The Wedding Banquet

"To thine own self be true" is more than just an oft-used platitude. It's also good advice, given that concocting and pulling off a scheme rooted in artifice is virtually assured to fail. Such is the case when a long-term gay male couple, Chris and Min (Bowen Yang, Han Gi-Chan, respectively), hatches what they believe to be an ingenious plan for carrying out a marriage of convenience involving their lesbian friends, Lee and Angela (Lily Gladstone, Kelly Marie Tran, respectively). In essence, Min, a South Korean national from a moneyed background whose US visa is about to expire, agrees to marry Angela so that he can qualify for a green card to stay stateside with Chris. In exchange, Min agrees to pay for the in vitro fertilization treatments that Lee is undergoing to enable her and Angela to have a child. It all sounds reasonable enough until Min's stern grandmother (Youn Yuh-jung), the no-nonsense controller of the family purse strings, who's thought to be unaware of her grandson's sexual orientation, decides to visit Seattle to meet Min's bride-to-be. But can the "couple" convince the aging matriarch that their upcoming betrothal is legitimate? Add to that additional complications involving Chris's reluctance to commit to Min for the long term, Angela's issues with her supportive but overbearing mother (Joan Chen) and questions about Lee's ability to successfully become pregnant, and the situation becomes a hot mess, one that threatens the security of two couples and their collective and individual plans for the future (hence the wisdom behind being truthful to oneself). Writer-director Andrew Ahn's latest feature, loosely based on filmmaker Ang Lee's 1993 release of the same name, is a touching, heartfelt romantic comedy-drama examining the kinds of challenges that same-sex couples often face in their relationships. In light of that, I must admit I was quite surprised by what turned up in the finished product, for several reasons. To begin with, the trailer for this film is very misleading, making the picture look like a campy, screwball LGBTQ+ comedy. Far from it; to be sure, the picture is far more serious and substantive than the preview lets on. But that ultimately works to the film's advantage, giving it an unexpected sense of depth that I definitely was not expecting. And that, in turn, helped to dispel the hesitation I had about wanting to screen this offering in the first place: To be honest, I was expecting to see a predictable, cliché-ridden story in the same vein as Ahn's previous feature, "Fire Island" (2022), which I despised because of all of its trite gay stereotypes, something I was not looking forward to seeing again. I'll freely admit that I was in error about that; thankfully, this film more closely resembles the artistic quality found in another of the director's previous works, "Driveways" (2020). What helps this release succeed so well are the fine performances of its excellent ensemble cast, including a break-out portrayal for Yang, who exhibits a greater range here than he's demonstrated in his previous roles, as well as the consistently solid turns by Chen, Yuh-jung and Gladstone. The film also employs humor in just the right amount, never becoming excessive nor falling prey to shopworn comedic devices, thanks to a capably penned script. "The Wedding Banquet" is truly a refreshingly unexpected treat, one of the better releases in the LGBTQ+ genre to have come out in some time. Indeed, this is one cinematic feast that's well worth your time.

Very surprised by all the positive reviews (both critics and movie-goers) of The Wedding Banquet.

My partner and I were very much looking forward to it - but were seriously disappointed.

Various reviewers described the film as hilarious, charming, heartwarming.

We did not see that movie.

It was like spending time - too much time - with neighbors who mostly converse in therapy-speak platitudes, irony-speak chatter and in the case of one of the characters, complain incessantly about their mother.

In addition to the annoying therapy-speak dialogue, the characters were not so interesting in our opinion. Angela's character (Kelly Marie Tran) was especially churlish and unappealing - it was impossible to see why Lee (Lily Gladstone) would have been in a relationship with Angela. For different reasons, it was difficult to see why Chris and Min were together.

The few interesting and thoughtful parts of the movie, in our opinion, were the scenes of Min and his grandmother.

I recall admiring the original Wedding Banquet - will watch it again to see.

The Wedding Banquet is a delightful, heartfelt remake of Ang Lee's 1993 classic that takes a beloved, time-honored premise and refreshes it for a new era. While the original film navigated issues of immigration, identity, and secrecy in a delicate blend of drama and comedy, this film shifts the focus toward relationships and personal growth, exploring the emotional depth of its characters with humor and sincerity.

The film's comedy, though undeniably lighthearted, works largely because the film is brisk, without sacrificing the emotional truth of the characters. The narrative unfolds at a fast pace, each twist and turn propelled by a charming, almost sitcom-like energy.

While the plot may feel predictable at times, and some of the situations bordering on farce, the direction allows the characters to shine through the chaos, striking a balance, using humor to gloss over some of the more contrived plot points, yet never losing sight of the genuine emotional moments at the film's heart.

The blend of comedy and sincerity is where the film truly excels. It never leans too heavily into one side, allowing for moments of deep emotional truth to coexist with the lighthearted absurdity of the characters' increasingly ridiculous plans. When the film slows down, the dialogue crackles with authenticity-especially during the quieter exchanges.

There is, however, a sense that the film could have pushed further into daring or edgier territory. It does not venture into particularly risky or provocative comedic waters. While this makes it a more accessible film for a broader audience, it also feels, at times, a little safe. In the era of modern streaming comedies and edgy narratives, a more bold exploration of the entanglements that ensue might have added another layer of excitement or complexity to the film.

'The Wedding Banquet' is not a masterpiece, but I enjoyed and loved it. Frankly, LGBT romance does not move me as much as heterosexual romance of the same quality because when I try to put myself in the main character's shoes, the latter is way much easier. However, 'The Wedding Banquet' does a great job of making me fall in love with the characters. Four main characters are introduced properly in the beginning. They have distinctive personalities, and the dynamics of the group is interesting. Even I want to be included in this group.

I especially liked not only Yoon's character but her acting as well. Grandmother gives this feel-good movie meaning and sense. She provides how boomers look at modern day relationships and a traditional, institutional ceremony called marriage. She is confused but tries hard to understand and love her grandson as he is. Yoon's acting is so genuine, delicate, and elegant all at the same time. Brilliant performance.

They took a really wonderful movie (the 1993 original), and remade it as another lazy, run of the mill romantic comedy that's trying desperately to be modern and relevant.

Bowen Yang's acting performance was distractingly bad. However, Joan Chen and Lily Gladstone's acting performances were good and solid. But they couldn't save the film.

Overall, I think this one is worth skipping and will probably be forgotten about in 5 years.

I'm glad that this movie will at least bring more attention to the original, and maybe expose people to Ang Lee's earlier work which I personally think is his best.