Who Plays Who?

Nia Vardalos Richard Dreyfuss Alexis Georgoulis Alistair McGowan Harland Williams Rachel Dratch Caroline Goodall n Ian Ogilvy Sophie Stuckey María Botto María Adánez Brian Palermo Jareb Dauplaise Simon Gleeson Natalie O'Donnell Sheila Bernette Ralph Nossek Bernice Stegers Rita Wilson Ian Gomez Takis Papamattheou Serenella Magriny Marta Schwizer Maria Ripalda Nacho Pérez

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Georgia Irv Poupi Kakas Nico Big Al Kim Dr Tullen Mr Tullen Caitlin Lala Lena Marc Gator Ken Sue Dorcas Barnaby Maria Elinor Hotel Clerk Souvenir Shop Owner Svetlana Olga Lenka Doudi

The Inside Story When Nia Vardalos read Mike Reiss’ script for "My Life In Ruins", she was instantly captivated. It wasn’t simply the chance to shoot a film in Greece, although that was certainly a plus for the Greek-American actress, Vardalos fell hard for the character of Georgia. "What I added to the character was that she was so controlling and she had to learn to let go. I’ve always been told work hard and anything you want can be achieved. That actually turns out not to be that true, though. Sometimes you just have to let go and laugh—or dance!" Although her character has what many would consider a dream job, 2003 Independent Spirit Award winner Vardalos observes, "She’s not letting the magic of it enter her soul because she chooses to bring the disappointment in her life with her. She has to change her outlook. And it’s not just Georgia; it happens to all the characters." Academy Award ® nominee Vardalos ("My Big Fat Greek Wedding"), put her unique comic spin on Georgia. "The idea is that when you take yourself out of your comfort zone, life is magical." 1989 Independent Spirit Award winner Donald Petrie, who has directed some of the most successful romantic comedies of the past two decades (including "Miss Congeniality"), was approached to take the reins of the project. "If a script makes me laugh out loud when I’m reading it, that’s a movie I want to make," he said. "This made me laugh out loud. We spent some time refining the arc of the character, so that Georgia’s evolution over one five day experience is really clear." In Petrie’s eyes, Georgia has lost her passion for her work because she sees the tourists she deals with as stereotypes, not individuals. "Her tour group from hell only seems that way because she’s not doing her job the way she should be doing it. She thinks everyone should have the same burning desire for the history of Greece that she does, and when they don’t meet her expectations, she dismisses them. Over the course of the film, the tour group helps her find her kefi again by helping her recognize that it is okay to be different and that these are living, breathing, wonderful people." Petrie revealed he found a real collaborator in his leading lady. "Nia and I often finished each other’s sentences. We were very much on the same page, constantly coming up with ideas, and going back and forth." But, Petrie who had never been to Greece, much less shot a film there, admits: "When the producers asked me if I could make this film on this budget in Greece, I honestly had no clue. If you asked me if I could make this picture in New York, I could say yes or no. I know what costs are in New York or Canada or even Louisiana. I didn’t have a clue about Greece. Were there crews in Greece? What’s the availability of personnel? How far apart are these locations?" Petrie says he "read about Olympia and Delphi and the Acropolis and all these different places, but even though I could look on a map, you never know until you get there. So I went to Greece where I fell more deeply in love with the project and Greece." His answer to coming in on budget was a simple" "Yes, I think this can be done." The trip also gave Petrie a chance to visualize some important moments in the story. "My Life In Ruins" constructed much like a real guided tour through Greece. Consequently, much of the action is set on the tour bus or at the actual sites that travelers in Greece are likely to visit. Cocequently, filming during the height of the tourist season posed a number of challenges. Filming among the ancient landmarks meant they had to share those locations with real tour groups. "We couldn’t just shut down the ruins so we could shoot," says Petrie ("How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days"). Having