The Wedding Banquet (1993) Xi yan (original title): To satisfy his nagging parents, a gay landlord and a female tenant agree to a marriage of convenience, but his parents arrive to visit and things get out of hand. (7.5)
Director: Ang Lee
Writers: Ang Lee, Neil Peng, and 1 more credit »
Stars: Winston Chao, May Chin and Ya-lei Kuei
Languages: Mandarin and English (w/ English subtitles)
The first thing to remember when watching this movie is that it was made in 1993. The subject matters, and quite frankly some of the scenes, challenge the norms not only of the Chinese-American community but also the period sensibilities of the broader American culture. It is a very bold step forward by the director/writer Ang Lee. I think, I may have missed some inside jokes in the community, but the comedy and drama were in right proportions. The plight of the immigrants w/o a green card could have been emphasized a bit more, but that wasn't the main theme of the movie. The acting was good except for a few scenes. The storytelling was captivating. My Rating: 7.5
