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The Wedding Banquet [1993] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
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Our Price: £6.27 (subject to change)
Editorial
Amazon.co.uk Review
This 1993 international hit by Ang Lee is a funny and poignant story of a gay, Taiwanese-American man who goes to some lengths to fool his visiting family that he's actually straight. The results are far more complicated and entertaining than anyone could have guessed. The film seems all the more rich now since Lee has become a major Hollywood director: that same sensitivity and mild bemusement he brought to such stories of manners as Sense and Sensibility and The Ice Storm in recent years are in full bloom in this earlier work. --Tom Keogh
Not the best of Ang Lee's movies but one of the best gay movies
Review date: 2008-03-17 Rating: 8 out of 10
I have always loved Ang Lee's movies and he is so good in dealing with emotional stuff, things that are difficult. Being a Chinese gay boy (having always had white boyfriends), certain things in the movie spoke to me and I could not help to crinch at times as the movie is a tiny bit dated now. It's just the thought that I could have been the guy in the movie had I done things differently. For me, this is a good movie but not a must-see, Ang Lee has gone on to make better and better movies since The Wedding Banquet. Sense and Sensibility is just beyond good and it reduced me to tears. The Wedding Banquet is one of the best gay themed movie I have watched nevertheless with its truthful (maybe slightly exaggerated for today's world) portrayal Chinese family values and traditions as well as our reservedness. Lee handled it beautifully. The only major flaw was in the Chinese guy's acting (I am sure he is a good actor but he seems to be a little uncomfortable in playing a gay guy, may be that he was not sure how to act) or I could be wrong and it was Ang Lee's little magical way of having the actor played down the gayness.
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Reviews
An Ang Lee masterpiece
Review date: 2005-08-08 Rating: 10 out of 10
By far one of my favourite films and Ang Lee is certainly one of my fav directors. Apart from the wonderful script and very natural acting, including the much missed Sihung Lung, the film makes several very profound social commentaries. Not only does it compare Eastern with USA culture, it also highlights gay and straight lifestyles. It is handled in a very sensitive way and mixed with great humour.
Maybe, it would have been great to have had a sequel; I want to know how Andrew, Wai-Tung and Wei-Wei handled the 'family' life. Then again, maybe not. Sometimes it's best to leave classics alone.
The Wedding Banquet
Review date: 2003-06-01 Rating: 10 out of 10
This film is a funny and touching account of a very common issue for gay men who have yet to come out to everyone, it portrays a Taiwanese gay man who has settled in America with his American boyfriend. His family who are still in Taiwan are pressuring him to marry a girl they have slected. In order to throw them off the scent he arranges to have a "lavender" marriage with Chinese girl who is facing deportation. Some of the scenes are really funny yet at the same time sad as he and his boyfriend have to pretend to be "housemates" while the parenst visit.
I would recommend this film to anyone who likes to see real life comedy and drama in one film.
Watch this film if you like a good weepie...
Review date: 2000-11-13 Rating: 10 out of 10
I absoloutely wept buckets when I saw this film. Not only does it break down Asian family values, but also gay stereo types. The wedding scenes are the best...
Product Details/Specifications
Actor(s):
Dion Birney
May Chin
Jeanne Kuo Chang
Winston Chao
Paul Chen
Creators:
Winston Chao (Primary Contributor)
May Chin (Primary Contributor)
Ang Lee (Producer)
Ang Lee (Writer)
Dolly Hall (Producer)
Feng-Chyt Jiang (Producer)
James Schamus (Producer)
James Schamus (Writer)
Neil Peng (Writer)
Director(s):
Recording label: MGM
Manufacturer: MGM
EAN: 9780792860792
Binding: DVD
ISBN: 0792860799
Number of items: 1
Format: Anamorphic, Colour, DVD-Video, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC,
Release date: 2004-06-15
Universal product code (UPC): 027616906915
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Region code: 1
Running time: 106 minutes
Theatrical release date: 1993-08-04
Language: English (Original Language)
Language: English (Subtitled)
Language: Spanish (Subtitled)
Language: French (Subtitled)