Georgia (Nia Vardalos) is a teacher in Greece who works as a tour guide until she finds a new job after being laid off. She avoids all the fun, touristy things, making her tour groups think she’s boring. Feeling disenchanted with her job and her life, Georgia decides to move back to the United States, and that her next group will be her last.

Her last tour group is a ragtag group of misfits. They’re demanding, obnoxious, and occasionally rude. At least, that’s how Georgia sees them. Their bus driver, Poupi, can’t speak English – allegedly – and Georgia quickly finds the end of her rope, treating the group with contempt.

But it doesn’t take long for Georgia to realize that perhaps she’s the problem. She gets some help from a widower named Irv (Richard Dreyfuss), who opens her eyes to how beautiful her life is.

I really, really enjoyed My Big Fat Greek Wedding, but it took me a long time to get around to watching this Vardalos vehicle. I… did not miss out on much. This felt like a completely different Nia Vardalos than the one who wrote the highest-grossing romantic comedy ever. Gone is the adorkable heroine, replaced by someone far less charming.

I do not get the impression that Georgia is supposed to be unlikeable, but she is. Even when she relaxes, there is just something missing there. I read that Vardalos completed some rewrites for My Life in Ruins, initially written by Mike Reiss, but I honestly couldn’t tell. There’s no Vardalos magic here.

I can’t say much about the romantic aspect of this rom-com. Alexis Georgoulis plays Poupi, who is drawn to Georgia – for reasons I couldn’t quite understand – and yes, they share a few sweet moments, but ultimately, the romance feels as though it’s obligatory rather than something that comes naturally. If you took the romantic angle from the movie, it still works as an ensemble dramedy.

The bright spot of the movie is Vardalos’s scenes with Richard Dreyfuss. They connect and bond much as a father and daughter might, and I’m giving My Life in Ruins two stars for their touching interactions alone.

Watched: 03/06/2023
Notable Song: Dream Dance by Andy Georges