My Big Fat Greek Wedding ($5 million budget)
When My Big Fat Wedding was released in 2002, everyone was surprised by the romantic comedy’s performance at the box office mainly because the company only spent $1 million trying to market the film. It tells the story of Toula Portokalos, a Greek woman who intends to marry a non-Greek man. The actress who played Toula, Nia Vardalos, actually wrote the story.
The fictional family’s dynamic was so heartwarming to watch that it made people from all walks of life watch the film. The rom-com garnered just over $368 million in ticket sales.