Review: Title only clever part of `Ruins'

Go ahead, say it out loud to yourself. Then try to contain the sidesplitting laughter.

Also among her tour group is Irv (Richard Deyfuss), a widower who brings his own hammy brand of comedy. But he also brings canned wisdom ("You're looking for obstacles rather than looking for magic," he advises Georgia) as well as some melodrama, as he experiences images of his deceased wife. She's played by Rita Wilson, an executive producer on the film who also helped shepherd "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" to the screen.

Basically, the whole structure here is episodic, with Georgia schlepping her group from one site to the next, trying to spark their interest, failing miserably, then planting them in some seedy hotel for the night. At some point, out of nowhere, she realizes she might be interested in this Poupi Kakas fellow after all, and poof! She lets her hair down, literally, and all of a sudden the tourists are on her side.

Vardalos never gets a chance to let her down-to-earth likability shine through: She's either stuffy or sappy, without much nuance in between. It's as if the woman from "My Big Fat Greek Wedding," with all her relatable flaws and charms, has been wiped away with the Windex.

"My Life in Ruins," a Fox Searchlight Pictures release, is rated PG-13 for sexual content. Running time: 96 minutes. Zero stars out of four.