such a recognizable star in the cast also created problems. Vardalos recalls: "One time we were shooting in the middle of the Plaka, the main square of Athens, kind of like Times Square. In the middle of the scene, I heard some people say, 'Hey it’s that girl from My Big Fat Wedding.' Then they walked right into the shot and kissed me on the cheeks." And then there were other tourist groups. "A lot of times I would be walking my tour group through the ruins, carrying my sign saying Group B," Vardalos said. "We’d pass a real life tour group, and the guide and I would just look at each other. This one woman tour guide actually winked at me. And I thought, yeah! Tough job." Almost every scene shot, required all the characters on the tour to be on the set every day. "A scene might only be a page long, but it would have twenty characters in it and each had to have some time on screen," Petrie ("Grumpy Old Men") notes. "That can be a scheduling issue when you want to start your day and have twenty actors ready in make-up, hair and wardrobe." Additionaly, the script on the page was sometimes only a template for the larger scenes. "We went out of our way to cast actors with great improvisational skills," he said. "Often times these actors had absolutely zero lines in the script that day, but I needed reactions from each one of them, and they had to be able to come up with it in character." Petrie realized the improvised bits would make the movie stronger and funnier. "We filmed a shopping montage with hand-held cameras in unsuspecting Greek shops. Then we let the actors just go in character, almost like reality TV. One of our characters, Dorcas, is a kleptomaniac. She’s this little old lady, and you’d never think she would steal anything. The actress who plays her actually learned to be quite an accomplished thief. We had to go back afterward and pay for everything!" Pulling together the large and diverse ensemble cast required casting sessions in both Los Angeles and Europe. The requirements that the filmmakers set for themselves were exacting. "Because Georgia sees her clients as stereotypes, I wanted to cast people who could play the stereotype, and yet evolve into a full human being by the end," Petrie explained. "Out of the twenty roles, three are considered the leads, and the rest are all supporting characters." The filmmakers arrived at an amusing and appealing mix of characters: tipsy Australians, over-polite Canadians, amorous newlyweds, bickering family members, on-the-prowl divorcees and clueless single guys. And, in the middle of all this inspired insanity is Irv, played by 1978 Academy Award ® winner, Richard Dreyfuss ("The Goodbye Girl"). According to Dreyfuss ("Close Encounters of the Third Kind" & "Mr Holland's Opus"), "Irv is the force behind the changes in all the other characters. He’s the reason things happen and people change. Irv has Georgia figured out. He knows her secret. He’s vital in that way. I used to tell my kids there’s a lot more going on in the world than just what you can see and touch and feel and taste. And Irv lives in that knowledge!" For Vardalos ("Connie and Carla"), working with Dreyfuss was a highlight of the production. "It was a dream come true. The amazing thing about my life is that I’ve gotten to work with a lot of people I admire. He was charming, funny and a consummate professional. I was having a close encounter with Richard Dreyfuss!" The filmmakers wanted to cast a real Greek actor to play the tour-bus driver, Poupi. Petrie was in pre-production in Los Angeles when he first saw the audition tape of Alexis Georgoulis, a popular TV star ("Enas minas kai kati") in his native Greece. Georgoulis recalls Vardalos telling him that when she saw him: "This is the character. She said the character of Poupi represents the Greek way of thinking and living. I think if you came to Greece, you would agree." Rachel Dratch who appeared in 136 episodes of "Saturday Night Live" (1999-2006) was cast as Kim. She was excited at the opportunity to work her longtime friend Vardalos. "I auditioned for the part in New York, but there is also a little side story. I knew Nia from Second City in Chicago. In fact, I was her understudy, so we’re buddies. Maybe I had a little extra going in there." How demanding was it on location? "When I saw the amount of