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New Statesman
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New Statesman
The Wedding Banquet is a breath of fresh air
Photo by BFA / Luka Cyprian / Bleecker Street In Ang Lee's 1993 film The Wedding Banquet, the conflict centred around Wai-Tung, a closeted Taiwanese-American man, and his sham marriage to a woman. Fashioned as a screwball comedy but sharply, sensitively observed, it wrung laughter from the awkwardness of navigating cultural and inter-generational differences. With its elaborate central bacchanal and a running joke about Wai-Tung's live-in white boyfriend secretly cooking all the food, it was an international hit. But while its farcical elements remain timeless, today, its coming out narrative feels almost quaint. The legalisation of gay marriage, along with increased LGBT representation in pop culture, has created an opportunity to tell different, more complex queer stories. It's also an opportunity to make different jokes. In Korean-American director Andrew Ahn's deft remake, he doubles down on the original film's zany plot: in his Wedding Banquet, one half of a lesbian couple agrees to a straight marriage with the partner of her gay best friend. The film revolves around two long-term couples, Angela (Kelly Marie Tran) and Lee (Lily Gladstone), and their best friends Chris (Bowen Yang) and Min (Han Gi-Chan). Angela and Lee are struggling to have a baby following several unsuccessful rounds of expensive IVF. Min, a wealthy art student from Korea, needs to secure his visa or else move home and take over the family business. And Chris, a PhD student with commitment issues, won't marry him. 'I am not going to be responsible for you losing your money or being disowned by your family,' he insists. So Min suggests a workaround: he will pay for his friends' IVF in exchange for a green card marriage. But when his grandmother Ja-Young (Minari's Youn Yuh-jung) gets wind that he's engaged, she arrives in Seattle and insists on a big Korean wedding. Director Ahn and writer James Schamus (who co-wrote the original film) move the story from Nineties Manhattan to present day Seattle, updating the source material in various, amusing ways. The 1993 film took gentle jabs at yuppie culture, with an estate agent protagonist who spent all his free time at the gym. Ahn lovingly teases his own cohort; his hipster millennial ensemble include an aspiring artist with a 10-step skincare routine, a community organizer at a queer nonprofit, a literature student-turned-birdwatching guide, and my favourite, a researcher in a worm lab. The one-liners are all sharp elbows; 'Queer theory takes the joy out of being gay,' deadpans Chris of his lapsed PhD. Yet when it comes to the supporting characters, Ahn refuses to trade in stereotypes for the sake of a gag. Min's formidable, no-nonsense grandmother is portrayed as intelligent rather than simply 'wise' while Angela's glamorous, domineering mother May (a very funny and charming Joan Chen) is not only accepting of her daughter's queerness, but an ally, glowing and sparkling with pride. 'My own daughter, marrying a man!' she gasps when she hears her news. Angela, of course, finds her 'triggering.' Romantic comedies often focus on courtship rather than commitment, which is perhaps why films like this one, along with Tina Fey's recent TV remake of Alan Alda's The Four Seasons, feels like a breath of fresh air. The Four Seasons questions if romance and domesticity can coexist, through the prism of three middle-aged married couples. Similarly, in The Wedding Banquet, though the characters express interest in the rituals of marriage and becoming parents, there's an unwillingness to buy into those institutions wholesale. Tellingly, the film's big drunken set piece takes place at Angela's hen do, not the wedding. Mostly, the film is lighthearted and fun, which is why it wobbles a little when trying to find its balance. Ahn treats the theme of a chosen family with earnest, weary seriousness, but the grounded dramatic performances can jar with the zippier jokes. Gladstone (Killers of the Flower Moon) is a dab hand with both, but a sombre, too-realistic confrontation between her and Tran's Angela feels like it belongs in a different movie. Subscribe to The New Statesman today from only £8.99 per month Subscribe 'The Wedding Banquet' is in cinemas now Related
CNN
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- CNN
Bowen Yang feels very bleeping strongly that ‘SNL' should be able to use profanity for comic effect
Bowen Yang is pleading his case for why he thinks he and his 'Saturday Night Live' castmates should be able to use profanity on the sketch show. Yang spoke his mind on Wednesday's episode of his podcast 'Las Culturistas,' which he cohosts with Matt Rogers, telling Rogers and their guest Amy Poehler that he thinks the cast should be able to buck Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rules and use certain swear words on live television throughout the season. 'We should be able to say at least five s—s and five f—s on 'SNL' per season,' Yang said, adding that he feels 'so hampered in our comedy at 'SNL' by not being able to say' those two words in sketches. Yang argued that 'SNL' should get an exception from the FCC, a federal organization that prohibits the use of profanity from being broadcast on TV. 'It would bring a sketch to the next level,' he said. The 'Wedding Banquet' star added that he feels s— and f— 'are so comedically powerful as words, I really think it would help us.' Rogers asked Yang if the FCC 'came down' on 'SNL' after profanity was used during the April 6 episode, albeit unplanned. In the sketch, 'SNL' castmember Ego Nwodim did a bit on 'Weekend Update' where she lobbied to be the White House Correspondents Dinner event's comedic host by showing off her standup comedy chops. Nwodim, appearing as her standup persona 'Miss Eggy,' issued a call and response to the audience at one point when she asked, 'because men ain't what?' and held her mic out toward the audience, who responded by saying 's—' – much to Nwodim, and 'Weekend Update' anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che's, surprise. 'We're gonna get fined for that,' Nwodim quipped in the skit. As it turns out, nothing ever came of it, at least as far as Yang is aware. 'I don't think anything came down, which I love,' he shared on his podcast this week.
