Everyone knows the hype over the cinema release of Crazy Rich Asians. I had read the whole series by Kevin Kwan before the premier and I loved it. Kwan is a great storyteller who brings a comedic twist to the world of the fabulously rich. The film was also a great step in the direction of Asian representation in Hollywood. The cast was the same ethnicity as the original characters and the wonderful production team and staff was full of Asians. I got so obsessed that I watched a bunch of interviews with the cast and the director after watching the film. The cast and crew worked so hard to create an authenticity in the film all the way down to the food. Everyone wanted the film to be successful and to show a different Asian narrative, one that did not involve some stereotype background/sidekick character. It also proved to a lot of the western world that Asian men can be considered sexy because if we’re being honest the cast was teeming with attractive people. Even with all these positive things the movie has going for it, there is still some controversy. Yes, not every Asian experience is represented in the film. You mainly see Asian-American Rachel Chu struggle to fit in with, not only a snobby old money family, but also with her Asian identity in a culture. Even though it is part of her ethnic background, it was all new to her. She had never been to Southeast Asia before and as a lot of Asian-Americans know, you’re stuck in this limbo between not being considered American in western society but when you go back “home” you’re considered too westernized. Rachel and most of the cast that you see, are only a representation of one ethnicity in the vast spectrum of Asian ethnicities. Some people were offended that Asians with darker skin were only playing servants in the movie. Which, while accurate to the book, brings about stereotypes and a lack of representation for other Asian ethnicities. Another critic aims at the leading man, Henry Golding. While yes Nick is ethnically Chinese, Golding is partially Asian which brought in the debate for representation in a different way. (Which is crazy I know.) Golding knows Singaporean and Malaysian culture very well having grown up there. But as many people do not know, people of mixed Asian heritage get a lot of grief in Asian countries when they do not look like the majority. There is even a debate in the US whether mixed race people can claim their Asian heritage. All this controversy just shows that this is only a step in the right direction. Hollywood still has a lot to explore when it comes to more diverse fields. As I said before, I really enjoy the books and if it is something you would be interested in I would highly recommend reading at least the first one. One thing that saddened me with the film was how it seemed to ride on the fact that it was for representation. I am all for the removal of stereotypes and opening the public’s eyes to our stories, but I want to reach a point where it doesn’t matter the race/gender/sexuality of the actors. I want it to be where people can enjoy something just because of the story it tells. That’s what this movie was to me. I got to sit down and enjoy a romcom that I enjoyed as much as How to Lose A Guy in Just 10 Days and When Harry Met Sally. I felt like there was some pressure on Asian Americans to watch the film to support the battle for representation and this whole shame-on-you attitude if you dare to say something negative about it. But that’s not what it should be about. The cast was amazing and I cried the same as I would with any other movie. The film did take some liberties and skipped a lot of parts I enjoyed in the book but it’s hard to cram a 527 page novel in a two hour film. On that same note, how can one film encompass every Asian experience out there? Even within the category of Asian Americans there’s so many different factors. So I’m glad that this film was made and I want more stories with Asian experiences to be made.
Written by Abby "Lunarto" Loftin