www.byzcath.org Forums General Discussions Town Hall My Big Fat --------------Wedding

I just saw "My Big Fat Greek Wedding". Could be my Big Fat Ruthenian/Russian/Ukranian/Italian Wedding.

Did anyone notice the three-bared cross on the Greek Church were the wedding took place?

I really enjoyed it. It seemed like a ni celove story.

Axios

Dear Mike,

Yes, my Greek friends tell me it's hilarious and very insightful with respect to ethnic culture.

The main star was on "Sex and the City" for a while as "Aidan" Sarah Jessica Parker's boyfriend.

Or so I was told . . .

Alex

Yes, the movie was superb.

The church was actually not Greek. Well, okay fine. It was Greek Catholic. St. Nicholas Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church on Queen St. and Bellwoods in Toronto. They modified the interior slightly (such as the icon of the Mother of God in back of the altar instead of the Resurrection -- which is very Slavic).

The exterior shot when they are exiting the church after the wedding is Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Church (ROCOR). The film edited the plaque and made it read "Greek Orthodox Church Founded in 1956".

The singing during the wedding was actually the music for the wedding ('Lord, our God, crown them with glory and honour", "Dance Isaiah", etc.). I was suprised since most of the time, they just pop in a CD and pretend its a choir singing the service.

Daniil

Dear Daniil,

St Nicholas Church on Bellwoods and Queen St.?

My Church?

Hmmm. . . I'll have to go see it for sure.

And did YOUR great parish in Brampton ever get such an offer from Hollywood?

Alex

Well, my parish is technically St. John the Baptist in Ottawa. But yes, St. Elias was approached for some low budget movie. The producer wanted to pretend St. Elias was some church in Moscow. I think Fr. Roman laughed and said no.

Daniil

Dear Daniil,

So Fr. Roman said "No da's?"

Have a great weekend!

Alex

Hi All!

When I saw MBFGW, I laughed til I cried!

Some advice before you go:

1. Make sure you go "potty" BEFORE the movie starts.

2. DO NOT get the JUMBO drink, you'll never make thru the movie if you do!

3. Take plenty of KLEENEX or hankies

4. LAUGH OUT LOUD! This is movie is you and me and the neighbor down the street! We will see ALL OF OURSELVES in this movie!

Will remember all of you at the OTPUST!

mark

My wife and I saw the film last week, and really enjoyed it a lot. It reminded us in many ways of our own "big, fat" Greek Catholic wedding just two years ago.

Just a couple of very minor concerns, though, both involving the wedding sequence:

1. Why was there an organ playing "here comes the bride?" :rolleyes:

2. Why did the father of the bride "give her away," as opposed to her walking down the aisle with the groom?

Are both of these westernizations common in Greek Orthodox weddings in America? I have been to Greek parishes with organs before, I must admit.

Anthony

CIX!

Ah yes... London's GO Hagia Sophia Cathedral was used in Goldeneye some years back... they filmed a scene in the exonarthex, pretending it was a church in Moscow. I saw that and immediately recognised it... after all, a church in Moscow full of GREEK MOSAICS? :rolleyes:

Just my 2 cents!

in Domino,

Edward

Anthony,

Don't worry. Most Byzantine Catholics who go to see it won't catch it. Some may remind their pastors that since they allowed it in the movie, they should be allowed to be given away like chattel too.


Interesting links:
http://www.blessedsacrament.com/theology/q42.html
http://www.lcms.org/cic/bridal.htm

[ 08-30-2002: Message edited by: J Thur ]

Dear Anthony,

You'd be surprised at what goes on in Greek churches (my sister is Greek Orthodox, so I get an eyeful). Let's just say that "He who is without latinzations, let him cast the first stone".

[They modified the interior slightly (such as the icon of the Mother of God in back of the altar instead of the Resurrection -- which is very Slavic).]

What do you mean? That through the miracle of computer technology they super imposed the Icon of 'Our Lady of the Sign' over the Icon of the Ressurection? WOW! tHEY DID A BEAUTIFUL JOB.

