In an age where gay marriage is legal, same-sex parenting is common, and the decision to form a nuclear family is complicated, for many millennials, not by cultural, sexual, or familial constraints, but by ethical and economic ones, it might seem like an odd decision to remake Ang Lee's 1993 "The Wedding Banquet." But watching Andrew Ahn's endearing dramedy, which expands on the original premise while maintaining its core themes of found family and tolerance, rarely questions the story's relevance. More importantly, it lacks style. But watching Andrew Ahn's endearing dramedy, which expands on the original premise while maintaining its core themes of found family and tolerance, rarely questions the story's relevance. More importantly, it lacks style.
The film follows a lesbian couple and a gay couple who share a two-story Seattle residence: Lee (Lily Gladstone) and Angela (Kelly Marie Tran) live in the tall house, while Chris (Bowen Yang) and Min (Han Gi-chan) reside in the converted garage. The story begins conventionally, with a lot of exposition to introduce the quartet. And for a while, each couple represents little more than a brushstroke and a conflict. Lee is a charming woman, eager for her IVF treatments to result in a pregnancy, while the more irritable Angela fears that her strained relationship with her mother (Joan Chen) could affect her own parenting skills.
Director: Andrew Ahn
Writers: Andrew Ahn, James Schamus
Stars: Bowen Yang, Lily Gladstone, Kelly Marie Tran
Meanwhile, Chris, aimless, and Min, flush with a trust fund, grapple with Chris's reluctance to commit to a marriage that would allow Min, who is at risk of losing her residency, to remain in the country. The far-fetched and provocative idea emerges: a marriage with money exchange between Min and Angela, where Min obtains legal residency and Angela receives the funds for Lee's IVF. It's never explained why this is the simplest solution to the couple's problems. Couldn't Min, with a wealthy family, simply cover Lee's treatments without getting married? And why is Chris, a seemingly rational person and devoted boyfriend, so adamantly opposed to helping his partner of five years and signing a marriage certificate?
The script, attributed to James Schamus, Ahn and Lee's original co-writer, wastes no time unraveling these unknowns. Instead, it's quick to introduce its best character: Min's resourceful grandmother (Youn Yuh-jung), who, upon learning of Min's (fake) engagement, insists on flying from Korea for the wedding. Soon after, Lee, Angela, and Chris rush to prepare the house for Grandma's arrival, clearing it of queer miscellany—a clever and absurd scene that also appears in the original film.
Alongside the quartet of millennial disasters, Lin's grandmother and Angela's mother are welcome onscreen presences. Yuh-jung and Chen bring a depth and dignity to their matriarchal roles that is lost on the younger generation, who, despite their comedic talent, struggle to develop the weak characterizations they've been given. As our protagonist, Angela comes most vividly alive in her scenes with her mother, where the script allows her to confront her maternal issues directly rather than reiterating them in dialogue six times. Min has the same space to open up in her scenes with her grandmother; and Chris, in moments with his spunky younger cousin (Bobo Le). This leaves the always talented Gladstone seemingly trapped in a script that fails to give her a strong enough character, a cardinal sin from which the film never recovers.
Stylistically, "The Wedding Banquet" has the gauzy aesthetic of prestige TV. During a fake bachelorette party for Angela, the friends gather in a spacious queer dance club so clearly fictional it made me think of a meme: queer dance clubs are so cool; I wish they were real. In a broad, feel-good comedy like this, it's common to elevate reality. Ahn's exceptional "Fire Island" managed to do just that, staying rooted in genuine feeling. But amid this film's overall blandness, the inauthenticity of its wish-fulfillment sequences stands out all the more sharply.
In an age where gay marriage is legal, same-sex parenting is common, and the decision to form a nuclear family is complicated, for many millennials, not by cultural, sexual, or familial impediments, but rather by ethical and economic ones, it might seem an odd decision to remake Ang Lee's 1993 "The Wedding Banquet."
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