Andrew Ahn’s latest film is a delightful look at IVF, chosen family, and coming out
BY ELLA GAUCI, IMAGES BY UNIVERSAL
A sham wedding. Two couples. Some plastic-eating worms. And one hard-to-please grandmother. Together, these parts make up Andrew Ahn’s remake of the beloved 1993 film The Wedding Banquet. Starring Lily Gladstone, Kelly Marie Tran, Bowen Yang, and more, this star-studded cast brings the queer retelling to life with both campy humour and heart.
The premise of the film is simple. When Min (Han Gi-chan) is beckoned back to South Korea by his wealthy grandmother he needs a reason to stay in the States. However, he’s still in the closet, so marrying his partner Chris (Bowen Yang) is off the cards.
Lee (Lily Gladstone) and Angela (Kelly Marie Tran) have been going through unsuccessful rounds of IVF. It’s either mortgage the house or give up. The only natural solution to all these problems? A sham marriage between Min and Angela to secure a green card and another round of IVF. Simple, right? Things get a little more complicated when Min’s grandmother turns up in the US expecting a wedding…
It’s incredibly rare to see a depiction of IVF on screen, let alone one that centres around a sapphic couple’s experience. Both Lily and Kelly handle the characters with care, showcasing the many facets of a couple’s experience of IVF. Lily once again proves why she is a complete tour-de-force, and it was exciting to see her flex her comedic skills in this new project.
One of the film’s standout performances was Kelly’s raw portrayal of Angela’s confusion surrounding motherhood. By placing nuance into Angela’s story, the film masterfully captures what very few films with leading LGBTQIA characters have: a balanced queer character. We see Angela laugh, cry, and throw up – she is far more than just her queerness. With palpable chemistry and connection on screen, Lily and Kelly have given us a new sapphic couple to root for.
Although the film tackles these heavier topics with care, it is also not too far from the fun and queer joy at the heart of the film. Bowen Yang brings all the sass we’ve seen from his time on SNL, and it’s a real joy to watch him in scenes alongside Kelly. Instead of queerness being the butt of the joke, it feels like it has been made with queer audiences in mind.
Dipping into themes like chosen family, coming out, and blended parenthood, this new remake couldn’t be more queer if it tried.
The Wedding Banquet will be in UK cinemas on 9 May.
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