Crazy Rich Asians, a.k.a. A Movie Worth Throwing Away Your Tacos For

Asians are just not about variety, everything is sweet and sour pork or sweet and sour chicken or sweet and sour beef like god think of something different for once guys am I right

Before we begin, I’d like to share a few observations from the early screening of Crazy Rich Asians:

1. There were hella Asians in attendance (unsurprising)
2. They all brought their own snacks (again, unsurprising)
3. The movie theater staff chose this day to strictly enforce their “no outside food” policy (outrageous)
4. Protests almost ensued (only slightly exaggerated, there were wails of “that is so much wasted food!!” echoing throughout the theater)

Moment of silence for the tacos and giant bag of chips that sacrificed their lives for this movie.

Now let’s get to it.

We’ve anticipated the premiere of Crazy Rich Asians for some time, and it’s finally opening for wide release next Wednesday, August 15th. If you’re (East) Asian American, the release of this movie might be even more exciting than seeing a waiter walking towards you with a plate of food that you know is yours. If you’re not Asian American, you’re still probably about the same level of excited (I hope), but maybe slightly less understanding of why a steaming hot plate of dumplings can incite this much enthusiasm.

I was lucky enough to snag tickets to an early showing this week. I went in having thoroughly prepared by watching more promo spots and reading more press coverage than I ever have for any other movie. The stakes are high — Kevin Kwan and director Jon Chu turned down an amazing deal with Netflix in order to get this particular story and these particular Asian faces onto the big screen, a move that they felt was important for the Asian American community.

From the beginning, despite the characters’ extravagant wealth, I felt a sense of connection and familiarity with them. And it didn’t feel like I was reaching to make these connections. I certainly felt the otherness that they felt at times, and warmed to them even more when I heard accents, saw traditions, and drooled over food that was familiar to me (the food scenes were particularly emotional after having experienced the Great Snack Throwaway of 2018). Overall, I loved it — I laughed and cried and found inspiration in these characters more than I had maybe expected.

On my way out of the movie theater, I heard someone say, “It felt weird watching that movie in New York.” My first reaction was a little defensive. But I remembered the expensive advice my therapist had given me and took time to consider this reaction. She wasn’t wrong. It was kind of weird. It was weird to see Asian actors in lead roles, because Crazy Rich Asians is the first all-Asian cast in a Hollywood film in 25 years.

If this hasn’t been hammered home enough by now, representation matters. There’s a lot to be said about seeing your identity reflected back to you. It gives you the freedom to understand that your race and ethnicity doesn’t limit how you express who you are or what you can accomplish. It opens the door for Asian Americans to see themselves portrayed in a variety of ways and understand that they don’t have to be boxed into the roles that the world expects. It gives you more than the Yellow Power Ranger, or Claudia from the Babysitters Club.

And it opens doors for other people and opportunities. Henry Golding, a previously “undiscovered” travel show host, is starring in two more films this summer. The rest of the cast and crew, as well as Asian and Asian American actors not in the movie, will likely benefit from the success of a movie featuring Asian faces as well.

However, Crazy Rich Asians has been critiqued for erasing brown faces in a movie set in Singapore, a country that has historically been populated with people who neither have East Asian roots nor the power that East Asian colonizers seized. I’m acknowledging that dissonance here, but we can hope that at best, this movie paves the way for a more representative cast of characters in the future.

We can hope for more specific stories for specific groups, but especially for underrepresented groups within the Asian diaspora. And we can hope for opportunities for South Asians, Southeast Asians and Pacific Islanders to engage with mainstream media in a way that is much more representative of their experiences.

Crazy Rich Asians has already inspired plenty of think pieces, articles, and interviews. That’ll only increase after next week. Crazy Rich Asians could very well be subject to the same questions and critiques that Asian Americans are subject to on a daily basis. Is it Asian enough? Is it American enough? How good are the actors’ English? And are their Asian parents proud of their roles — a question that acknowledges the tacit stereotypes that still exist?

Press aside, the best thing about this movie is that you know this one’s for you, just like those dumplings you ordered. And after waiting so long to see people who look like you, talk like you, and have families like yours, it’s hard not to have high hopes. I’m thrilled to say Crazy Rich Asians exceeds my already high expectations. It’s another step in bringing Asian stories to the mainstream, and I’ll probably go watch it as many times as I watched Wonder Woman*.

*Four times, plus once in IMAX.