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