Two couples conspire to help each other out of jams in this breezy romcom. Lesbian couple Lee and Angela (Lily Gladstone) can’t afford another round of fertilization treatment; meanwhile rich kid Min needs a green card but his boyfriend Chris (Bowen Yang) won’t commit. So they all agree to a sham marriage that should work out to everyone’s benefit—that is, until Min’s grandmother shows up from Korea, and demands a traditional wedding. Director Andrew Ahn reimagines Ang Lee’s 1993 indie classic (working with the original’s co-writer, James Schamus) for the age of IVF and gay marriage, with a supporting cast including Joan Chen and Minari’s Youn Yuh-jung. “Ingenious and very funny… don’t be surprised to see Ahn’s film pop up in the awards conversation this time next year” (Deadline). “Feels like the best example of a resurgence of the romantic comedy. The Wedding Banquet may be the feel-good movie of the year, but that’s not to call it a frivolity. It’s a film that, once again, demonstrates how all of us, no matter from what background, can relate to each other, and in the era we’re currently suffering through, that’s a message we could all use more of” (/Film). 2025 Sundance Film Festival. (MK)
Presented with support from UW Madison Asian American Studies Program and UW Madison Gender and Sexuality Center