If you are unaware of the recent film that has torn its way through the box office, earning $38 million as of the time I'm writing this, "Crazy, Rich Asians" follows Rachel Chu, a young Chinese-American working as an Economics professor at NYU who heads over to Singapore to meet the family of her well-known boyfriend, Nick Young. As the title states, Nick's family comes from old money, with traditions etched into their behavior and rules, and Rachel does not fit into what they expect for the son who is meant to inherit all of their wealth.
The film itself is the fun ride you expect when you buy the tickets. Hilarious and heartwarming, I couldn't stop laughing or smiling from pure glee throughout, and I came out feeling content at how the movie played out. It is much more than you expect it to be, and it is the film you've been waiting for without knowing you've been waiting for it at all. I highly recommend it to anyone and everyone!
But most of all, it is vital that "Crazy, Rich Asians" continues to perform well in theaters. As it is the best result for a PG-13 romantic comedy since "Think Like A Man," it is also the first film in twenty-five years since "The Joy Luck Club" that features an all-Asian cast. Despite the success of films like Black Panther, Hollywood is still convinced that diversity will not succeed in theaters. This is the reason why "white-washing" exists.
Basically, "white-washing" is a term used to describe casting a white person to be someone who is meant to be a person of color. It happened when Scarlett Johansson was cast in "Ghost in the Shell," and it nearly happened with "To All The Boys I've Loved Before." Yes, you know that Netflix film that has everyone buzzing? Jenny Han, the author of the book series, chose the only production company that would actually cast an Asian-American woman to be Lara Jean. Every other company wanted her to be played by a white woman because they were under the impression no one would watch the film otherwise.
Clearly, the success of "Crazy, Rich Asians" and "To All The Boys I've Loved Before" proves that Hollywood is wrong, but that doesn't mean that we have perfect representation in everything we watch. The risk of white-washing or a lack of diversity is still very real, and for those who wish to see themselves in art the way others can, it is very frustrating.
If you have a chance to watch "Crazy, Rich Asians," please do. We shouldn't have to wait another twenty-five years for more films like this, and if Hollywood sees that we like it, it paves the way to better, more realistic films.