Recently, I went to see the movie “Crazy Rich Asians”. I didn’t have any expectation on the movie but friends who read the book said it was a great story and were interested in seeing it on the silver screen. As the credits rolled and the film started, I got a sense I was in for a treat. Immediately, I was impressed with the beauty and glamor of the cast. The wardrobe stylist Mary Vogt captures the innocence, fun, and personalities of each member. In every scene the clothes tell a tale of how the main character Rachel Chu (Actress Constance Wu) is feeling in her journey of meeting her boyfriend’s family. At first she is presented teaching economics at NYU in plain/everyday clothes. Her boyfriend, to her great surprise, comes from a very wealthy family in Singapore. He pays for her first-class seat on a flight to meet his parents. She is now sitting in chic clothes. Her best friend from college turns out to be living in Singapore as well and helps her select fashionable attire to meet his family, especially his highly censorious mother..
The second and most important theme of the movie is how parental expectations play such a big role in every culture. The dramatic center of the movie is the meeting between Rachel and Mama (aka Eleanor). Rachel is obviously smart, classy, and feisty, but is she a match for Eleanor for whose son no woman is good enough? It made me think about friends and associates who have encountered similar challenges, and not always with a satisfactory ending. As the movie continued, it made me realize how lucky I am.
What all of us have in common no matter where we come from is the need to have our families like the partner we choose. It is crushing when you discover that the person you want to be with doesn’t live up to your families’ expectations of you. Most parents and siblings just want the best for their loved ones but at times can be tough and puts a strain on relationships when that partner is made to feel not a part of the family. And it begins and ends with the “choice”. Who do you choose? I don’t want to spoil the movie for you but it poses that big question of what is more important to any person – their family or their significant other? I want to say it’s easy and you pick both but sometime both sides don’t let you have it that way. Only you can make the right decision. Seeing the movie might help you understand what both sides face.
Jumping Jasmine 