In this film, the romantic comedy is integrated into the pattern of national cultural conflicts, reflecting the difference and assimilation between Greek traditional culture and American culture. I want to talk about cultural phenomena in movies from the following aspects: 1. First of all, the most obvious cultural difference is the family system. The heroine Toula has a large family population, including several generations of brothers and sisters. This is what we call the "big family" in cross-cultural communication. In the Greek family structure, the small family and the extended family maintain a close relationship. In contrast, the male protagonist Lan is a typical American family, living with his parents and children. This is what we call the "nuclear family", which belongs to the micro level of the family system. The family is the cell of society. From the perspective of a family, we can see the uniqueness of the ancient Greek nation in the European cultural circle. 2. In addition, the differences in family concepts are also reflected in the relationships between family members and in the "power distance" at different levels. Figure Toula's father has absolute power in the film. For example, Toula’s father is not only responsible for his daughter’s marriage, but also for Toula’s decision to learn computers and work in a travel agency. These all reflect the authority of the elders in Greek family relations and the higher "power distance" in Greek. On the contrary, in the United States. Dating and marriage are completely personal matters, and parents will not interfere. Major events in Lan's life, from falling in love to getting married, and even converting to the Orthodox Church, are all decided by Lan alone, without the consent of his parents. This shows that the "power distance" of American families is very low. From the perspective of cultural value, this kind of cultural phenomenon in movies is also called individualism and collectivism. Greece is a typical collectivist country, and the United States is a representative of individualism. 3. Finally, there are many cultural differences in the film, such as the difference between Greek religion and American Christianity. But I think the main purpose of this film is not to show the audience these cultural differences. On the contrary, it is to show how the two cultures merge, that is, "cultural adaptation." In the film, the main obstacle to cross-cultural communication is "ethnocentrism", that is, people will weigh all behaviors and values in different cultures according to their own cultural concepts and standards. When Toula's father came to the United States when he was in the United States, he did not let his children go to American schools. He tried to prevent the collision between the two cultures in order to maintain the "pureness" of the Greek culture, which reflects that the "uncertainty avoidance" of the Greeks is very high. In contrast, Lan's family is open to Greek culture and has a low level of "uncertainty avoidance". Therefore, Toula bravely walked out of the relatively closed Greek family. Through mutual understanding, the two families gradually reduced their conflicts and the two cultures blended. This film shows us how contradictory foreign families move towards harmonious coexistence through humorous performances. As the ending of the movie implies, no matter how different the two cultures are, integration is an inevitable trend.
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