Andrew Ahn’s 2025 reimagining of Ang Lee’s beloved 1993 classic, The Wedding Banquet, has arrived, and according to critics, it’s a tender, heartfelt, and refreshingly modern take on a timeless story. While some reviews note a slight shift in comedic tone, the overwhelming consensus points to a film that champions LGBTQ+ culture, showcases remarkable casting diversity, and offers a poignant homage to its predecessor while reflecting the significant progress in same-sex marriage and family structures.
The original Wedding Banquet was groundbreaking for its portrayal of a gay Taiwanese-American man entering a marriage of convenience to appease his traditional parents. The 2025 version, co-written by Ahn and original co-writer James Schamus, brings this premise firmly into the 21st century. Instead of just one gay couple, we now have two queer couples – Min (Han Gi-chan) and Chris (Bowen Yang), and Angela (Kelly Marie Tran) and Lee (Lily Gladstone) – entangled in a similar, yet evolved, web of family expectations, immigration hurdles, and the very modern pursuit of starting a family through IVF.
One of the most praised aspects of the 2025 film is its unapologetic championing of LGBTQ+ culture. Reviewers highlight how the film effortlessly tackles issues facing queer communities today, from non-traditional family planning to navigating relationships with parents and grandparents, and the complexities of identity beyond binary labels. As one review put it, the film presents an “expansive and hopeful vision of queer family,” a significant evolution from the original’s more concealed dynamics. This iteration moves beyond the need for secrecy and into a joyful, open portrayal of queer love and the diverse possibilities for happiness.
My take on this is that it’s precisely what contemporary queer cinema needs. In an era where LGBTQ+ rights are still debated and, in some places, under attack, a film that normalizes and celebrates queer family structures with such warmth is a powerful statement. It’s radical in its simplicity: showing queer couples and families as ordinary, relatable, and deserving of love and happiness.
The representation of actors cast in the film has also garnered widespread acclaim. With a stellar ensemble featuring Bowen Yang, Lily Gladstone, Kelly Marie Tran, Han Gi-chan, Joan Chen, and Youn Yuh-jung, the film showcases a rich tapestry of talent and backgrounds. Many of these actors, including Kelly Marie Tran who publicly came out as queer during the film’s production, are openly LGBTQ+ and/or of Asian American descent, adding an authentic layer to the storytelling. Lily Gladstone, of Piegan Blackfeet and Nez Perce background, also chose to “indigenize” her character, Lee, further enriching the film’s multicultural fabric. This intentional casting is a major stride in ensuring adequate and layered representation in mainstream cinema. It’s not just about diversity for diversity’s sake; it’s about giving diverse voices and experiences the platform they deserve.
Finally, the film’s homage to the previous version of the movie is incredibly relevant to the current progress in same-sex marriage. Where the original film grappled with the hidden nature of queer relationships and the fight for acceptance, the 2025 version acknowledges the legal strides made in the U.S. regarding same-sex marriage. This allows the narrative to shift from merely coming out or survival to the more nuanced challenges of building chosen families and navigating commitment within modern queer relationships. The climactic scene at City Hall, where marriage licenses are now legally available to both gay couples, serves as a powerful historical update, highlighting how far society has come while still acknowledging the ongoing complexities of familial and cultural expectations.
While some critics might argue the film sometimes plays it a little too safe in its comedic edge, or struggles to balance its humor with its more serious themes, the overall sentiment is that The Wedding Banquet (2025) is a worthy and deeply meaningful successor. It’s a film that resonates with genuine emotion, propelled by strong performances and a timely message. It reminds us that while the legal landscape may have changed, the fundamental human desire for belonging, family, and acceptance remains constant, and that love, in all its diverse forms, truly conquers all.
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