The Wedding Banquet: Faking Marriage, Finding Family

"I wanted to make a film that really celebrated family," shared director Andrew Ahn after a screening of his remake of Ang Lee’s 1993 queer movie classic The Wedding Banquet. And his vibrant rendition does just that. This film reminds us of one of the reasons why queer stories matter: to show families, both biological and chosen, thriving wherever people can find acceptance to live their lives as their full selves.

Before taking on remaking a classic, Ahn described really asking himself if the story of a lavender marriage—a marriage of convenience between a man and a woman to conceal one or both their sexual preferences—would still be relevant today. After all, the original film was made 32 years ago, before LGBTQ acceptance had any real foothold in mainstream American culture. 1993 was five years before Will and Grace debuted on TV and four years before Ellen DeGeneres’ character came out as lesbian on her sitcom, Ellen.

Ahn’s answer was a resounding yes. Even now, and perhaps especially now, as various states threaten to roll back marriage equality and the current administration challenges migrant rights, we can collectively imagine situations in which such marriages of convenience might be advantageous. Ahn's film is a loving tribute to the original and a beautiful, bold statement about the importance of queer, intercultural, and intergenerational stories.

The story features gay couple Chris and Min (Bowen Yang and Han Gi-chan) and their close friendship with lesbian couple Angela and Lee (Kelly Marie Tran and Lily Gladstone). Facing complex pressures, from visas to family expectations and fertility challenges, they agree to manufacture a sham marriage between Min and Angela so that Min can stay in the country in exchange for funding for Angela and Lee's next round of IVF. This cast of fully-fleshed personalities then engages in a comedy of errors that highlights the lengths we go to as we try to create belonging and family with the ones we love.

This film took me on an emotional ride, capturing a wide range of feelings, from depths of disappointment to euphoric joy. It’s a film that celebrates and centers queer experiences, but is also relatable and accessible to anyone who appreciates stories about relationships told with genuine emotional depth.

The esteemed Youn Yuh-jung steals audiences’ hearts as Min’s matriarch grandmother. She’s sharp as a cleaver and unafraid to call out BS when she sees it. Traveling from Korea to bless this marriage arrangement, she commands respect for tradition but also shows us her own brand of unconditional love. The scenes between Min and his grandmother could be straight out of a Korean drama. With Min as the heir to the family’s conglomerate business, they creatively navigate the expectations of familial duty in a modern context.

The film also explores the shadow side of LGBTQ acceptance and progress. Joan Chen plays Angela’s mother, a seemingly supportive figure whose celebration of her daughter’s sexuality is steeped in performative allyship, more invested in her image than her daughter’s comfort. It is a nuanced portrayal reminding us that acceptance can be complex, partial, and frustratingly transactional.

Still, the film is deeply aspirational, showing that healing within families is possible. Its ending celebrates the friendships that turn into chosen family and revels in the experience of young queer adults truly being seen and supported by their elders.

By casting openly LGBTQ actors alongside respected film icons of Asian cinema like Chen and Youn Yuh-jung, Ahn creates a film that is significant in this cultural moment. Since these actresses are such legends in their native countries, they lend their star power to elevate this movie about queer identities. In addition to a richer intercultural experience for the moviegoer here, Chen and Youn’s presence in this film also have the ability to nudge deeper conversations about LGBTQ acceptance and visibility in communities in China, Korea, and beyond.

The original The Wedding Banquet paved the road for progress, and Ahn's updated version stands to do the same today. With any luck, directors 30 years from now will see no need to retell a story about a lavender marriage, because society will have no further need for them. But for now, the film opens in theaters nationwide on April 18. It just might inspire you with more ways to imagine a loving family.