CNN
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- CNN
Bowen Yang feels very bleeping strongly that ‘SNL' should be able to use profanity for comic effect
Bowen Yang is pleading his case for why he thinks he and his 'Saturday Night Live' castmates should be able to use profanity on the sketch show. Yang spoke his mind on Wednesday's episode of his podcast 'Las Culturistas,' which he cohosts with Matt Rogers, telling Rogers and their guest Amy Poehler that he thinks the cast should be able to buck Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rules and use certain swear words on live television throughout the season. 'We should be able to say at least five s—s and five f—s on 'SNL' per season,' Yang said, adding that he feels 'so hampered in our comedy at 'SNL' by not being able to say' those two words in sketches. Yang argued that 'SNL' should get an exception from the FCC, a federal organization that prohibits the use of profanity from being broadcast on TV. 'It would bring a sketch to the next level,' he said. The 'Wedding Banquet' star added that he feels s— and f— 'are so comedically powerful as words, I really think it would help us.' Rogers asked Yang if the FCC 'came down' on 'SNL' after profanity was used during the April 6 episode, albeit unplanned. In the sketch, 'SNL' castmember Ego Nwodim did a bit on 'Weekend Update' where she lobbied to be the White House Correspondents Dinner event's comedic host by showing off her standup comedy chops. Nwodim, appearing as her standup persona 'Miss Eggy,' issued a call and response to the audience at one point when she asked, 'because men ain't what?' and held her mic out toward the audience, who responded by saying 's—' – much to Nwodim, and 'Weekend Update' anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che's, surprise. 'We're gonna get fined for that,' Nwodim quipped in the skit. As it turns out, nothing ever came of it, at least as far as Yang is aware. 'I don't think anything came down, which I love,' he shared on his podcast this week.
Perth Now
21-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Bowen Yang will leave Saturday Night Live 'at some point'
Bowen Yang plans to leave 'Saturday Night Live' "at some point". The 34-year-old star joined the writing team of the sketch show in 2018 and has appeared in more than 100 episodes since becoming a cast member the following year but he knows he can't stay forever as he'll eventually have to "make way" for new faces. He told People magazine: "'SNL', it's just this moving, living, breathing thing. "Especially after the 50th, I'm seeing what life after the show is like and how beautiful it is, and how so many people, no matter how long they were at the show, are just with their families and loving their lives and not letting the years take away any of that experience for them. "And then with 'SNL', like I said, it's this growing, living thing where new people come in and you do have to sort of make way for them and to grow and to keep elevating themselves," he continues. "And that inevitably requires me to sort of hang it up at some point — but I don't know what the vision is yet." Bowen admitted working on the show makes it hard for him to date or maintain a social life because of its demanding production schedule. He said: "The new season of 'SNL', I'm just like, 'Oh, right. My time isn't my own.' And I tell my friends, 'I'm not going to really see you guys until June.' "And people that I've gone a couple solid dates with I'm like, 'Hey, it's not for lack of interest. My time is really slipping away from me and I'm so sorry and it's not a you thing, it's a me thing.' " However, the 'Wedding Banquet' star enjoys the collaborative environment on the show and is never afraid to try something new in the hope of getting a laugh. He said: "I think one of the best parts about working at 'SNL' is that whenever you're not working on your own, because you are helping someone else, a cast member, execute on their vision, and so they're coming up to you being like, 'You need to dress up as a drone and you need to dress up as a Chinese spy balloon and do blah, blah, blah.' And you're like, 'Okay, sure.' 'You need to do up with Lady Gaga.' And you can't think anything of it. "You get shot out of a cannon in so many of these situations that it kind of breaks down all of your hesitancies around doing anything that has only served me. I mean, every now and then, a lot of times it'll be like egg on your face, you'll make an ass out of yourself, but I never, ever weigh that against the wonderful things that I've gotten to do."
