The 3-Act Paradigm at Work: My Big Fat Greek Wedding
written by Nia Vardalos
(based on a single theater viewing)
My Big Fat Greek Wedding is an entertaining light comedy
with few surprises but lots of charm and a big heart.
Structural Analysis
Hook
A Greek father to his 30 year-old unmarried daughter: you are getting old and
need to marry a good Greek boy.
Complication
Since childhood the daughter has rebelled against her family and Greek background.
Call to Action
She betters herself by going to computer school and taking over the extended family's
travel agency.
Act One Plot Point
She meets a guy and starts dating.
Midpoint Plot Point
He askes her to marry her -- and although he's not Greek, she says yes.
Act Two Plot Point
The father thinks the marriage can never work -- their roots are too different.
Climax and Resolution
The father notes that although they are apples and oranges, at least they are both
fruit. It can work. He buys them a house as a wedding present -- right next door to his.
Notes
The low point is really not very low but it hardly matters amidst all the fun.
MODULE 4: SCREENWRIGHT: the craft of screenwriting