#Middlebury #Movies
The catalog of films available to watch on any given platform is immense. Some days I feel like I spend more time with the TV guide and movie menu than I do actually watching a movie. When you just aren’t sure what to watch, you can draw inspiration to guide you to a new discovery. For example, May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and there is a wonderful selection of films starring or directed by entertainers from this background. Here are a few to get you started:
“Crazy Rich Asians” – A regular gal, Rachel Chu (Constance Wu), joins her seemingly normal longtime boyfriend on a trip to his best friend’s wedding – and back home to meet his family. Henry Goulding plays Nick Young, the boyfriend in question – considerate, elegant, with a six-pack that won’t stop. What Rachel doesn’t know is that Nick’s family is, well, crazy rich, and the couple is greeted with nonstop elaborate displays of ostentatiousness as soon as they hit Singapore. Michelle Yeoh plays Nick’s disapproving mother, and comedy relief comes from Rachel’s college friend Peik Lin, played by a hilarious Awkwafina, along with Ken Jeong, as Peik Lin’s dad. An absolute must-see!
Awkwafina in “The Farewell” (A24 photo)
“The Farewell” (PG) – Awkwafina heads this touching family drama as Billi, a young Chinese woman whose adored grandmother is discovered to have cancer. The family decides not to tell her, and instead gathers the relatives together for an improvised wedding celebration as cover. Billi struggles with both the family’s decision and to fit in with the old ways of doing things, all the while savoring sweet moments with family.
“Always Be My Maybe” – Ali Wong and Randall Park play two childhood friends – one now a highly successful chef, the other lives with his dad and performs locally in a band. After a brief fling, they part ways, but are reconnected when Ali comes home to San Francisco. It’s a sweet story of ambition, finding oneself and reconnecting with what’s truly important in life.
“Better Luck Tomorrow” – A groundbreaking film from director Justin Lin, who later went on to acclaim directing several “Fast and Furious” films, “Better Luck Tomorrow” follows a group of high-achievement Asian-American students whose relentless pursuit of academic achievement and the excruciating expectations placed on them lead to an increasing level of involvement in petty crime, drugs, larceny and eventually felony. Stars Parry Shen, Jason Tobin, Sung Kang, Roger Fan and John Cho.
“The Tiger Hunter” – This comedy by director Lena Khan stars Danny Pudi, better known as Abed on the television show “Community.” He plays Sami, an educated immigrant from India who comes to the United States with dreams of success in engineering – success great enough to impress the woman of his dreams, who he left behind in India; and to follow the legacy of his father, “the world’s most glorious tiger hunter.”
© 2021 King Features Synd., Inc.
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