Connie and Carla, with a funny script and able acting, is an entertaining and worthy successor to My Big Fat Greek Wedding.
By RICK GERSHMAN
Published April 15, 2004
[Photo: Universal Pictures]
Nightclub singers Connie (Nia Vardalos, right) and Carla (Toni Collette) perform as drag queens, in Connie and Carla.
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Turns out you can't count Nia Vardalos out.
Virtually unknown before writing and starring in the surprise blockbuster My Big Fat Greek Wedding two years ago, Vardalos was staring one-hit wonder status in the face. Wedding's TV spinoff bombed, and even its box office success was dismissed by some who called the film an overrated fluke.
Guess again.
Don't be fooled by the trailer, which doesn't do it justice, but Connie and Carla is more than a return to form for Vardalos. After a shaky (but concise) opening to set up its premise, Vardalos' followup is abundantly entertaining, blending big laughs and musical numbers with credible romantic and dramatic touches.
Vardalos again wrote the script and was executive producer, and she stars as Connie. As with Wedding, she has recruited a veteran television director (this time Michael Lembeck) to call "action." But it's her show all the way, and that's okay: She has improved as a writer and an actor, as Connie never comes off as a vanity play.
The story - women dressing as men dressing as women - is an unabashed twist on Some Like It Hot. But though it doesn't hit the mark of that classic, Connie doesn't suffer too much in the comparison.
Connie (Vardalos) and Carla (Toni Collette, About a Boy) have been performing their dinner theater act to dismissive patrons in Chicago for years. After witnessing a Mafia murder, they high-tail it to Los Angeles - it's not really clear why they didn't just call the police - to hide out from the killers. They find their modest talents magnified when performing as drag queens at a local gay club, but soon they're becoming too popular to maintain their cover.
Complementing the mix is Connie's infatuation with Jeff (David Duchovny, Evolution), who is trying to reconnect with his estranged brother, Robert (Stephen Spinella, Broadway's Angels in America). Robert is a bartender at the club who also cross-dresses and performs as "Peaches." While Jeff forms an uneasy friendship with Connie and comes to grips with Robert's life, the killers are closing in just in time for - you guessed it - the big show.
Obviously the plot is not Connie and Carla's strong suit, but Vardalos seems to know this. Her script focuses on highlighting the characters and their relationships, and on hitting high comedic notes within scenes.
In that, she certainly succeeds. Even those unfamiliar with the original show tunes will thrill at the song and dance numbers. The leads are perfectly cast: Vardalos is very funny and even more brazen than in Wedding, and she has a great rapport with Collette and Duchovny.
Speaking of the X-Files alumnus, this is the perfect role for him. His subdued charm is completely engaging, and his reaction to an unexpected act of affection from Connie is priceless.
Vardalos' detractors could claim she has traded in Greek stereotypes for gay stereotypes, and to a degree that's a fair knock. But in both cases, her ribbing clearly comes from affection and respect. It's also consistently funny, not the easiest balance to maintain, and its message about tolerance and understanding is delivered with a fairly light touch.
The mob bits do play way too broad, even for a movie like this; it's disappointing when the bad guys show up and the tone turns cartoonish. But Vardalos, still growing as a writer, wisely keeps their screen time to a minimum. She also avoids most of the obvious "drag" jokes that would weigh down less creative fare.
Connie and Carla is just the ticket for audiences in the mood for pure fun, and it should put Vardalos on top again - as long as she keeps the TV execs at bay.
Connie and Carla
Grade: B-plus
Director: Michael Lembeck
Cast: Nia Vardalos, Toni Collette, David Duchovny, Stephen Spinella, Alec Mapa, Chris Logan, Debbie Reynolds
Screenplay: Nia Vardalos
Rating: PG-13 (sexual situations, mild profanity and violence)
