The way that the mom hijacked the toast and made it about herself is a huge red flag of narcissism.
Other reviewers claimed that this is a movie about a woman giving everything up for her man. But here are some important points:
I like that Ilana didn't go the whole movie putting up with Momzilla's nonsense. It didn't take her long to put her foot down and refuse to budge.
Ilana also brought a bit of American culture into the family. Not just with the maid of honor stuff, but also with encouraging Alex to be more independent. (I don't know real Greek culture. I'm just going by the context of the world within the movie.)
I think the screenwriter's intention was that the ending was the perfect win-win solution, and Ilana was just needed to get out of her own way. She, herself, said that she wanted to do more fieldwork, and what better place than GREECE?! And her fiance just wanted to stay for a couple years, to reconnect with his roots and help his mom's business through the transition. He never said, "I want to spend the rest of our lives here."
The biggest problem is that both the male lead and his mother tell Ilana that she is too distant, noncommittal, and closed off. But, if we don't get to SEE her acting that way throughout the movie, then it comes off as gaslighting. Also, if Mikale felt that she was noncommittal, then why did he propose to her?
Other reviewers claimed that this is a movie about a woman giving everything up for her man. But here are some important points:
I like that Ilana didn't go the whole movie putting up with Momzilla's nonsense. It didn't take her long to put her foot down and refuse to budge.
Ilana also brought a bit of American culture into the family. Not just with the maid of honor stuff, but also with encouraging Alex to be more independent. (I don't know real Greek culture. I'm just going by the context of the world within the movie.)
I think the screenwriter's intention was that the ending was the perfect win-win solution, and Ilana was just needed to get out of her own way. She, herself, said that she wanted to do more fieldwork, and what better place than GREECE?! And her fiance just wanted to stay for a couple years, to reconnect with his roots and help his mom's business through the transition. He never said, "I want to spend the rest of our lives here."
The biggest problem is that both the male lead and his mother tell Ilana that she is too distant, noncommittal, and closed off. But, if we don't get to SEE her acting that way throughout the movie, then it comes off as gaslighting. Also, if Mikale felt that she was noncommittal, then why did he propose to her?