Displaying items by tag: Bowen Yang

THE WEDDING BANQUET 

US, 2025, 103 minutes, Colour.

Lily Gladstone, Kelly Marie Tran, Bowen Yang, Han Gi-chan, Joan Chen, Youn Yuh-jung.

Directed by Andrew Ahn.

This 21^st-century film is a remake of the 1993 The Wedding Banquet, written by Ang Lee and James Schamus, directed by Ang Lee, leading to his very successful international career including two Oscars as Best Director, for Brokeback Mountain and Life of Pi. James Schamus collaborated with the current director, Andrew Ahn, for the screenplay of this remake.

The setting is Seattle and a focus on two couples, both gay, two women living together and preparing for surrogacy, two men, one of whom is Korean. At this level, the film is a romantic comedy.

But, the Korean young man, wanting to stay in the United States, receives family pressures that he should join the family business back home and that he should marry. With the imminent arrival of the Korean matriarch, the four suddenly have to go into different mode, setting up the households is as if they were to conventional couples.

There is a drama in the effect on each of the characters given this cross situation. And, there is plenty of opportunity for comedy of errors.

There is comedy with the Korean matriarch, deception, but eventual truth telling, the four turning up at the local offices, weddings planned but spouses finally interchanged leading to happy endings.

1. The impact of the 1993 original film? Marriage and different cultures? The issue of same-sex orientation, relationships, marriage, children and family? Reinterpreted for the 2020s in the US?
2. The Seattle settings, the city, homes, families, socials, restaurants, weddings, City Hall? The musical score?
3. The introduction to the characters and their relationships, Lee, her age, background, relationship with Angela, Angela and her career? The issue of IVF, lack of success, expenses? Love, tensions? Angela and her relationship with her mother, her mother dominating, her causes and groups?
4. Chris and Min, the long relationship, each of the characters, together, Min and his student status, visa expiry, proposing marriage, Chris and his reactions, uncertain, refusing? Chris and his highly emotional character?
5. The situation, Min and the proposal, engagement to Angela, the Korean background, the grandmother, the communications, the family business, expectations, the grandfather? Her suddenly arriving in Seattle?
6. The proposal, the situation, the truth for the grandmother, her own story about arranged marriage, her demand for the elaborate ceremonial wedding, Korean for style, the benefit of the grandfather?
7. The elaborate wedding, the banquet, the rituals, participation, Angela, her being sick?
8. The aftermath, Chris and Angela, the drinking, the night, the pregnancy?
9. The consequences, Lee, Min paying for the IVF, the reaction to Angela, leaving?
10. Chris, his cousin, getting support, Min, these are?
11. Going to the city office, the quick four weddings, Angela and Min, the change of heart, the two couples marrying? The grandmother present?
12. The aftermath, the couples together, the two babies in the family?