Audienceswhoflocked to see Crazy Rich Asians this past weekend have heralded the movie as a milestone for Asian representation in pop culture, with many Asian viewers remarking how much it made them feel seen after years of being stereotyped and diluted in mainstream American movies and television.
The movie, based on Kevin Kwans bestselling novel, is a romantic comedy about the drama that ensues when Chinese-American Rachel Chu (Constance Wu) travels to Singapore to meet the extremely wealthy extended family of her boyfriend, Nick Young (Henry Golding). Tensions boil in particular between Rachel and Eleanor, Nicks steely and domineering mother, played by the legendary Michelle Yeoh.
The film is remarkable for how it balances the general with the specific, following the conventions of a fun, splashy, summer romantic comedy while providing nuanced representations of Asians, which have deeply resonated with Asian audiences.
Here are some ways, both thematic and stylistic, in which the film captures aspects of Asian culture. (Minor spoilers ahead.)
Asian-American Versus Asian
Eleanor doesnt just reject Rachel over class differences. As she explains in several pivotal scenes, she also looks down on her for being Asian-American and considers her not really Asian or not Asian enough, and therefore not worthy of marrying Nick.
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Setting up one of the central themes of the film, Rachels mom, Kerry, warns her early on that while she may look Chinese, here and here, youre different. And she points to Rachels head and heart.
Youre a foreigner, an American.
- Eleanor Young to Rachel Chu, in one of the movie's climactic scenes
Later, Rachels friend Peik Lin (the riotously funny Awkwafina) reminds her that Nicks family sees her as an unrefined banana yellow on the outside, white on the inside. Its an expression used to describe Asian-Americans.
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The Mahjong Scene
The conflict between Eleanor and Rachel culminates in a mahjong showdown between the two women, a frenetic and impressively crafted scene in which the games strategy and tactics cleverly match up with the womens conversation and symbolize their cultural tensions. (Journalist Jeff Yang has a much more comprehensive explanation of how the game works.)
Youre a foreigner, an American, Eleanor says with derision, adding that Rachel is not our own kind.
Eleanors remarks reflect the experience of many Asian-Americans when they go to Asia and meet their extended families. Those relatives then treat them as strangers, making them feel out of place. Add to that the experience of being seen as perpetual foreigners in the U.S., and Asian-Americans can feel caught between two cultures, not belonging in either world.
Speaking Chinese
A significant portion of the film is conducted in Mandarin Chinese, and for those who understand that language, there are additional moments to savor.
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In one climactic scene involving Nick running onto a plane, a woman in line to board, exasperated by the holdup, says, Hello, quickly quickly, in Mandarin. Unlike some other non-English parts of the film, her remark is not subtitled, making it an Easter egg for some viewers.
Another potential Easter egg: When Nick, speaking Mandarin, orders food for Rachel, he discreetly asks for one dish with extra spice. Moments later, the taste of that dish appears to take Rachel by surprise.
Language can also indicate social class. For example, Nicks grandmother, who presides over his ultra-wealthy family, speaks precise and refined Mandarin.
Some scenes feature two major Chinese dialects, Cantonese and Hokkien.
Also, Theres Singlish
Reflecting the range of cultures that form Singapore, viewers can also hear bits of Malay and Singlish, or Singaporean English. Kwans book goes into much more detail about these various tongues, with sardonic footnotes explaining certain oft-used expressions.
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When Nicks family and friends send a flurry of text messages trying to find out information about Rachel, one person writes, Why are there so many Rachel Chus, lah, tacking on a Singlish phrase commonly used for emphasis . (They also appear to be using WeChat, a messaging app popular among ethnic Chinese people, both in China and overseas.)
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