lines I had, I thought, I’ll be in it here and there," Dratch ("I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry") says. "But then when I got there, I found out I was working every single day. We’re always in the background." Harland Williams ("The Whole Nine Yards") was cast as Dratch's onscreen husband, Big Al. "We make a good couple because I’m about nine feet tall and I think she’s part Smurf. And, of course, she’s got great comedic timing and she’s just hilarious." About the only thing Williams is willing to be serious about is his admiration for Golden Globe ® winner Richard Dreyfuss. "The prospect of working with Richard made me really want to do this film. I love his work and to work around someone like that was what I really wanted to do." Alistair McGowan ("Lost and Found") was cast as Georgia’s underhanded and sneaky co-worker, Nico. So how does a British actor tackle a Greek accent? "My girlfriend got me a recording of somebody teaching people to speak Greek. I owe this guy, wherever he is, a huge debt. Alexis, too. I talked to him a lot early on to get a sense of the accent." Despite having appeared on dozens of TV movies, specials and series over the past twent five years, "My Life In Ruins" is McGowan's first feature film. "Donald is terrific to work with," he said. "And of course, Nia’s very warm. She puts you at ease straightaway. She has no airs, so she made it very easy." Caroline Goodall, Ian Ogilvy and Sophie Stuckey play the Tullens: an imperious doctor, her henpecked husband and their sullen teenage daughter. Ogilvy ("Death Becomes Her") got involved with the film when he received an email from Petrie asking if he would be interested. "We talked about the movie a little bit, it was as easy as that." How does he decribe the film "It’s a feel-good movie." McGowan calls the film "very well observed. There is a kernel of truth to all the stereotypes." Simon Gleeson ("EastEnders") and Natalie O’Donnell (TV'S "South Pacific") play Ken and Sue, the Australian tourists. Husband and wife in the film, they are married offscreen as well. "We joked with Donald that this could be the end of our marriage," Gleeson recalls. The prospect of working with Petrie and Vardalos, plus the opportunity to visit Spain and Greece, were too good to turn down. "To have carte blanche access to Delphi and Olympia was irresistible. I think the whole cast felt the same way." "The big cast was so much fun. Hearing all the different accents everyday was been great." says Brian Palermo, who was cast as IHOP sales rep and Blackberry addict, Marc. Here's a little trivia: If you look closely, you'll get a glimpse of Vardalos’ personal good luck charms. "My parents, Gus and Doreen, are in the movie. They’re in the scene at the Souvlaki stand where I realize that Poupi speaks English and I’ve just told him how long it’s been since I’ve had sex." When Vardalos asks, "Does anyone else speak English?", everyone raises their hands. Her mom and dad are in the middle of the line giving Georgia a dirty look." The Verdict "There was and will only ever be, one "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" (US$368,744,044 world-wide). It was something special and will, for many cinemagoers, always remain so. But to expect that every time Nia Vardalos appears in a film, we are going to get a repeat of that success is, to put it mildly, bloody stupid. Continually making useless comparissons is just a waste of time. Like "Slumdog Millionaire" (US$360,032,690), "There Will Be Blood" (US$76,181,545), "No Country for Old Men" (US$162,113,329) and "Crash" (US$98,410,061), these films just pop out of left-field, delight audiences, pick up major awards and leave us with a indelible memories of (because of their uniqueness) how refreshingly unique and enjoyable they were. Taken on its own and putting the past aside, "My Life In Ruins" is good fodder for mature cinemagoers or those who have experienced tour group travelling abroad. "My Life In Ruins" isn't a brainteaser. Despite the feeling that it is cliché-filled, the characters are somewhat streotypical and most will soon work out where the tourist bus is heading, it's a journey worth tagging along with. Humour, romance, the beautiful Nia Vardalos, the delightful Richard Dreyfuss and magnificent scenery: what more could one ask for? Recommended. 3 1/2 STARS." Synopsis

