Farewell to Mediocre Asian Representation

“Crazy Rich Asians” (2018) was once seen as the hallmark of 21st-century Asian representation: the all-Asian cast was radical for its mere existence in Hollywood, and Asian communities rejoiced at being able to see actors who looked like them in such a popular film. However, “The Farewell,” written and directed by Lulu Wang, not only succeeds in representing Asian faces on the big screen but also raises the bar much higher for future Asian representation.

The premise of the film is a rather jarring one: Billi Wang (Awkwafina), a 30-year-old Asian American writer travels to Changchun, China with her family to see her grandmother (Zhao Shuzhen), who unknowingly has terminal lung cancer. The family uses Billi’s cousin’s wedding as an excuse to reunite the family one last time.

One of the film’s highlights is Awkwafina’s phenomenal acting, which showcases Billi in the gray area of the clash between Chinese and American culture. In New York, Billi is confident and bubbly: she navigates the subway and haggles at the laundromat with the ease of a native New Yorker. In China, her attitude is completely different. She sullenly sits at family dinners and often argues with her mother (Diana Lin) about the family’s silence. Billi doesn’t entirely fit in, but the time she spends with her grandmother illustrates her family’s deep and unbreakable bond. Awkwafina’s acting allows Billi to serve as an intermediary between the audience and her family. Just as many viewers are unfamiliar with Asian family dynamics and societal norms, Billi clashes with various members of her family and explores the intricacies of what it means to belong to something larger than oneself.

Wang’s screenplay, which is in part based on her own experiences, also displays a solid understanding of Chinese culture and the contrast between Western and Eastern familial ideals. Dialogue like Billi’s grandmother warning “I heard people in New York will rip your earrings off,” is both funny and relatable to many Asian youths familiar with well-intentioned family members who get carried away with Internet gossip. In another scene, Billi plays a game similar to Quack-Dilly-Oso with her family at the wedding, and though the game may be unfamiliar to some audiences, the scene is sure to put a smile on anyone’s face as the family laughs away. “The Farewell” stays light with scenes like these but isn’t afraid to get serious, balancing out emotionally deep moments as Billi’s family gradually fractures under its lie. Interspersed in the confusion is Billi’s uncle (Jiang Yongbo), who cogently presents his thoughts on collectivism and the true meaning of death, its impact on life, and its effect on a community. Adding to our philosophical considerations is Billi’s argument about the immorality of hiding the truth. In this way, the film tackles numerous sides and lets the audience decide what to think at the end of it all.

In “The Farewell,” Asian-ness is not commodified like it was in “Crazy Rich Asians.” Whereas much of the latter’s advertising came from its all-Asian cast, it was a remarkably American film that commodified Asian faces in a seemingly innocuous form of racial neoliberalism. In “Crazy Rich Asians,” Asian-ness is divorced from the story itself. None of the characters, including those who live in Singapore, seem to be connected to their cultures save for a few stereotypical references. The film merely attempts to sell its cast without making sure the script accurately represents Asian-ness as well.

The differences between the two films can be best highlighted by their respective spa scenes. In “Crazy Rich Asians,” Rachel, the protagonist, befriends another girl at a party. Most of the dialogue is casual chatter and the discussion is centered on Nick, Rachel’s boyfriend. Here, culture is distinctly separate from Rachel’s romantic arc.

In “The Farewell” on the other hand, Billi goes to a spa with her aunt (Lu Hong), confronting her about the family’s decision to keep Billi’s grandmother in the dark. As they speak, Billi goes through cupping therapy, a popular form of alternative medicine in China. Wang’s incorporation of cupping amid important dialogue speaks to her attention to detail, and it immediately makes the film feel familiar to Asian viewers. Unlike “Crazy Rich Asians,” Wang’s film takes every moment to remind its audience that this is a movie that refuses to cater to Westerners. Instead, it cherishes Asian authenticity, doing so in an unapologetic and graceful way.

“The Farewell” presents Asian identity in the best way possible. It unflinchingly presents the discomfort of cultural clash and the moral concerns of Billi’s situation which, while almost exclusive in its Asian-ness, maintains its relatability. The objective is not to represent race but rather to represent culture. This is the key difference between “The Farewell” and “Crazy Rich Asians”: one tells authentic stories about Asian people, and one is a “Notting Hill” (1999) remake with Asian actors. Because of this characteristic, Wang’s piece allows for greater emotional depth, and its ruminations on life and death and morality will penetrate viewers to greater effect.

This is not only a good film but also an important one. Non-Asian audiences need to watch “The Farewell” because it forces viewers to consider an alternate worldview, something that is rare in many American films. We shouldn’t just expect films that represent Asian faces. We should be looking for the Asian experience.