The Wedding Banquet 1993

     Wei-Tung’s parents are Chinese but living in Taiwan and they are always trying to make a marriage match for him.  His father has a stroke and he said his last wish is to hold a grandchild.  What Wi-Tung’s parents don’t know is that Wei-Tung is gay and he has been living in Manhattan with Simon.  Wei-Wei is a tenant in Wei-Tung’s building.  She’s lost her job and she doesn’t have a green card.  Simon suggests that Wei-Tung and Wei-Wei get married and that will solve both their problems.  They decide to have a ceremony at the court- house and Wei-Tung’s parents insist on a lavish banquet since there wasn't a formal ceremony.

     You can see what’s going to happen from the onset of this film!!  There will be many mix-ups between everyone.  Simon and Wei-Tung will be mad at each other and jealous.  Wei-Tung’s parents won’t understand what’s going on.  Wei-Wei will be in the middle.  2 ½* (This movie is so-so)

106 min, Drama directed by Ang Lee with Winston Chao, May Chin, Ah-Lei Gua, Sihung Lung, Mitchell Lichtenstein, Dion Birney, Jeanne Kuo Chang, Paul Chen, Chung-Wei Chou, Yun Chung, Ho-Mean Fu, Micahel Gaston, Jeffrey Howard.

Note:  Imdb 7.7 out of 10, 96% critic 87% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Roger Ebert 3*, Amazon 4.4* out of 5* with 122 reviews, Empire Online 4* out of 5*.

Special Note:  Filmed in various locations of New York City, New York.  This was the highest earning film of 1993.  Earnings were $23.6 million with a budget of $1 million.  The director Ang Lee wrote the screenplay five years before filming and fives years before his first film Pushing Hands of 1992.  Ang Lee makes an appearance as a guest at the wedding banquet.