Crazy Rich Asian-ish?

Bright, boisterous, and “Bok-bok, b*tch.” These are only a few takeaways from “Crazy Rich Asians,” this summer’s hit rom-com that featured an all-Asian cast and looked oh-so-tasteful doing it. In Jon M. Chu’s adaptation of Kevin Kwan’s 2013 novel, we follow Asian American Rachel Chu (Constance Wu) as she heads to Singapore to meet the family of her boyfriend Nick Young (Henry Golding). Rachel is thrown into a whirlwind of luxury and pressure, seeking acceptance from socialites, family members, and Nick’s most disapproving mother Eleanor Young (Michelle Yeoh). And while our hearts soared everytime Golding went shirtless and our mouths watered at the many food porn shots (the whole movie was really a whole snack, overall), the film didn’t satisfy in one important regard: the Asian of “Crazy Rich Asians.”

First, its accolades: The film excels with its colorful cast and chemistry. Wu plays Rachel as the steadfast and sure leading lady with a touch of sassiness, which pairs well with Golding’s oozing charisma. In his acting debut, Golding is a natural as the lowkey extremely privileged and most eligible bachelor of Asia. The pair brings the “rom” part to life and centralizes the feel-good sappiness of the movie.

The supporting cast is even better, with Gemma Chan exactly like Kwan described her character Astrid Leong-Teo in the novel, from her looks to her quiet strength and grace. The absolute scene stealer is Awkwafina as Goh Peik Lin, who arguably has even better chemistry with Ken Jeong—who plays her tacky father Goh Wye Mun—than Wu and Golding. As Rachel’s friend and Singaporean guide, Peik Lin is the jaded, uncouth aunt who we all want in our lives. This wide array of characters is the film’s ultimate strength in Asian representation, successful in demonstrating that Asians can play charming, funny, and powerful roles. In fact, when we meet Wye Mun, he introduces himself with the old exaggerated Asian trope until he assures Rachel in perfect American English, “Just kidding. I went to Cal State Fullerton.” And while earning an uproar of laughter from the audience, this parody of a parody is a message: “Yeah, Hollywood, this is old. Is this the best you can do?”

What makes “Crazy Rich Asians” a triumph is how seamlessly it normalizes Asians in all of these roles. It is a rare sight indeed to see an Asian play the main love interest, much less an Asian couple as the focus. It is high time that Hollywood producers and execs pick up on the fact that Asians can be more than just robotic characters devoid of any social skills, written into a film or TV show just to be laughed at or for diversity’s sake. Ken Jeong would know.

While gorgeously shot in Singapore, the film’s less extravagant budget does show at times. Aside from Nick’s gargantuan childhood mansion and the stunning costumes, the film doesn’t deliver on the filthy rich overspending and opulence that is very carefully detailed in the novel. Colin Khoo’s bachelor party on the cargo ship is painfully synthetic-looking, and Araminta’s spa getaway doesn’t stand out as particularly grandiose. A major part of the original plot is the shellshock Rachel experiences when she realizes Nick’s identity and witnesses the millions of dollars that the Singaporean elite can blow in single shopping sprees. Neither Rachel nor the audience is particularly overwhelmed by Nick’s “crazy rich” circle.

A large reason for the missing wealth is the way the movie is structured. Kwan’s novel mixes the plot with very elaborate descriptions of the different members of Singaporean high society, how they came into money, and the juicy dirt on them. In the film, we follow Rachel and her fish-out-of-water experience, which excludes our following of the intricate workings of Nick’s relatives. This makes the inclusion of Astrid’s marital issues jarring—while it’s a major part of Kwan’s story, Michael’s infidelity is unrelated to Rachel’s journey and seems strangely tacked on for the sake of drama. This also waters down Nick’s actual importance because we know he’s Asia’s most eligible bachelor, but we don’t really know why.

All of this poses the question: Is “Crazy Rich Asians” really an Asian rom-com? The film has been met with glowing reactions and overwhelming support from the Asian American community. But what is left unsettling is the missing culture—the specifics. Aside from the interspersed language changes and the generous amount of cooking shots, there isn’t much in the movie that speaks as particularly Asian. The cast could easily have been replaced by some ritzy white family, the Singaporean landscape subbed out by some high class estates in Europe, and it wouldn’t have made a difference. In a movie that is supposed to be an entrance into the splendor of Singaporean wealth, being limited to Rachel’s perspective also limits what makes this world unique. We miss how these socialites and hotshots came into money, how it passed on in different generations, and even the social hierarchy within the top of the social hierarchy (which would explain just how elite the Young name is and why Rachel had so many expectations pushed upon her). All of these attributes and more are what make them distinctly Singaporean.

The book sets up the film to be a celebration for Asian audiences and an insight for non-Asian viewers, bringing to life real Asian culture, not the bastardized Hollywood version that is so often played out. Many have criticized the film for its portrayals of Asians in this light of extravagance and affluence that is unrepresentative of the majority. Director Jon M. Chu addressed this in a press conference. “We decided very early on that this is not the movie to solve all representation issues,” he said. “This is a very specific movie, we have a very specific world, very specific characters.” Just because this is the first all-Asian cast feature film in over 20 years doesn’t mean it has to please everyone. In fact, it is beneficial for this film to use the allure of lavish living for Asian representation to be able to hit the ground running. However, while I agree with Chu that this film can’t meet everyone’s expectations, it should have been able to at least hit the target on being a specific world—accurately portraying Singaporean opulence and Asian family dynamics.

It was only in the dumpling-making scene that I truly responded to the movie. Seeing the number of generations in the room, from Ah-Ma to Astrid’s little son Cassian, sitting together and carefully sculpting the dumplings into perfect shape puts together a true picture of the Asian home. Though we wither with Rachel under Eleanor Young’s icy gaze, the tenderness of tradition and family sentiment that is so prevalent in the scene could only have been perfected by the minds and hands of those specifically Asian.

But there’s no denying that the film is truly uplifting. The authentic emotions and themes make it more than just a rom-com. After enduring toxic socialites and an antagonizing mother, Rachel emerges proud of her identity, with the realization that she is enough. It’s funny, it’s sappy, but I don’t think anyone expected the film to be so heartwarming.

A new Asian dawn is on the horizon. “Crazy Rich Asians” was a high-stakes movie seen by many as a determining factor for studios to give other Asian American projects the greenlight. Suffice to say, “Crazy Rich Asians” has smashed the box office with a #goldopen. With $34 million in its five-day launch and earning its title as the current number one movie in America, it is all the evidence that Asian and Asian American stories are compelling and desired. There is such a strong sense of pride that invigorated many Asian viewers who walked out of the theater. I felt it too. There was something about the closing scene, with all of these Asian characters together, celebrating. It was truly something I had never seen before. But with its sequel, “China Rich Girlfriend,” already confirmed and the film’s recognized success, it might be something we’ll be seeing a lot more often. And that is worth celebrating.