Ang Lee’s “The Wedding Banquet” (Oscar-nominee for Best Foreign-Language Film) was released in 1993, pre-dating the writer/director’s other acclaimed queer-themed film, “Brokeback Mountain,” by 12 years.
Co-written by Lee and James Schamus (who would also work with Lee on “Brokeback”), the movie was notable for the way it handled its subject matter – queerness and a conservative culture – with sensitivity and humor in equal measure.
For some reason, 22 years later, gay filmmaker Andrew Ahn, along with original screenwriter Schamus, felt the need to remake what was already a near-perfect movie, making multiple alterations to create their 21st century version of “The Wedding Banquet” (Bleecker Street). Yes, things have changed considerably over the years, and to their credit, the “Banquet” team does its best to represent that.
Two Seattle-based queer couples – Lee (Lily Gladstone) and Angela (Kelly Marie Tran), and Chris (Bowen Yang, who also starred in Ahn’s “Fire Island”) and Min (Han Gi-Chan) – reside next to each other (Chris and Min rent the converted garage attached to Lee’s house). Chris and Angela have a history dating back to their college days. Lee and Angela are trying, unsuccessfully, to conceive via IVF. Min is a visual artist who lives off the stipend he receives from his wealthy family in Korea.
But change is in the air. Min’s grandmother Ja-Young (Oscar-winner Youn Yuh-jung, who steals every scene in which she appears) wants him to come to work for the family business or risk losing the financial support he receives. All of this takes place at an emotional time. In addition to what Lee and Angela are experiencing, Chris is preparing to ask Min to marry him.
Conflict with a capital C! The ever-resourceful Min comes up with an idea. He will “marry” Angela to keep his cash flow coming, as well as have the status to earn a Green Card. The bonus is that with the continued income, Min will be able to provide funds for the third IVF that Lee and Angela are unable to afford. After much negotiation, a tentative agreement is reached, as another complication arises. Ja-young plans a trip to Seattle to meet her future granddaughter-in-law.
The grandmother may be old, but she is not visually impaired and sees through the entire situation. Of course, Angela’s PFLAG flag-waving mother May (Joan Chen, playing a character considerably different from the traditionalist one she played in the 2004 lesbian film “Saving Face”) isn’t of much help either. Ultimately, Ja-young gets involved in the scheming, and a hard-won happy ending isn’t far behind.
The buffet that is “The Wedding Banquet” serves up a heap of seasoned kookiness, including a pregnancy resulting from an unexpected hook-up. There is also an interesting focus on multinational representation, including Lee’s Duwamish heritage, Min’s Korean background, and Chris’s Chinese roots. And the wedding scenes, particularly the one that takes place in the judge’s chambers, border on slapstick. If for no other reason than to witness Youn Yuh-jung’s exceptional performance, consider RSVPing to this wedding.
Rating: B-
