Crazy Rich Asians is a 2018 American romantic comedy film directed by Jon M. Chu, from a screenplay by Peter Chiarelli and Adele Lim, based on the 2013 novel of the same name by Kevin Kwan
Plot
The novel begins with a quote from the 14th century Moroccan scholar Ibn Battuta:[3]
Nowhere in the world are there to be found people richer than the Chinese.— Ibn Battuta[3]
The book is told from the perspective of five main characters: Rachel Chu, Nicholas (Nick) Young, Eleanor Young, Astrid Leong, and Edison Cheng. The story revolves around the grand wedding between Singapore’s most eligible bachelor, Colin Khoo, and a fashion icon, Araminta Lee, which everyone calls the wedding of the year.
Rachel is a New York University (NYU) professor of economics who is originally from Cupertino, California. She was raised by her single mother and leads a typical middle-class life. When her boyfriend Nick, also an NYU professor, takes her to meet his family in Singapore, she is completely unaware of what is in store for her. Although he grew up in London, Nick is a Singapore native. Unknown to anyone in New York, he not only belongs to one of the top 10 wealthiest families in Asia but is possibly sole heir to his family’s great fortune. Despite this wealth, he was raised to be humble and to keep a low profile. Because of his upbringing, he is confident his family will approve of his simple girlfriend, but things turn out very differently than he expects.
Eleanor Young is Nick’s controlling mother who is obsessed with prestige and pride. Since Nick was born, she has allowed her mother-in-law, the Young family matriarch, to practically raise her only child, so that, when the time comes, she will leave the family fortune to him. As a result, Eleanor is not very much involved in Nick’s upbringing and is even separated from his father, who chooses to live and work in Australia to manage their family’s businesses there. She is also very adamant that Nick marry someone from the close-knit, rich circle of her friends and plans to sabotage Nick and Rachel’s relationship. She hires a private detective to gather information on Rachel’s family, which she later attempts to use to drive Rachel out of Nick’s life, but ultimately results in her son freezing her out of his life. Rachel is shocked when she learns who her father, Zhou Fang Min, is and leaves to stay with her friend, Goh Peik Lin and her family.
Astrid Teo is Nick’s famous cousin whose beauty is well-known all across Asia. Although she maintains a positive image to her family and society, her marriage is suffering. Michael, her long-suffering husband, is a self-made young man who is looked down upon because he does not come from money. Astrid discovers that he might be having an affair with someone in Hong Kong. When she confronts him, Michael admits to having an affair and leaves. With the help of her ex-fiancé Charlie Wu, Astrid confronts him again in Hong Kong where he reveals that he has in fact, not been having an affair and has only made it seem like he had so that she would want to divorce him, being no longer able to deal with Astrid’s family. In a last-ditch effort to help save their marriage and make Astrid happy, Charlie secretly buys shares in Michael’s startup company at a highly inflated price.
Edison Cheng is Nick’s spoiled Hong Kong cousin who works as a banker. He is one of the few members of his clan who lives up to his birthright as a member of one of the wealthiest families in the world. He wants to impress all his friends and relatives at the wedding, but his plans fall short because of his family, particularly his younger brother Alistair who is dating Kitty Pong, a starlet of questionable background and intentions. Alistair and Kitty are briefly engaged but she leaves him for Bernard Tai, a billionaire’s son, after Oliver T’Sien misleads her to believe that the Chengs are not as rich as she thought.
Rachel and Nick suffer a falling out with each other. Nick tries to convince her to stay in the relationship with him, professing that he no longer cares about what society and his family expects from him. Rachel doesn’t believe him, claiming that no matter how much they try to ignore his family’s legacy, they know they may not be able to. She tells Nick that she wants her children to grow up treasured and loved by their relatives like her own family has done, not be raised with a family whose primary concern is their own wealth, family legacy and the kinds of rich people they know. Rachel breaks up with him as a result and Nick realizes she’s lost to him. Depressed, he stays at Colin’s house for a while. At the Goh house, Rachel calls her mother, Kerry, and has a falling out with her. She demands to know why Kerry didn’t tell her about Fang Min being her father. When Kerry tries to explain that he was abusive and she had to save her life, Rachel blames her for her actions and hangs up the phone.
