My Life in Ruins
Short description
Georgia, a Greek American academic who has settled in Athens, works as a tour guide after failing to find a teaching position. Her knowledge of classical history goes unappreciated by holidaymakers more interested in beaches and souvenirs, and her rigid manner clashes both with them and with the slower pace of life around her. On what she intends to be her final escorted tour, through the archaeological sites of Greece, she leads an unruly group that includes a warring family, a compulsive email-checker and a cheerful widower. The trip pushes her toward the sense of kefi, or instinctive joy in life, that she has lost.
Donald Petrie directed the film, which he made after Just My Luck and before Little Italy, from a screenplay by Mike Reiss; it was produced by Nathalie Marciano and Michelle Chydzik Sowa. Nia Vardalos plays Georgia, with Richard Dreyfuss as Irv, Alexis Georgoulis as the group's driver Poupi, and Alistair McGowan, Harland Williams and Rachel Dratch among the credited cast of 41.
Released in June 2009, the comedy romance runs 95 minutes and was made for 17 million dollars, taking about 20 million worldwide. On TMDB it holds 6.1 out of 10 from 445 votes, while its critics' rating stands at 3.7 out of 10 from 126 reviews, a wider gap than the audience scores alone would suggest.
What's left behind the scenes
- Filming took place in Athens and its surroundings, as well as in the Spanish city of Alicante, in October-November 2007.
- "My Life in Ruins" is the first Hollywood film in over fifty years to receive permission to film at the Acropolis in Athens. Throughout this time, the Greek government consistently refused all such requests, fearing that filming could irreparably damage this invaluable monument of ancient history. In this case, an exception was made because Greek authorities believed that such a film would help promote Greek culture around the world.
- The original screenplay was written by Mike Reiss based on his travel experiences. Later, when Nia Vardalos joined the project, the actress actively participated in rewriting the script.
- The song Georgia sings on the beach is “Never on Sunday,” the only Greek song to win an Oscar, from the film “Never on Sunday” (1960).
Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
