‘The Wedding Banquet’ serves up a gay old time
As a rule, I dislike remakes, particularly those in which misguided filmmakers believe they can improve on a classic. But like Spielberg’s “West Side Story” before it, Andrew Ahn’s update of 1993’s “The Wedding Banquet” is a multipronged triumph that succeeds in honoring the original while reflecting current times.
It also benefits from impeccable timing, with the LGBTQ community under assault by conservatives committed to erasing decades of progress one executive order at a time. Yet, there’s no discernible political bent, opting instead to serve as an unabashed celebration of love’s capacity to transcend sexual, cultural and familial boundaries. Nor is it insular or preachy. It embraces its subject matter, enticing you with generous amounts of levity and grace, as you become immersed in the inner lives of characters who refuse to be singularly defined.
A lot has changed in the 30-plus years since Lee’s breakthrough film, and this updated “Wedding Banquet” is expressive of that in its nonchalant approach to the portrayal of gay marriage and same-sex parenting. Both no longer warrant a shrug. They are settled law. But that’s still not the case when one of the parties isn’t an American citizen. As in Lee’s original, the plot revolves around a closeted gay man in immediate need of a green card.
In this case, that would be Han Gi-Chan’s Min, the Korean heir to an industrial empire he wants no part of. He seeks to remain in the U.S. and in the arms of his commitment-shy boyfriend Chris (“SNL’s” Bowen Yang). But his student visa is about to expire and he can’t persuade his partner to become his husband of immediate convenience. Enter Chris’ best friend, Angela (Kelly Marie Tran). She and her lover, Lee (Oscar-nominee Lily Gladstone), have twice failed to conceive through IVF and can’t afford a third attempt. That is until Min offers to fund the new treatment in exchange for Angela marrying him.
Easy-peasy? You’d think so. But the unexpected arrival of Min’s bullshit-detecting grandmother (Oscar-winner Youn Yuh-jung) from Korea poses a snag that sets the stage for a host of screwball antics that lend the movie a touch of old-fashioned, fast-paced farce. But the hilarity is often punctuated by moments of emotion-rich drama touching on questions of identity, self-doubt and the social dilemma of tradition versus modernization.
Kudos to Ahn and James Schamus, who also co-authored the original with Lee, for writing a script abundant in depth and insight. But I would have preferred less of a reliance on expository dialogue and easily predictable outcomes. You can see every twist coming a mile away. But Ahn’s kinetic direction, abetted by an outstanding ensemble cast – that also includes Joan Chen as Angela’s overbearing mother, May – enable “The Wedding Banquet” to overcome its liabilities by being consistently endearing.
Much like his masterful and similarly sentimental “Driveways” from 2019, Ahn capitalizes on his gift for seamlessly melding realism with Hollywood tropes to create hugely entertaining flicks that connect emotionally and intellectually. They’re also deftly humorous, if not laugh-out-loud funny. But what elevates them above mainstream entertainment is their unapologetic display of heart. It’s an asset “The Wedding Banquet” exudes in its astute examination of the dynamics of how the clash between chosen family and ancestral heritage can be rewarding, but not without a lot of push and shove. It’s ultimately a moving treatise on what it means to love, honor and cherish. And that’s a proposal to which I’m sure just about everyone will say, “I do.”
Movie review
The Wedding Banquet
Rated: R for language, some sexual material and nudity
Cast: Lily Gladstone, Bowen Yang, Kelly Marie Tran, Han Gi-Chan, Joan Chen and Youn Yuh-jung
Director: Andrew Ahn
Writers: Andrew Ahn and James Schamus
Runtime: 103 minutes
Where: In theaters April 18
Grade: B+
