My Big Fat Greek Wedding

Blammo. Just like that, I'm already two movies into the New Year. Last weekend I watched My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Why, you may ask? Because this summer I'm going to the wedding of my super-awesome friends and co-workers Angela and Lefteris in Greece. When this comes up in conversation, someone inevitably makes a comment about the movie, which I, of course, do not understand so I reciprocate with a blank stare and feeling of inferiority as though I don't deserve to go to the wedding of my friends because I have not seen this movie.

I thought MBFGW (Cool if we call it that?) was OK. There were a couple of points where I thought I was going to bail, but just in the nick of time, things got a little better. I, for one, find English as a second language highly endearing so I really liked that aspect of the movie. (I never claimed I wasn't weird.)

I'm studying up on Greek a little before we go this summer and am thrilled to report that I understood almost one entire phrase from the movie. At the pre-wedding party, the cousins get the groom-to-be to yell out "Exo tria arxida" because he believed that it means "Everyone come into the house" but it really means "I have three testicles." I knew it meant "I have three..." but unfortunately, Rosetta Stone doesn't teach you the word for "testicles" in units 1 or 2 of Level 1 so I haven't gotten to that yet; it must be Unit 3 material. (This gives me an idea: Rosetta Stone should offer different versions - vacationer, business traveler, potty humor enthusiast, etc.)

You may think that because I haven't watched a lot of movies I couldn't possibly know any obscure movie trivia that the average movie-goer doesn't already know. And that is where you are mistaken, friend, because I'm about to blow your mind. At the wedding, when they're dancing - there's a slow song playing. You know what song it is? Bet you don't. It's All My Only Dreams by The Wonders from the movie That Thing You Do. Little known fact: I've have a copy of the That Thing You Do soundtrack in my car since 1998. At one point when we were dating I moved the disc to Brian's car (That's when he knew things were serious; I don't listen to That Thing You Do with just *anyone*, I'm not a slut.) Anyway, his stereo was stolen with my CD in it. I repurchased the CD. 2 CD purchases and 3 cars later, it's still in my car. That Thing You Do isn't going anywhere.

I don't think romantic comedy is really my thing (except for maybe That Thing You Do, but I can explain that exception later.) There was a lot of eye rolling during MBFGW, BUT the funny parts in between at least made it tolerable. I just get a bad feeling at the moment when the dude walks into the coffee shop and you KNOW how it's going to end up; like I should go back to working on my Excel Valentine instead of watching this movie. And when he's outside her office window trying to entertain her? Please, make it stop. I, for one, would have called the cops if some dude was doing that outside my office window. What a nut job. Luckily there was enough English as a second language to pull me through and keep me from turning it off.

All in all, I'll never watch it again but wouldn't dry heave and leave the room if it happened to be on the TV at some point in the future.

UPDATE: It just came to me this morning. The super famous blonde lady that's good at feigning seizures in contagion is Gwyneth Paltrow!