Bowen Yang’s Hilarious & Heartfelt Romantic Comedy Revives What’s Been Missing From The Genre

Every once in a while, a film comes along that touches you in the most unexpected ways. The Wedding Banquet
, a laugh-out-loud comedy that has a big heart, is one such movie. A remake of Ang Lee’s 1993 film, director Andrew Ahn’s version — which he co-wrote with James Schamus, the original film’s co-writer — maintains the premise but makes the story entirely his own. The ensemble cast is impeccable and has fantastic chemistry and comedic timing. The combination of cast and storytelling makes for an emotionally gorgeous, hilarious, and touching film that you’ll want to rewatch over and over again.

Angela Chen (Kelly Marie Tran) and her partner Lee (Lily Gladstone) are trying to have a baby through IVF. Lee is fully committed to being a mother and having a family with Angela, who’s still working through issues with her overzealous mother (Joan Chen), now a big supporter of the LGBTQ+ community. Chris (Bowen Yang) is a commitment-phobe but loves his boyfriend Min (Han Gi-chan), who wants to marry Chris. There’s a problem: Min’s green card is about to expire and if he doesn’t agree to lead his family’s company, his grandmother (Youn Yuh-jung) will send him back to Korea.

The Romantic Comedy Is Heartfelt & Genuinely Funny

The Wedding Banquet makes quite a few changes to the original film to better reflect its contemporary setting and it’s all the better for it. There aren’t too many remakes that are willing to take risks, but Ahn puts his heart and soul into the film and his and Schamus’ script balances multiple stories at once with ease. The characters and their individual stories are all established early on, and their interactions light up the film.

There are plenty of comical moments — like when Min, after his proposal is rejected by Chris and Angela, who he asked to marry him for his green card and to appease his grandmother, plops down on a chair and declares his ego has been bruised. But the film is also bursting with sincerity. The Wedding Banquet tackles difficult topics with a heartfelt fluidity. Chris and Angela are particularly messy characters and they know it, which is where much of the conflict comes from.

Acceptance, love, and the family one can create for themselves are all beautifully explored themes. Angela’s relationship with her mother is filled with turmoil, but there’s a lot of love there, as well as a learning curve for her mother. Min’s relationship with his grandmother is initially tense, but when she arrives from Korea to throw him a wedding, their relationship deepens. Family is an important aspect of the romantic comedy, but so is friendship and romance. The film has great characters; they’re messy and fun, lovable and deep. Ahn’s film is refreshing, offering a delightful take on romance tropes.

The Wedding Banquet’s Cast Is Exceptional

They Look Like They’re Having A Blast

The Wedding Banquet’s ensemble cast is one of the best you’ll likely see this year. Not only is it rare for us to be gifted with a wildly entertaining comedy, but it’s rarer when you can feel the love between the assembled cast onscreen. Kelly Marie Tran, best known for playing Rose in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, is wonderful. She imbues Angela with a sense of self-deprecation and dry humor, but it’s clear to see through Tran’s portrayal how in pain Angela is. Tran layers Angela’s journey with a range of emotions, balancing her insecurities with wry humor.

Lily Gladstone is always a joy to watch onscreen. As Lee, she’s calm and collected but also sly and witty. She patiently waits for Angela but is in a more stable place emotionally, able to communicate any of the hurt or trepidation she feels about her and Angela’s future. Gladstone and Tran have wonderful chemistry and I instantly felt invested in their relationship. Han Gi-chan is lovely. He plays Min’s exasperation with Chris with a comical slant that doesn’t undermine the very real feelings underneath. He wears his heart on his sleeve and isn’t ashamed of the love he feels.

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Bowen Yang is also fantastic. He’s perhaps the most anxious of the group, though Angela comes in second. His dry sense of humor and theatrics can’t hide his character’s debilitating fear of commitment. But although Yang imbues Chris with the kind of dread of commiting that anyone of us can feel, his character is the least fleshed out. I never fully understand Chris’ hesitation to marry Min beyond his fear of Min losing everything — his money and his family — in one fell swoop. But that’s just a cover-up for feelings Chris has that are not entirely explored.

But this is a small quibble in a film that is overwhelmingly heartwarming, funny, and tender. Ahn has a hit on his hands. The Wedding Banquet is up there with some of the best romantic comedies in recent years. It’s touching, with strong themes and a mostly seamless execution. The film will make you laugh and cry in equal measure. The cast is so warm and it’s clear they’re having a great time, which makes the film all the more fun to watch. The power of love and friendship is strong in this exuberant rom-com that is oozing with comedy and charm.

The Wedding Banquet premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival.

The Wedding Banquet

Release Date

April 18, 2025

Runtime

102 Minutes

Director

Andrew Ahn

Writers

Andrew Ahn, James Schamus

Producers

James Schamus, Julie Goldstein, Daniel Bekerman, Shivani Rawat, Joe Pirro, Kent Sanderson, Anita Gou, Andrew Karpen

Pros & Cons

• The cast has incredible and fun chemistry
• The film is genuinely touching and funny
• The Wedding Banquet has strong themes
• There are a lot of characters but they all get their time to shine

• Bowen Yang’s character is the least defined