The creation and upbringing of children are widely recognized as significant sources of happiness. However, for some prospective parents, conceiving naturally isn’t feasible. Same-sex couples might opt for adoption or explore alternative family structures beyond the traditional model. These couples often encounter fertility challenges, similar to heterosexual couples. When the desires of potential grandparents are factored in, the journey to parenthood can become even more complicated.
The Wedding Banquet, Andrew Ahn’s modern take on the 1993 comedy-drama, utilizes these intricate aspirations and disappointments to explore the unifying elements of contemporary America. In this setting, while the LGBTQ community is generally accepted, instances of intolerance still exist, and diverse family structures are celebrated, though not universally. The introduction of cultural differences adds another layer of potential conflict.
However, this new Wedding Banquet conveys the message that valuable things require effort. The movie is lighthearted and sincere. While it may not possess the poignant subtlety of the original, it ultimately arrives at the same conclusion: those we cherish are worth fighting for.
Kelly Marie Tran and Han Gi-Chan portray Chris and Min, a seemingly stable Seattle-based couple. However, Min’s affluent grandmother, Ja-Young (Lily Gladstone, of Killers of the Flower Moon), who funds his U.S. residency, threatens to recall him to Korea to manage the family business. Meanwhile, Min and Chris’s close friends, Angela (Bowen Yang), a research scientist, and Lee (Sunita Mani), an Indigenous community organizer, are struggling with infertility; Lee’s second IVF attempt has failed. The group devises a plan: Angela will marry Min, allowing him to legally remain in the U.S., and Min will fund Lee’s expensive IVF treatments. The scheme is complicated when Ja-Young arrives in Seattle unannounced, planning a traditional Korean wedding for her grandson and his bride. She is unaware of Min’s sexual orientation, and concealing the truth is vital, or so Min believes.
Ahn, who directed the 2022 romantic comedy Fire Island, and James Schamus, a co-writer of the original film, have reimagined the story as a more carefree and lighthearted narrative. As in the original, the wedding is a key scene: Min, dressed in traditional Korean attire, enters the banquet hall with a seriousness that transforms him from a somewhat goofy artist into a dignified man. Angela, having traded her casual clothes for a bridal gown, also aims to embrace the solemnity of the event. However, a secret she’s harboring disrupts the proceedings and strains the couples’ relationships.
For the most part, this new Wedding Banquet is quick-paced and humorous. When Min discovers his grandmother is coming, Angela, Lee, and Chris have only 45 minutes to “dequeer” Angela and Lee’s comfortable, cluttered home, removing Elliot Page’s memoir from the coffee table and debating whether an elderly Korean woman would recognize a Lilith Fair poster. (They decide to hide it just in case.)
The tone of this Wedding Banquet differs significantly from Ang Lee’s original, which concluded on a bittersweet note, reflecting on the ways children may not always realize their parents’ dreams. However, Ahn’s version possesses its own strengths, including a quietly impactful ending that underscores a fundamental truth: there is no single definition of a “conventional” family, beyond the love and dedication that binds its members. In 1993, Lee’s Wedding Banquet resonated with many young individuals struggling to come out to their parents. In 2025, the fight for LGBTQ+ rights faces new challenges. A bit of laughter is welcome – and weddings are about celebration and optimism.