Crazy Rich Asians is a 2018 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by Jon M. Chu, from a screenplay by Peter Chiarelli and Adele Lim, based on the 2013 novel of the same title by Kevin Kwan. The film stars Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Gemma Chan, Lisa Lu, Awkwafina, Ken Jeong, and Michelle Yeoh. It follows a Chinese-American professor who travels to meet her boyfriend's family and is surprised to discover they are among the richest in Singapore.
The film was announced in August 2012 after the rights to the book were purchased. Many of the cast members signed on in the spring of 2017, and filming took place from April to June of that year in parts of Singapore, Malaysia and New York City. It is the first film by a major Hollywood studio to feature a majority cast of Chinese descent in a modern setting since The Joy Luck Club in 1993. Despite such praises, the film received some criticism for casting biracial actors over fully ethnically Chinese ones in certain roles. Additional criticism was also directed at the film for failing to acknowledge Singapore's multiracial demographic by including other Singaporean ethnic groups—such as Malay and Indian actors—as characters, as well as perpetuating stereotypes of East and Southeast Asians.
Crazy Rich Asians premiered on August 7, 2018, at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles and was released theatrically in the United States on August 15, 2018, by Warner Bros. Pictures. A major critical and commercial success, the film grossed over $238 million on a budget of $30 million, making it the highest-grossing romantic comedy of the 2010s, and received high praise for the performances of its cast, the screenplay, and production design. The film received numerous accolades, including the 76th Golden Globe Awards nominations for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy and Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical for Wu. It received a nomination at the 50th NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Motion Picture. It also received four nominations at the 24th Critics' Choice Awards, winning one for Best Comedy, and a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture at the 25th Screen Actors Guild Awards. Two sequels, based on the novel's follow-ups China Rich Girlfriend and Rich People Problems, are in development.
Plot
Rachel Chu, a professor of economics at New York University, and her boyfriend Nick Young travel to Singapore for the wedding of Nick’s best friend Colin Khoo and Araminta Lee. The following day, Rachel visits her college roommate Goh Peik Lin and her wealthy family, who reveal that Nick's family is extremely wealthy and akin to royalty in Singapore. Later that evening, Rachel and Peik Lin arrive at the sprawling Young family estate for a dinner party. Nick introduces Rachel to his mother Eleanor, while his cousin Astrid Leong-Teo discovers that her husband Michael, who comes from a more humble background than the Youngs, has been having an affair. Rachel immediately senses that Eleanor dislikes her. Nick then introduces her to his grandmother, matriarch Shang Su Yi, who takes a liking to Rachel.
At Araminta's bachelorette party, Rachel meets Amanda Ling, who reveals she is Nick's ex-girlfriend and indicates that Rachel may face rejection by the Youngs due to her modest background; she is also accused of being a gold digger. Meanwhile, Nick attends Colin's bachelor party and reveals his plan to propose to Rachel. Colin expresses concern about the potential conflicts: apart from their class difference, Nick is expected to stay in Singapore and run his family's corporation, whereas Rachel loves her job in New York City. At the Young estate, while the family is making dumplings, Eleanor recounts her sacrifices to be a part of the family and calls out Rachel's stereotypically American pursuit of passion. She privately recounts to Rachel how Nick's father had to obtain her engagement ring because Su Yi disapproved of her and refused to give him the family ring, and tells Rachel that she will never be enough for Nick or his family.