USA Today
17-04-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Why Lily Gladstone felt 'protective' over 'Wedding Banquet' co-star Kelly Marie Tran
Why Lily Gladstone felt 'protective' over 'Wedding Banquet' co-star Kelly Marie Tran Show Caption Hide Caption 'The Wedding Banquet' 2025 trailer: Bowen Yang stars in new movie A gay man (Han Gi-Chan) and his lesbian friend (Kelly Marie Tran) hatch a plan for a green card marriage in this remake of Ang Lee's 1993 movie. NEW YORK – For Lily Gladstone, making 'The Wedding Banquet' was an act of self-care. The Oscar-nominated actress has wowed critics with her dramatic turns in 'Killers of the Flower Moon' and Hulu's 'Under the Bridge.' But her new romantic comedy (in theaters April 18) was a chance for Gladstone, 38, to revel in queer joy, playing a community organizer named Lee who's trying to have a baby with her partner, Angela (Kelly Marie Tran). 'I had the instinct this was going to be a really high-quality-of-life picture, beyond just being a great film,' says Gladstone, sipping green juice in a Midtown hotel on a recent rainy afternoon. Shooting in Vancouver last summer, the cast connected over weekend hikes, reality TV and 'Mamma Mia!,' as performed by a local Korean choir. It was a meaningful bonding experience for Tran, 36, a 'Star Wars' alum who came out publicly as queer last fall. 'It was so wonderful to be in an environment where we were all celebrating this particular part of our identity,' Tran says. 'It was a really special feeling, to be part of this chosen family we created while making a film about chosen family.' We've got room on the couch! Sign up for USA TODAY's Watch Party newsletter for more TV & film news. Among many other things, 'Wedding Banquet' explores the tension between Angela and her mom, May (Joan Chen), who initially spurns her daughter after coming out but later tries to course-correct as an exceedingly public LGBTQ advocate. Tran and Gladstone, who uses she/they pronouns, open up about the heartfelt movie. Question: Growing up, what was a formative piece of queer media for you? Kelly Marie Tran: 'Rent.' (Laughs.) I'm such a musical theater kid and 'Rent' was huge for me. There's a wealth of queer representation in that, between the different couples and every single reference in 'La Vie Bohème.' Lily Gladstone: If you revisit any film through the right lens with enough self-awareness, anything could be representation. Retroactively, I loved the elves in 'Lord of the Rings' because they're so androgynous. I was also really inspired by a 1970 film called 'Little Big Man.' It's one of the first times you see a Two-Spirit character onscreen, in a culture where gender fluidity and queerness are acknowledged and upheld. The first time I got to work with fluidity as an actor was in 'Certain Women,' although I didn't realize how much I identified with it because it was such a natural part of me. It's not something that was front and center about that narrative – it was just allowed to exist within a character who didn't have a full grasp on it themselves. Reading this script, was there a storyline that you felt you hadn't seen depicted with such nuance before? Tran: The relationship between May and Angela is one that I completely relate to. Not just the repressed resentment that Angela feels, but even after Angela confronts her mother, they never really resolve what happened. May just starts showing up in a different way, and that to me is so Asian. In my family as well, there are these deep-seated resentments that never get resolved and you just talk around things. Was there a particular moment when the two of you clicked? Gladstone: We just found this ease with each other very quickly. I walked into this film with admiration and protectiveness of Kelly because of the journey she went on, breaking down a huge door for representation. I was raised on 'Star Wars,' and she helped carve out a space for so many other people in that (franchise). Having come off my own little pop of too much exposure and attention (with 'Flower Moon'), I was very impressed by and protective of Kelly. Tran: You've never said that thing to me about the protectiveness, but I felt it the whole time. You're the most down-to-earth human being, and on top of that, such a generous actor. Kelly, how did this movie help you come into your own queerness? Tran: There's less justification now. I don't feel like I have to explain myself, or justify parts of my identity, or the way that I'm thinking – there's just more acceptance and openness. That was really exciting for me. Oftentimes, I have previously found myself in spaces where not only did I feel like I had to justify my queerness, but also my Asianness. Here, none of that existed. I was like, 'Oh, I can breathe,' so that was really special. Lily, you come from a theater background. Was comedy always a natural register for you to play in? Gladstone: Anybody from my community who saw me being a hammy, performative kid thought I was going to end up on 'Saturday Night Live,' or with my own show like 'Roseanne,' before she was so problematic. Let's say Fran Drescher in 'The Nanny.' (Laughs.) My default as a kid was the class clown who played these big, outlandish characters onstage. Comedy has always been where I've wanted to go, so it took everybody by surprise that I ended up being such an effective dramatic actor. But all my closest friends who have seen the film say this feels the most like hanging out with me. In one of the film's funniest scenes, Lee and Angela have to "de-queer" their house before Min (Han Gi-Chan) and his grandmother (Youn Yuh-Jung) arrive. What would you personally have to hide? Gladstone: I've got some suggestive candles that would need to be put away. I have beaded vagina earrings, too. Tran: I have a vagina magnet I got at a queer art fair, which is just a vagina with teeth. (Laughs.) I feel like if we were shooting that scene in my home, we'd be taking all the stuff down.
