There’s an easy intimacy and warmth that immediately emanates from Andrew Ahn’s “The Wedding Banquet,” an affable remake of the 1993 Ang Lee film. He crafts a cinematic world that you want to slip into and spend some time; tactile, cozy, populated with witty, real characters, much like his films “Driveways” (2020) and “Fire Island” (2022). That’s what makes “The Wedding Banquet” a distinctly Andrew Ahn film, despite working with a 30-year-old text that has already been embraced and celebrated.

Ahn collaborated with the original film’s co-writer, James Schamus, to write the screenplay, which follows a marriage of convenience between a queer Taiwanese immigrant in New York City, trying to appease his parents, and a Chinese artist who needs a green card in order to stay in the city and continue her work. Ahn and Schamus transplant the action to Seattle, and reshuffle some of the characters and their motivations; the familiar beats are there, just played in a different arrangement.

Lily Gladstone, left, and Kelly Marie Tran in “The Wedding Banquet.” (Luka Cyprian/Bleecker Street/ShivHans Pictures/TNS)

Min (Han Gi-Chan, in his first American film), a textile artist and heir to a Korean fashion brand empire, lives with his boyfriend Chris (Bowen Yang), an erstwhile Ph.D. candidate and bird guide. They occupy the garage backhouse of a rambling family home owned by social worker Lee (Lily Gladstone) and her scientist partner Angela (Kelly Marie Tran). This quartet of tight-knit queer found family is orbited by their biological relatives: Angela’s gold-star PFLAG parent May Chen (Joan Chen), Chris’ younger cousin Kendall (Bobo Le), and now, Min’s grandmother Ja-Young (Youn Yuh-jung), who has laid the hammer down on her grandson now that his student visa is expiring. It’s time to return to Korea and take on a role at the family company.

Desperate to stay, Min hastily proposes to Chris, who panics in commitment-phobia. Nursing his rejection over wine with Lee, they cook up a plan that will kill two birds with one stone. Min will marry Angela, stay in the U.S. and in return, pay for Angela and Lee’s IVF treatments with the generous allowance he still receives. A courthouse wedding is booked until Ja-Young arrives unannounced from Korea; the foursome suddenly has to play straight in order to keep up appearances with Min’s shrewd and discerning halmeoni.

Part of the pleasure of Ahn’s “The Wedding Banquet” are the twists and turns that his film takes away from the original, to make it feel more modern, and honest to this time and the situation — it would not be true to Ahn’s ethos to have this group of queer characters maintain a hetero ruse for that long. And while some of the plot turns are obviously telegraphed, it’s a pleasure to watch them play out, and the humor feels authentic, unforced and genuinely funny, in a similar way to the original, though the setting and tone have evolved.

The film is funny and sweet in the culture clash and cover-up, but not without complex themes about the Asian American experience. Chris and Angela are both burned out on the perfectionism trap they feel as the queer children of immigrants. Those expectations are so stifling that Chris has a fear of success, because he doesn’t want to fail, rendering him paralyzed with indecision, afraid he isn’t enough for Min, who radiates goodness (and the powerful effects of Korean skin care). Angela has become so resentful of her mother’s performance of supportive parent and ally that their relationship has disintegrated, and she fears becoming a parent herself, despite her desire for a family with Lee.

Part of the joy of “The Wedding Banquet” is the celebration of chosen family, but also the way in which it makes room for healing among biological family as well. Ja-Young’s immersion into Min’s world is eye-opening for her, and her quiet support and acceptance of her grandson is beautifully expressed by the luminous Yuh-jung. Similarly, the evolution of Angela and May Chen’s relationship is heartening to witness, and Ahn gives space for the older actors to shine among the charming ensemble. Gi-chan delivers a breakout performance, demonstrating his appealing comedy chops, and Gladstone proves once again that she is unmatched in her ability to wordlessly convey complicated emotional turns.

The world that Ahn creates does feel lightly fantastical and a bit unreal, a queer utopia where straight men don’t seem to exist, and money and class issues are present, but inconsequential. But as occupants of this world, the entire cast feels authentic and true, warm companions inviting the viewer to join them in this dreamy environment. It’s a slice of deeply human escapism in the mold of Ahn’s “Fire Island,” and it’s a lovely sojourn for a moment — and this moment — in time.

