My Big Fat Greek Wedding is a lighthearted comedy; about a 30-year-old single lady living in Chicago named Toula Portokalos. As a young lady who is a Greek descendant, being raised by an exceptionally conventional family, she is faced with the profound inquiries and needs in life. Going from the part of family in a contemporary society, to the weights set upon her by her social standards, the movie, “My Big Fat Greek Wedding,” is a perfect example of clash between two cultures; the Greek culture and the Western culture. Amid the movie, she fights to get her family's acknowledgment while battling with her own particular disguised issues about her social personality, and her struggle with the rules and values of her culture. She winds up in a high setting society, which holds a solid feeling of custom and history. She likewise confronts the clash between the Individualistic versus Collectivistic societies.
The specifics of how the film was both shot and edited contribute in the development and the theme of the film. Most importantly, setting, the house they lived in. The house is made up of the color white and has blue accents resembling that of the Greek Flag that is vividly painted on the side garage door for all to see. In addition to that, there are symbols of Greek architectural designs with sculptures and to top it off, a Greek patterned fountain in the center. Toula’s portrayal adds another layer to the story, giving both comic drama and surface. For instance, Toula thinks back from the get-go about her Greek childhood: "I had to go to Greek school, where I sat in a room translating 'if Nick has one goat and Maria has nine—how soon will they marry?'"
Throughout the movie she is constantly reminded that her biological clock is ticking and she doesn't have much time left to marry and start a family, not just any family, a Greek family. Her family seems to believe that the woman who are left to feel for them selves without a husband are considered a failure. She makes a haul from their beliefs and imitates the tradition, “There are three things that every Greek woman must do in life: marry Greek boys, make Greek babies, and feed everyone.” Ironically enough for her circumstances, she finds herself falling for a non-Greek and all-American man named Ian miller and that is where her journey and struggle with her family’s acceptance begins. Soon enough, the family finds out and pressures her to break apart the relationship, but that doesn't stop her. When he asks for her hand in marriage she accepts with all of her heart and her father, the Greek(est) of them all, goes into depression. With no other alternatives, the family attempts to convince Toula to get him baptized at a Greek Orthodox Church.
With the goal for Toula to beat the issues she has with her way of life she goes into the outside world by heading off to college and breaking family convention as well as drifting from her job at the families restaurant to get a new one. Although, Toula herself has troubles with her heritage and ethnicity, their status doesn't downgrade in the audiences eye. So despite the fact that Toula at first felt irritated with her family and how she wasn't like the other young ladies, this still remains an exceptionally individual issue yet is to some extent intended to pass on a biases to the viewes. Toula's family has comparable biases about Ian and his non-Greek family, or as her father states, “Toast”. This is another wellspring of conflict of two different cultures clashing. She doesn't have a true definition to herself rather she is the woman her parents raised her to be all her life. She new she was different, she showed that by attending college and becoming a well educated woman. As she was mainly focused on her studies, the thought of marriage didn't cross her mind much. Tula didn't pay much attention to her appearance or anything at the time. Ethnicity can be viewed as a reason for inside clash for Toula, and as the outer clash that drives the plot.
Ethnicity is a vital piece of My Big Fat Greek Wedding hence the title itself. It is included in the diversion, it is the reason for the conflict, and it is an imperative piece of the characters' personalities. She is not permitted to wed Ian due to her outcast status and is controlled to a lower put in society. When Ian’s family is invited over they are amused by their family and traditions that they have. They thought they were joining them for a quite dinner to when, the family was suddenly alarmed when greeted with all of Toula’s friends, family, and extended family. They served them ouzo, traditional greek alcoholic drink which was foreign to them as well which they describes as, “liquorish.” During the ‘father of the bride’ speech, her father finally gives his acceptance. He says his last name, “Portokalos, means orange (like the fruit) in Greek. And the root of the word Miller is Greek, and means apple in Greek.” He says “In the end, we’re all fruit.” Ian's family is American and they are the inverse of Toula's family, they are a piece of the low setting society, in the same way as other American families. One of the greatest contrasts is that Toula's family is noisy, huge and constantly together and Ian's family is little, very, and just observe each other on uncommon events.
Greece is a nation of extraordinary interests and assorted societies, affected by its area, at the intersection between the East and the West and by the numerous occupations of the Greek individuals all through history. While all is said in done, the Greeks are especially glad for their way of life and discuss their nation with an exceptional enthusiasm, feeling that the way of life in Greece is a meaning of their national and ethnic customs. Traditions, religion, music, dialect, nourishment and wines are the significant composites of the way of life in Greece and constitute the base for the individuals who wish to visit and see today's nation. The Greeks are also very superstitious and believe in many religious customs that are set for their culture such as; engagement before marriage and believe in the evil eye (Mati), Balck cat and more. Similar to many other cultures, relating to this movie specifically, families are major units of support and personality, and marriage is viewed as the ordinary state of adulthood. Except for devout requests and the higher classes of the pastorate, almost all individuals wed. Arranged marriages in which guardians arranged life partners, shares, and legacy for their kids were once normal yet have declined with modern day society. Marriages are monogamous, and the normal age at marriage is the late twenties for ladies and the mid-thirties for men. Thus, Toula is past her time.
My Big Fat Greek wedding demonstrates perspectives of the universe of conventional Greek culture, the nourishment, the din, and the solid family esteems. The motion picture demonstrates the key sociological ideas of convenience on the grounds that the film depicts the need to beat ethnic contrasts while not reducing the magnificence of ethnic custom. Ian's shows cultural assimilation since the cleric sanctified through water Ian to bring him into the congregation and take into account Ian and Toula to be hitched in the Church. In this manner it can be presumed that Ian's choice to be absolved can prompt demonstrating key sociological ideas of digestion since he will be with his better half regular and will perceive how to be in a Greek Orthodox family and may do customs or activities of his significant other's family.