Crazy Rich Asians — What I Liked & Didn’t Like

With 3 kids below 6 years old, my wife and I rarely make it out to the movies. This past weekend, however, seemed different. Crazy Rich Asians was released, and I felt like it was my duty as an Asian American to contribute toward a “Gold Open.” Of course, Asian Americans make up just 5–6% of the total U.S. population and that includes South Asians, senior citizens, and kids below 13 years old. It wasn’t a shoe-in and in some respects, it doesn’t surprise me that 25 years passed between Crazy Rich Asians and the prior Hollywood-produced, Asian-led film (Joy Luck Club).

Well, a Gold Open it was, with $34 million in ticket sales in the first 5 full days, placing Crazy Rich Asians as the top grossing movie in the U.S. on its opening weekend.

Overall, the movie exceeded my expectations. I’m not a movie junkie or a critic by any stretch, but here are some things that I really liked about the movie.

1. Author Kevin Kwan is from Clear Lake, right outside Houston, TX — my hometown. In fact, I grew up just 10 minutes away and even went to Clear Lake High School’s prom my junior year! It’s always nice to root for something that feels close to home.

2. It was awesome to see Singapore on the big screen. I lived in Singapore for about 7 months in 2005 and I really enjoyed seeing the Raffles Hotel, Old…