‘The Wedding Banquet’

3 stars (out of 4)

MPA rating: R (for language and some sexual material/nudity)

Running time: 1:42

How to watch: In theaters April 18

Related Articles

A car crash compelled a Fox 9 reporter to pursue a career as a ‘voice artist’

Eagan native Eva Erickson thanks her ‘hockey legs’ for ‘Survivor’ wins

Review: Bowen Yang leads heartfelt dramedy about found families in ‘The Wedding Banquet’

‘Titanic’ digital evidence in documentary corroborates passenger accounts

Review: Landon’s direction, Fahy’s performance elevate thriller ‘Drop’

Authorities are asking the public’s help in finding a woman they believe is being held against her will and who was last seen in West St Paul or South St. Paul.

Shalene Ball. (Courtesy of the Minnesota BCA)

The BCA and West St. Paul police are helping Sioux Falls police search for Shalene Ball, 35.

They believe she is in danger after receiving information she is being held against her will, authorities said.

Ball is described as  5’1”, 180 lbs, with hazel eyes and brown hair.

They ask anyone who has seen her to call 911.

Related Articles

Four-alarm fire destroys multiple buildings on Renaissance Festival grounds

Ramsey County to pay $3.6M to family of hemophiliac who died after 2022 arrest, jailing

After fire at St. Paul church, owner wants to secure steeple, return to ministering

Steeple fire at historic St. Paul church likely sparked by lightning

‘Know every move you’re making’: Stillwater prison inmates learn life lessons playing chess

 

 

Amy Lindgren

Now and then I like to write about random thoughts that are too small or personal to make into a column. Holiday weeks are a good time for small bits, so here are some things currently on my mind.

Playful job titles

Shoot, I thought we were done with this. A recent press release tells me that companies are “adopting playful job titles (and seeing results).” Well isn’t that special?

I know that’s snarky but consider my position. Having written résumés professionally through at least two eras of made-up job titles, I’m pretty much over it.

I don’t know which was worse — the soulless “Administrative Clerk II, Class C” type of titles from the ’80s or the hard-to-take-seriously “Chief Custodial Engineer” titles that came later. From my perspective, both swings of the pendulum risk the reader not knowing what the heck the candidate does for a living.

Now a press agent announces that five “quirky” titles are making a difference for companies as they seek to distinguish themselves to job seekers. Curious? Here they are — see if you can guess what the more standard version would be:

• Chief Happiness Officer

• Director of First Impressions

• Growth Hacker

• Brand Evangelist

• Digital Overlord

Ready for the answers? A Chief Happiness Officer focuses on employee wellbeing — so maybe that used to be human resources, if it existed at all. The Director of First Impressions used to be called a receptionist or front desk manager; a Growth Hacker might be the marketing manager; the Brand Evangelist might be replacing public relations or sales but “with almost religious fervor”; and the Digital Overlord is a souped-up website manager.

Quoted in the release is Mark Baldwin, CEO of Baldwin Digital: “Creative job titles can … communicate company values clearly, energize existing team members, and attract talent who resonate with your organizational culture.” He does advise thoughtful implementation, with an eye toward employee acceptance and industry culture.

I’m not a fan, but I guess I can’t disparage what’s working for other people. And besides, the press release itself was exceptionally well-written with fairly credible arguments. Dani K., the press agent from Journalist Insights requested a link to her client, which is only fair for giving me column fodder: https://www.baldwindigital.ie. You won’t find the release itself on the site, so tell me if you’d like me to forward that to you.

Time to stretch

Are you sitting at a desk, or perhaps hunched over a phone while you read this? Perhaps you’re like me, eager to unfold an actual newspaper each morning, but still hunching over to read it. Apparently we’re not doing ourselves any favors. I don’t have a specific resource on this, but I’ve been reading (peering at my computer screen) about how stiff we’re all getting.

Hours at our desks, more hours on the couch, and endless, endless hours driving if you have teenagers in sports … it all adds up to pretzel bodies that we need to stretch while we still can. Personally, I can barely squat down anymore to feed the cat or clean up the aftermath — tasks I wouldn’t mind giving up, but you see my point.

Spring is the ideal time to get back into some kind of shape. You’re creative, you can figure this out: Stand at your desk, wave your arms during Zoom meetings (off-camera!), practice squats while you watch a show. I’ve already started by getting one of those sit-stand things for my desktop computer. Now I can overwork at multiple heights. Baby steps.