OrthoMan

I am not sure how they did it. Either by computer, or maybe they just put up a large icon on paper or canvas in front of the wall.

Personally, I think the icons of St. Nicholas Church (by Ivan Dykij) are much nicer -- the colours are darker and not as faded as the icon of the Theotokos that they used.

Daniil

Hey --- at last I know why you were all laughing about it.

Today on a Prog. on BBC2 there was a short item on the making of My Big ........

Some clips were also shown. I loved the look of horror on our hero's face after his first Immersion and he realised it was being repeated. Was that really a Baptismal Font - it looked like a kiddies paddling pool to me - though one with deep sides ?

Oh I hope it comes here - I wanna see it for real

Thanks folks for getting me so curious about it that I actually watched the 10 min item on it.

Angela

I've seen horse troughs disguised with tableclothes used when no permanent font was available. A lot of churches were either built without one, or were taken over from other confessions that didn't use full immersion.

Oh the borrowing didn't worry me - it was the kiddies paddling pool in clear plastic with what seemd to be fish swimming around that caught my eye - I just sat there with a big grin enjoying it. Oh I really must see it

My wife and I saw it last night. Best movie I've seen in a long time. After having visited St. Nicholas in Toronto a couple of times, I couldn't believe it...

We rolled on the floor during the baptism, especially with the kiddie pool. We're going to go see it again (we hardly ever see anything twice). "You look so old, why don't you get married?" (I actually heard that from my own grandmother once)

Yes folks

My Big Fat etc has finally reached civilisation

When in London at the end of last week I noticed it there [ could not go as we weren't there long enough] so checked the film pages today in our paper.

Guess what - it's on in no less than 5 Cinemas in Glasgow.

I'm going - very definitely I'm going - after all you people have said about it - it's a must.

I'll let you know what I think about it later this week

Oh - and I will get to see Alex's Church too

Angela

Wow ! It was fantastic. I was just in time though seeing it today - it finishes on Wednesday evening. Oh I must try and get the video so I can cheer myself up when I'm in a "blue"mood

I don't think I have laughed as much for a long time. It's a good thing there werent many other people in the cinema 'cos they would have thought me totally nuts.

As for Alex's Church - oooh nice

Dear Alex,
I have a funny theological question for you: provided that the Church where the baptism took place was your church and provided that the priest in the ceremony was an Orthodox priest or at least a Greek Orthodox actor (his pronunciation of Greek was very good), is the actor John Corbbet(I do not know to wich religion or Christian denomination does he belong) to be considered now a Orthodox Christian or an Orthodox in communion with Rome? Is he Greek now, as he said in the film, or rather Ukranian ...If you are baptised in a film by a Christian actor are you baptised in fact ? I was just having a bit of funny...now we can go back to our serious theological discussions

Yours in Christ,

Francisco

Well now, Francisco - that really is a question. Mind I'm only a Latin - so what do I know.

I tried to convert 1 Million Dollars to Euros and my Currency Converter couldn't manage the job It crashed

Perhaps the theologians would put their heads together and come up with an answer - fairly lighthearted I would say in keeping with the rest of the thread.

C'mon folks let's have an answer

Angela

Here is a baptism 'riddle' without the 'funny': If three Muslim toddlers are baptised by a Greek Orthodox laywoman--without the knowledge or permission of the parents--are they considered to be Christians?

Abdur

That is quite an interesting question, Abdur. My own father baptized my nephew without the knowledge of his parents (my brother has forsaken religion, God help him, and my sister-in-law was never baptized anywhere herself). I was and still am very uncomfortable with the whole thing and have gotten into arguments with my father over it. A very hairy situation indeed.

I think that the question is an interesting one. The canons clearly state that a layperson can "commit baptism" on someone if there is the right intention. The real clue, however, is the fact that this was done without the knowledge or consent of the parents and, since baptism is meant to bring a person into the community of the baptized faithful, then I think the baptism is really short-circuited. Since baptism is a "rite of initiation", the poor kids aren't really being initiated into anything.

