Honestly, it’s kinda wild to think about. A tiny independent movie with a $5 million budget basically walked into the room and became the highest-grossing romantic comedy of all time. We’re talking about My Big Fat Greek Wedding. It didn't have huge stars. It didn't have a massive marketing machine. What it had was Nia Vardalos, a bunch of Windex, and a story about a family that was too loud to ignore. But if you look at the rating of My Big Fat Greek Wedding across different platforms, you see a weird divide. Critics and audiences have been having a 20-year-old argument about whether this movie is a masterpiece of relatability or just a collection of over-the-top stereotypes.
The 2002 Original: A Certified Sleeper Hit
Let's get into the numbers. The original 2002 film sits at a 76% on Rotten Tomatoes from critics. That’s solid. It's "Certified Fresh." But the audience score? That’s where the magic is. It holds a 73% audience rating, which actually feels a bit low considering it stayed in theaters for nearly a year. People didn't just see it once. They took their aunts. Then they took their cousins. Then they took their neighbors.
On Metacritic, the score is a 62, which signifies "generally favorable reviews." Critics like Roger Ebert gave it three stars, calling it warmhearted and funny. Others, however, were less kind. Some felt the "TV-style" direction by Joel Zwick made it feel more like a sitcom than a feature film. They weren't necessarily wrong. The lighting is bright, the jokes are broad, and the transitions are snappy. But for the average viewer, that was exactly the point. It felt like home.
Why the 2002 Rating Matters
- IMDb Score: 6.6/10 (based on over 150,000 votes).
- CinemaScore: A– (this is the big one; it shows people leaving the theater were incredibly happy).
- The Multiplier: It earned over $368 million worldwide. That’s a 6150% return on investment.
The rating of My Big Fat Greek Wedding isn't just about stars or percentages. It’s about the fact that it stayed in the top 10 at the box office for months without ever hitting the #1 spot. It was the ultimate "word-of-mouth" movie.
The Sequel Slump: What Happened in 2016?
Fast forward 14 years. We finally got My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2. And boy, did the critics sharpen their knives. The Rotten Tomatoes rating plummeted to 27%. That’s a "Rotten" score if I've ever seen one. Critics basically complained that the jokes were exactly the same. They felt the plot—which involved Toula’s parents discovering their marriage certificate wasn't valid—was thin.
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But here’s the kicker. The audiences? They still liked it. Or at least, they didn't hate it as much as the pros did. The audience score stayed around 53%, and it earned an A– CinemaScore, just like the first one. It seems like if you're a fan of the Portokalos family, you don't really care about "elevated cinema." You just want to see Aunt Voula say something inappropriate.
The Third Time's a Charm? Not for Critics
Then we hit 2023. Nia Vardalos took the director’s chair for My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3. The family heads to Greece. It’s beautiful. It’s sunny. It’s also, according to critics, a bit of a mess. The Rotten Tomatoes score for the third installment is currently hovering around 30%.
Common complaints?
- Choppy editing: Some scenes feel like they were cut mid-sentence.
- Thin plot: The search for Gus's old friends felt more like a travelogue than a story.
- Missing cast: Without Michael Constantine (Gus), who passed away in 2021, the movie lost its grumpy, Windex-spraying heart.
Despite the low critical rating of My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3, it still managed to pull in a B CinemaScore. It’s clear that the franchise has become "comfort food." You don't go to a Greek diner for a Michelin-star experience; you go because you know exactly what the moussaka tastes like.
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Does the PG Rating Hold Up?
Looking at the MPAA rating of My Big Fat Greek Wedding, the first two are rated PG, while the third is PG-13. The first film is surprisingly clean for a rom-com. There’s some "suggestive material" and heavy-duty making out, but nothing that would make you want to cover your grandma's eyes. Well, maybe the scene where Ian gets baptized in a kiddie pool might make some people squint, but it’s all in good fun.
The PG-13 rating for the third film comes down to "some nudity" and "suggestive material." Don't worry—it’s not that kind of movie. It usually refers to the eccentric family members being, well, eccentric.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Ratings
People see a 6.6 on IMDb and think, "Oh, it's just okay." That’s a mistake. In the world of romantic comedies, a 6.6 is actually pretty decent. Rom-coms usually get graded on a curve because critics often find the genre "frivolous."
The real rating of My Big Fat Greek Wedding lies in its cultural footprint. How many other movies from 2002 are still quoted today? How many other movies made "Windex" a punchline? The movie succeeded because it tapped into a universal truth: every family is crazy, but they’re your crazy. Whether you’re Greek, Italian, Jewish, or Ukrainian, you saw your own mother in Lainie Kazan’s performance.
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Actionable Insights for Your Next Rewatch
If you’re planning to dive back into the Portokalos world, keep these things in mind to enjoy it better:
- Watch for the Background Actors: Many of the "family members" in the wedding scenes are Nia Vardalos’s actual relatives. Their reactions are 100% genuine.
- Check the Soundtrack: The music in the first film is a masterclass in using traditional folk sounds to drive a modern narrative.
- Notice the Wardrobe: Toula’s transformation isn't just about the glasses; it’s about the color palette shifting from drab grays to vibrant whites and blues as she finds herself.
- Manage Expectations for Sequels: Treat the sequels like a "family reunion" rather than a cinematic event. You're there to see old friends, not to be surprised by a groundbreaking plot.
The legacy of the rating of My Big Fat Greek Wedding is ultimately one of endurance. It’s a movie that proved you don't need a $100 million budget to win the hearts of millions. You just need a lot of heart, a little bit of lamb, and a family that won't stop talking over you.
Check your local streaming listings to see where the trilogy is currently playing. Most of the time, the original is available on platforms like Max or Peacock, and it remains the gold standard for anyone who has ever felt like an outsider in their own home.