The Wedding Banquet (1993)

Memorable, crazy movie

Absolutely the worst movie.

It's fun, it's light, [but] it has a hard time when its tries to get heavy.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

If you have been reading my reviews, you will probably know that normally a movie like "The Wedding Banquet" is not my normal cup of tea. But I sat down today to watch it after my Taiwanese girlfriend suggested that I give it a look. And I am very glad that I did. It was a comedy that was a refreshing change after seeing so many strident and in-your-face comedies from Hollywood. The tone here is much more laid back and gentle, and this easygoing attitude helps to make the movie captivating. The characters are much more realistic, and practically every character who makes an appearance is sympathetic and relatable, no matter what your ethnicity or sexual preference might be. As for the humor, it always has a ring of real life to it, and while you may not laugh out loud most of the time, the humor will give you a big smile on your face. This movie is a real sleeper, and I highly recommend you seek it out.

This is the earliest film from the respected and great Taiwanese director Ang Lee that seems to be available in the U.K - even then it seems only on VHS or as a Korean import (which is how I got mine.)Why that is so is beyond belief and credibility - The Wedding Banquet is a warm, universal and fine film about what Lee does best - people and relationships. Cross cultures and cross sexualities add dynamism and colour and more than hint of later films such as The Ice Harvest and (of course) Brokeback Mountain.You don't have to be gay, or otherwise, or anything in particular, other than being human to appreciate the story and its characters - a 20 something gay Taiwanese man living with his boyfriend in New York and whose far-away mother is spending all her time setting him up with a possible wife. The obvious and gleeful scenario set-up when for the sake of convenience a Chinese girl that he knows is after a Green card Mother (and ex Commander with high-blood pressure Father) decide to visit for 'the $30,000 wedding banquet', that friends and relatives back home have donated for this gift of a lifetime, that the film's title is dedicated to.This, we juicily anticipate and we are definitely not disappointed, except with a master story teller that we obviously have here, the twists are unexpected and superbly done; so naturally that even the predictable parts are done with flair and of course, aren't so straightforward.So many lesser films on this subject are flaunted at us seemingly daily - here is a finely crafted movie, but one that, perhaps thankfully, is lighter and more humorous than some of Lee's later works. I won't carp on (again) about its relative unavailability but would say that if you want to see more of Lee's work, specially his 'pre-fame' era and want a humane, touching and often funny film, grab it with both hands if you ever get the chance.

The Wedding Banquet was the first Ang Lee film that I watched. I remember I was about 10 or 11 years old when I watched it. At that time, I did not understand the movie at all. However, as I grow older, I watched it again and I realized what a masterpiece that Ang Lee had accomplished. Coming from the same background, as Taiwanese immigrant to the United States, I can certainly relate many of issues with the protagonist Wai-Tung. My parents are exactly like Wai-Tung's parents. They have high expectation of the son and carry on the family name is the most important thing. Ang Lee did a very good job on depicting the traditional father figure in Taiwanese society. My father, very much like Wai-Tung's, is a very serious person. To him everything has to be done straight and upright. My mother on the other hand is very sentimental. She would just cry like Wai-Tung's mother in the movie. Taiwanese mothers always care for their son so much that they literally do everything for their son, just like how Wai-Tung's mother sets up a blind date for him. My parents are so serious that sometimes if I joke about me liking a man they would get upset. Therefore, I really can understand how Wai-Tung has to hide his secret for such a long time in the movie.I like how Ang Lee uses Wai-Tung to represent Taiwan; Wei-Wei to represent China, and Simon to represent the US. In the movie, there is one scene where Wei-Wei wears a red dress in the air port picking up Wai-Tung's parents, I just could not help myself but laugh at the expression that Wai-Tung's dad gives when he sees Wei-Wei. He must think her as another communist he fought in the Chinese civil war. Another fascinating thing about this movie is that I watched it again in my film study class and even the movie is in mandarin, my classmates seem to understand the messages and laugh about them. I guess it is the magic of the movie. It really can transcend time and languages. Overall, Wedding Banquet has became my all time favorite of all the Ang Lee films.

I loved this film - have seen it twice. I totally disagree with one of the messages that it was unsympathetic to the gay community. I think it portrays the gay person as a complete person, with the difficult challenges but also the comical madness a person who lives a 'minority' lifestyle (gay and in an cross cultural and racial relationship). I didn't think the comedic qualities of the film trivialise the magnitude of the issues.I thought Mitchell Lichtenstein was very likable and I thought the challenges of the role in a Taiwanese set-up must have been very significant. The second time I watched the film, I tried seeing things from Simon's (Mitchell's character) perspective and found it a most profound experience.Ang Lee at his best.