Unlucky at both love and finding her dream job in the U.S., Greek-American history professor Georgia has come to Athens to regain her mojo (or kefi as the Greeks call it). On an extended visit to a country whose locals can be counted on to commemorate failure and success with the same flamboyant spirit, Georgia signs up as a professional tour guide, hoping she will find an eager audience for her encyclopedic knowledge of Ancient Greece among Athens’ many visitors. Instead, the travelers who regularly fill Georgia’s tour bus are far more interested in lounging at Greece’s famous beaches than its acclaimed heritage sites. With the exception of Irv (or 'Mr Funny' as Georgia would say), her latest tour group is a motley bunch. To make matters worse, Georgia has been assigned the most dilapidated tour bus in Europe, the crummiest hotels Greece has to offer and Pangloss's scariest, hairiest and seemingly mute bus driver, Procopi. How bad can it get? Will Georgia survive another tour? She is about to find out.

What Do The Critics Say

"A pleasant surprise. I had butterflies watching Georgia open herself to love and finding it in the most unexpected places. A warm welcome goes to Alexis Georgoulis who has a break out performance in this film. The comical stunts offered by the tourists, including former Saturday Night Live star Rachel Dratch, were dead on. "My Life in Ruins" is a stellar romantic comedy where ancient history and love meet. Pack your bags and head to the ruins, you won’t be disappointed." Jolene Mendez ENTERTAINMENT SPECTRUM "The iconic ruins of Greece are photographed in a way that will likely inspire a lot of people to get on a plane; Vardalos looks luminous in every shot and manages to stay graceful while dealing with material that's beneath her." Liz Braun JAM! MOVIES "Fans of fluff comedies filled with soft smiles and knowing glances will likely welcome the return of Nia Vardalos in "My Life in Ruins". Nia Vardalos salvages "My Life in Ruins" with her charm. Vardalos manages to infuse it with a soft glow that smooths its clichés." Tom Long DETROIT NEWS "If McDonald’s were ever to sell Greek food, it would be inauthentic, excessively caloric and made with bland and mass-produced ingredients. It would also be addictively tasty, even though you’d never admit that you actually liked it. "My Life in Ruins", a McSouvlaki of a movie with a bum script and two-dimensional performances, but it so brilliantly wallops audiences with the charm stick that you leave the theater grinning anyway. So why did I have such a good time at such a spectacularly middling movie? Nia Vardalos." Alonso Duralde MSNBC

"Vardalos looks fantastic (she told Entertainment Weekly she had broken up ``with cheese''), and she plays Georgia as a more whiny version of Toula from My Big Fat Greek Wedding. But by the end of the movie and despite being hampered by some truly lame gags, she makes Georgia's conversion to happiness seem genuine. It's a movie that gets better as it chugs along, depending on your patience level. The Athens Tourism Board won't be disappointed." Connie Ogle MIAMI HERALD "For a movie filled with cliches, the laughs happen so frequently that you are able to forget about the fact that you have seen this movie a billion times before. Nia Vardalos is one of those actresses that I have only seen in two films that completely sucks you in. When she immediately comes on screen, you feel attached to her character. The laughs generally come from Richard Dreyfuss' character." Kevin McCarthy BDK REVIEWS "If the main character in a movie is going to be a pill, it's wise to cast an actor as engaging as Nia Vardalos. 'My Life' features the same combo as "Big Fat" — cornball jokes, some sentiment, the appealing Vardalos. It's not great (neither was "My Big Fat Greek Wedding"), but it gets the job done. If you must be ruined, Greece is a good place to let yourself go." Chris Hewitt ST PAUL PIONEER PRESS "Not a big departure from what Vardalos has done in the past, but there is less cloying artifice this time around, in a romantic comedy where the love story takes a backseat to the more meaningful tale of a lost woman coming into her own as a person. Where the picture really finds its focus is in protagonist Georgia, played splendidly by Nia Vardalos. She is the anchor from which all other characters and subplots hang, and it is her path toward loosening up and connecting in an emotional way with her exotic surroundings and tour group that makes the ninety eight minute running time worthwhile." Dustin Putman THE MOVIE BOY

The Production Team

Director Written by Producer Original Music Cinematography Film Editor Casting Production Designer Art Direction Set Decoration Costume Designers

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Donald Petrie Mike Reiss Nathalie Marciano David Newman José Luis Alcaine Patrick J Don Vito Makis Gazis David Chapman Jonathan McKinstry Christine Athina Vlachos Lala Huete & Lena Mossum

Run Time 95 minutes Rated PG [AUST] ©2009 - Fox Searchlight Films - All Rights Reserved ©1999-2009 All Rights Reserved The Movie Pages - Protected by Australian & International Copyright. Trademark laws applied.