In this remake of Ang Lee’s 1993 film, gay couple Lee (Lily Gladston) and Angela (Kelly Marie Tran) are struggling to conceive a child through IVF. Unable to afford another round of treatment, they are approached by Angela’s best friend’s boyfriend, Min (Han Gi-Chan), who is desperate to hide his relationship from his mother (Youn Yuh-Jung). In exchange for the money for IVF, Angela will pretend to be Min’s fiancee, much to the chagrin of Lee and Min’s boyfriend Chris (Bowen Yang).
The sitcom premise does feel a little dated and hockey. Farcical scenes of characters hiding giveaways and desperately trying to improvise lies betray the film’s 90s origins. Fortunately, the deception itself takes up very little of the runtime as Min’s mother, Ja-Young, is able to see through her son easily. Most of the film is instead devoted to the interplay between characters and the customs of Min’s family.
Though not overly funny and on the melodramatic side, the film is an excellent showcase for its leads’ dramatic and comedic talents. Our four leads share a believable chemistry and the film is at it’s best when allowing them to explore the messy emotions of their situation.
But it’s the two mothers who really shine. Min’s mother is old-fashioned and stern but never cliched. She’s affectionate to her son and carries a profound shame that she was not able to accept her son and protect him from the emotional abuse of his father. Meanwhile, Joan Chen plays May Chen, Angela’s mother who has made performative acceptance her raison d’etre. She prides herself on participating in community groups and knowing the vocabulary but beneath her acceptance is an old-fashioned obsession with status.
Though falling short of fully justifying a remake of Lee’s film, The Wedding Banquet offers a strong emotional core care of it’s cast. It’s not new ground but it’s a heartfelt and deeply human story.
Three Stars