While staying at Colin’s house, Nick regrets bringing Rachel to Singapore without giving her an insight in how to deal with his wealthy family. Instead of his family liking Rachel, they successfully turn her against Nick, which leads to their eventual break up. He mentions this to Colin along with his thoughts of letting Rachel go. However, Colin suggests that Nick fight for Rachel and do one thing to win her back. As Rachel and Peik Lin are preparing to leave to meet Fang Min, her father who is in jail, Nick stops them from leaving, revealing that he’s brought something from China to her. To Rachel’s anger, it’s her own mother that he brought to Singapore. Annoyed with Nick for preventing her one chance of meeting her father, Rachel tells Kerry off: she doesn’t want to see her again and wants her to just let her meet her father. In desperation, Kerry finally reveals the truth about her real father: it isn’t Fang Min, but a man nicknamed Kao Wei. Rachel decides to listen to her mother and learn about the abuse she went through with Fang Min, including how Kao Wei saved her life by helping her escape to America where she stayed with her relatives. Upon realizing how abusive Fang Min was to Kerry, Rachel is remorseful for her earlier behavior and reconciles with her mother. Nick takes the ladies to Marina Bay Sands for ‘Singapore Slings’. Rachel reunites with Nick.
Cast
- Constance Wu as Rachel Chu, Nick’s girlfriend and Kerry’s daughter[5]
- Henry Golding as Nicholas “Nick” Young, Rachel’s boyfriend and Phillip and Eleanor’s son[6][7]
- Michelle Yeoh as Eleanor Sung-Young, Nick’s domineering mother and Phillip’s wife[8]
- Gemma Chan as Astrid Leong-Teo, Nick’s cousin and Michael’s wife, a fashion icon[9][note 1]
- Lisa Lu as Shang Su Yi, Nick’s grandmother and the matriarch of the family[12]
- Awkwafina as Goh Peik Lin, Rachel’s charismatic confidant and best friend, and Wye Mun’s daughter[13]
- Ken Jeong as Goh Wye Mun, Peik Lin’s wealthy father[14]
- Sonoya Mizuno as Araminta Lee, Colin’s fiancée and heiress to a billion dollar resort chain[15]
- Chris Pang as Colin Khoo, Nick’s childhood best friend and Araminta’s fiancé[16]
- Jimmy O. Yang as Bernard Tai, Nick and Colin’s former classmate[16]
- Ronny Chieng as Eddie Cheng, Nick and Astrid’s cousin and Fiona’s husband from Hong Kong[16]
- Remy Hii as Alistair Cheng, Eddie’s brother and Nick and Astrid’s movie-making cousin from Taiwan[12]
- Nico Santos as Oliver T’sien, Nick’s second cousin[16]
- Jing Lusi as Amanda “Mandy” Ling, Manhattan socialite and Nick’s former girlfriend[17]
- Pierre Png as Michael Teo, Astrid’s husband[16]
- Fiona Xie as Kitty Pong, Alistair’s girlfriend and Taiwanese soap opera star[18]
- Victoria Loke as Fiona Tung-Cheng, Eddie’s wife from Hong Kong and Nick’s cousin-in-law[19]
- Janice Koh as Felicity Young, Astrid’s mother and Su Yi’s eldest child[11][note 1]
- Amy Cheng as Jacqueline Ling, Mandy’s heiress mother and Eleanor’s friend[20]
- Koh Chieng Mun as Neena Goh, Peik Lin’s mother[21]
- Calvin Wong as P.T. Goh, Peik Lin’s brother[22]
- Tan Kheng Hua as Kerry Chu, Rachel’s mother[22]
- Kris Aquino as Princess Intan, a wealthy royal[22]
- Harry Shum Jr. as Charlie Wu, Astrid’s ex-boyfriend whom she truly loved when she was a teenager.
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