Four star

WE'VE all been there. Remember THAT moment when you meet your true love's family for the first time?

Now imagine your true love's family being loud, overbearing and very, very large. Oh, and Greek.

Toula (Nia Vardalos) is a 'good' Greek girl who is expected to 'get married and have babies and feed people' for the rest of her life.

But Toula wants more and when she meets the man of her dreams Ian (John Corbett) and he ignores her, she decides to do something about it.

With a new look, new job and the beginnings of a new life, she meets Ian again and he more than notices her. In fact, he falls in love with her. And she with him.

And that's where their troubles start. Dodging well-meaning but acutely embarrassing relatives. Trying to stop their wedding looking more like a cheap cabaret than a romantic gesture of lifelong commitment.

And persuading her father that it's OK to marry someone non-Greek - the heart of the story.

This was written by Vardalos and is a true gem. It has everything you would expect from a romcom. It's sweet, it's funny, it's romantic and it all turns out OK in the end.

But it is also refreshing, with a down-to-earth sense of humour sets it apart from the usual treacle-laden fare.

Vardalos is delightful as Toula and Corbett is a dashing beau, by turns amused and bemused by the new family he is inheriting.

But the stars of the show are the rellies. Ian's delightfully straight-laced parents and Toula's charming aunts, uncles and cousins are a joy to behold. Anyone who has a large family will understand.

SC