Going to your happy place

A lot of folks are struggling with the country’s sense of upheaval right now. You don’t have to follow a particular political party to be suffering the effects of high prices, unexpected layoffs and ricocheting national policies.

To combat his feelings of helplessness and occasional fury, one of my clients has started taking a daily writing retreat. His practice of stealing 30 minutes to capture his thoughts reminds me of the old commercial where the harried mother sinks into a bubble bath, murmuring “Take me away, Calgon.”

After my client described the positive effects, I decided to start a retreat of my own. Now I end each day with soft music and a light whodunit. It’s a sad comment that reading about murder and mayhem is a better sleep aid than my own thoughts gathered from the day, but there you have it.

Comments?

Those are my random bits for the moment. What are yours?

Related Articles

Working Strategies: Using AI to organize or even conduct your job search

Working Strategies: Some survival tools for uncertain times

Working Strategies: Navigating part-time jobs at a professional level

Working Strategies: Finding a part-time job requires a plan

Working Strategies: Holding on when things get tough

Amy Lindgren owns a career consulting firm in St. Paul. She can be reached at alindgren@prototypecareerservice.com.

It’s beyond disingenuous, even by the standards of the Tim Walz administration, to deprive private schools of $109 million in the upcoming budget preparation in the name of reflecting “positive balances on the bottom line.’’

You want to take way the pocket change that has been helping private schools for 50 years? You could find $109 million in the couch cushions at the Department of Education or Health and Human Services or at Walz’s office or any authorities or agencies that have watched, incompetently, money fraudulently leak out of the Capitol to the tune now of more than $600 million.

That $109 million is all the private schools get, by the way. It is used for busing and some textbooks and counseling and nursing. Nursing. You know, for when the governor mandates masks and vaccines and things like that. The taxpayers are already paying for these services on top of the sacrifices they make to pay for the private school tuition. And we’re supposed to believe that after Walz signed off on blowing a more than $17 billion budget surplus and presiding over more than $600 million in taxpayer money lost to fraud that he suddenly developed a keen interest in fiduciary responsibility. And he wants to take it out on private school kids, or more to the point, their parents, who know when they sign up they are paying twice, for their kid and a public school kid.

It is far more likely that Walz finds private education disagreeable to his ideological flirtations and that he can look smart to Education Minnesota, the union that supports him and whose members cannot possibly educate a child as inexpensively as a private school.

Back in 1969 state statute required public school districts to provide private school children with transportation within the public school’s districts in an effort to provide equality of treatment in transportation. In 1975 Minnesota began providing nonpublic student aid in the form of textbooks, instructional materials, standardized tests and some guidance counseling and health services. It’s been on the books for 50 years. It absolutely could not happen today. The people we’ve managed to elect are most often appalled at the idea of education other than what the state commands.

Private schools are not burdened by the layers and layers and layers of bureaucratic balderdash from the state. They don’t have five assistant principals. Usually one principal and she’ll wonder why your uniform shirt isn’t tucked in. They can operate streamlined, thus more efficiently and at less cost. A bulletproof argument can be made that private schools save the state money. Using figures I’ve been intimately familiar with during the 50 years in question, the private schools can educate a kid for about $10,000 a year, while it approaches $30,000 a year in the public academies.

It should not go unmentioned that the state is facing a $6 billion budget shortfall. I suppose it stands to reason that if you irresponsibly blow an unimaginably huge surplus on God knows how many new state programs the till is bound to be short a few bucks come the next budget cycle.

That’s the cycle we’re in, the next one. The bills are due from that wild DFL frat party you all had to celebrate your trifecta. You’re short by an astounding $6 billion. Boy, that’s some governing. And this guy is out on tour hoping to get noticed as a presidential hopeful.

Cutting the pittance set aside for private schools could land only a very soft blow to $6 billion. Why, $6 billion won’t even feel the punch. It’s typical of how the Walz administration treats the taxpayers.

It’s an insult.

Joe Soucheray can be reached at jsoucheray@pioneerpress.com. Soucheray’s “Garage Logic’’ podcast can be heard at garagelogic.com.

Related Articles

Working Strategies: Random thoughts: Stretching job titles and happy places

Maria Toso: Downtown’s in bad shape. But we can make it really good

Real World Economics: The Minneapolis Fed was right all along

Skywatch: The two brightest stars, and a guest star

Your Money: Simplifying your financial life