacts accordingly, moving from calling Toula Mummy to Mother, upset with her father, principal of the school, talking with her in the library. And her grandfather, triticale was in the original film, is always talking about finding a Greek boy that she can marry and have babies.

Nia Vardalos, so attractive as Tool in the first film, has had a brainwave to have a second big, fat Greek wedding – not Paris and the Greek boy but, rather, her parents discovering that the marriage certificate was never signed, that, therefore, they are not legally married – and what will Maria and Gus to about it. Gus tries to get the local priest to sign the document – but he says he can’t. Gus fears that Maria will be upset – but, in fact, she laughs, says she is free, has lived like a hippie, and demands a new proposal, which Gus finds himself unable to give.

Needless to say, everybody has an opinion but both Maria and Gus have their stubborn side. In the meantime, tool is expected to solve all the family problems – though even tries to get her to step back. But there is always aunt Fuller (Andrea Martin) who has an opinion on everything and is never afraid to step in to put pressure on all the characters.

Eventually, there is to be a wedding, and a wedding planner is hired – who clearly disapproves of all of Maria’s choices. The wedding planner buyers her! Family meeting. Everybody chips in, doing all the cooking, preparing wedding dresses and tax egos, getting the hair done – but forgetting to organise limousines so that Greek cousin and the police organisers some squad cars.

The film will probably appeal very much to the grandparent audience, the 50 years of marriage between Gus and Maria, the ups and downs, but the getting used to each other, finding it very hard to be separated, a fine example of love – which, of course, is reproduced by Tool and Ian and their love for each other, and having to make parental decisions, especially the possibility of letting Paris go to study in another city.

Quite some sentiment at the end, laughs and tears. But there is the celebration, music, dancing, everybody present, everybody getting on so well with one another – and a postscript when Paris goes to her new College (with a large section of the family in so, and to be got rid of).

1. The popularity of the first film, characters, situations, Greek customs, Greek families, family closeness, outsiders? Living in harmony in the US?

2. 14 years later, all the characters there, much the same? Toula and Ian, their daughter, Paris? Toula and explaining her expectations, changes, family behaviour?

3. The idea for a sequel, the parents, the unsigned document, the reactions, the plans?

4. Chicago settings, the street, the homes in neighbouring succession? The restaurant, school, shops, the problem?

5. The musical score, the range of songs, the Greek music and instruments?

6. The introduction, the car, Gus driving, Toula and Paris, stopping at the different houses, the various cousins, uncle, people going to school? Toula embarrassing her daughter? Paris, in the library, the encounter with her father, students’ reactions? Her Gothic look, black clothes, dark eyeliner?

7. Toula and her story, not working in the travel agency, working at the restaurant, the different jobs there, her relationship with her father, with the rest of the family, Paris working at the restaurant? Looking drab? Paris’s transition from Mummy to Mother? The tensions with Ian? His work as head of the school? Paris going to College, concern, the applications, the visit of the agent for Northwestern University? Everybody turning up, or contributing their opinions? Aunt Voula, in control? Toula, the date with Ian, the restaurant, talking about Paris, in the car, their father finding them – and everybody having a look?

8. The family, closeness, always fair, the Aunt Voula and her husband, domination? Angelo, no wife – and the later revelations about Patrick as his partner? Nikki, exuberant, doing hair? The grandmother, in black, the scarf, her simple look, the discussions with Paris? The jokes, her wearing the wedding dress in the shop window? The end, having her hair done, taking control, especially of Gus?

9. The priest, not signing the document, Gus telling Maria, her wanting a proposal, the clash, his proposal in the past? Separation, his being on the sofa, the family urging them to be together, to go her through the wedding ceremony? Calling on the Aunt Voula for her advice?

10. Gus, the youngsters, the Greek derivation of every word? Wanting a Greek boy for Paris? The radio announcer and his wife, coming to the restaurant, the seven-year-old boy, Paris’s reaction?

11. The expectations that Toula would fix everything, in trying to restrain her?

12. Gus in the bath, the men coming to get him out, the towel and embarrassment, the ambulance, his proposal and Maria accepting?

13. The wedding planner, her disapproving everything, firing Maria?

14. The issues of cake, the wedding dress? Tuxedos from the band? Forgetting the limousines?

15. Cooking, hurrying to the hairdressers, no limousine but the police escort, arriving at the church?

16. Gus’s brother arriving from Greece, the tension, hugging?

17. On the way to the church, the men drinking, behaviour in the church, Maria’s reaction, going to the sacristy? Toula expected to help, the other women, Aunt Voula?

18. Ian returning from the prom, happy to see Paris dancing with the boy? The irony of his coming from a Greek family?

19. Toula and Ian at the back of the church, renewing their wedding?

20. The family, everybody dancing, the neighbours who had been critical, Toula and her response to them? Their being invited in?

21. Toula, the letter about descending from Alexander the Great, Gus reading it out – and Toula admitting to Ian that she wrote it?

22. New York University, Paris’s decision, her mother loving her, able to send back step back and let her go, the university room, the roommate, the family all there!