I've had a similar experience in my own family on the "Greek Orthodox/Protestant" side. While the older kids were baptized as infants (the Methodist church was closest, so that was 'their church'), the family moved and the closest was Baptist. After the birth of the little one, there was a party, but no baptism since the Baptists don't do that. So, during the party, in the kitchen, with the child's Orthodox mother and aunt in attendance, I baptized the child at the kitchen sink. Both mother and baby slept well that night.

Sometimes ya gotta do what ya gotta do.

Blessings!

Well, a dear friend memory eternal+, was a nurse in the hospital down here back in the first part of the 20th century. she told us stories about the doctors coming to get her while she was on duty to baptize babies.

We are just over 2% Catholic in the south now, so in those days it was even less. Apparently if there was any doubt in a doctor or nurses mind that the child wouldn't make it for some reason, the would have her baptize them. It was very important to them in those days with or with out the parents consent that the child was baptized. Sure have changed their outlook now in a lot of ways.

Interesting that. Thanks Rose for stirring up a few memories.

In 1959 whe I was in the Preliminary Training School haveing jsut started nursing one of our lectures was given jointly by the Hospital Anglican Chaplain and the RC Chaplain - the Subject - how to Baptise in case of necessity.

I never had to - but we were well taught that if the survival of the child - whether newly born or not was in any doubt we were to Baptise them and not wait for the Chaplain. All parents of Children were asked specifically if the child had been baptised before admission to Hospital and if the answer was no - then Baptism was offered by the appropriate Chaplain . the fact that the child was/was not baptised was put in the notes and a special sticker indicating the unbaptised was placed on the bed or cot so we could not be in any doubt. BTW it was a State Hospital - not a private one.

If I remember correctly, I think that they get around that fact by not having "father" say the whole formula. He says, "I baptize you in the name of the Father and the Son", as he immerses, the boy-friend for each time. After he says the Son. the camera pans away and the choir sings a number. So he does not finish the formula hence no Baptism.

Dear Theodore,

I have just seen the film once so I am not sure but I would say that the "priest" said the complete formula "The servant of God Ioannis (John) is baptised in the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit" in perfect Greek. Triple inmersion also takes place in the film.
But that is not so important after all.

Do we even know if it was a real priest? And even if he was a real priest, would a real priest have the intention to baptise when it's so obviously being staged? I don't think so.

If Mr. Corbett was baptized prior to this film with a Trinitarian formula, would it even matter anymore? ONE baptism, after all...

As he is from West Virginia, I have a feeling that he was baptized in some Christian denomination or another. Of course, we'll never know bar asking him directly.

The actors name who played the priest is Anthony Kandiotis, so that might explain his excellent Greek. I highly doubt that they would use a real priest to play the part when there are SO many actors out there who would do anything for a role in most any film.

In Christ,
mikey.

If I am not mistaken, one of the Fathers of the Church, I forget which one, when he was a child was playing Baptism with his friends, when a Bishop walked by, and was observing him and what he was doing. After questioning the Father and his friends, he pronounced them Baptised.

Among the sacraments:

Holy Orders consecrates a man to the service of the baptised community.

Marriage consecrates two people to a life of love within the community, blessed by the priest, within the community.

Penance re-consecrates a person to a role within the baptized community.

Anointing of the sick calls upon the Holy Spirit to provide succor to a sick person in the name of the community.

Holy Eucharist unites a person to the community by "comm-UNION" in the Body and Blood of Christ.

So, Baptism must consecrate the person to membership in the community through an initiation to membership in the community.

Baptism isn't magic. It is the spiritual form of initiation into membership into the ekklesia.

Movies are movies; theater is theater. Neither is "Church".

Blessings!

For some reason, I think that was St. Athanasius.

It was St. Athanasios.

Michael