As an Asian American, I know that big decisions need family approval for most. Careers for one, and marriages in particular, must be elder-approved—or else. Trust me, I know—my track record of introducing non-Harvard educated women as my girlfriends have gotten me into serious trouble many times.
Jason (Brian Tee) faces the same problem in Christine Yoo’s directorial debut “Wedding Palace” with one major caveat. Unlike the millions of lonely Asian American males out there, he has the additional problem that if he doesn’t get married by age 30, he will die a gruesome death due to an old family curse.
Phew. At least I don’t have that.
Jason’s family gets downright hysterical, going out of their collective way to find him a bride—much to Jason’s chagrin. AND, they stick to their traditional Korean standards, insisting on the stereotypical highly-educated Asian American woman despite their son’s ticking (biological) clock.
It’s enough to drive a sane man crazy, and Jason does get somewhat fazed during the process. After all, culturally he is all-American, not traditional Korean, feeling his life has been held captive by traditions and “the family curse.” His only respite seems to be the company of his best friend Kevin (played by funnyman Bobby Lee) who has everything going for him—a good house, a hot Korean American wife, everything , and has managed to get the best of both worlds.
In light of his parents’ repeated attempts to arrange dates in hopes of a marriage (hey, wouldn’t you arrange a marriage to save your son’s life?), Jason sees his own destiny as pre-planned and ultimately empty. So imagine his delight when, on a business trip to South Korea, he meets the girl of his dreams and a perfect solution to his unsolvable problem.
Finally, just as it seems that Jason can have his cake and eat it too, an unexpected obstacle to the perfect bride presents him with a problem of marrying the girl of his choice. Jason is left holding the short end of the stick again, with the curse prominently on everyone’s minds. Can the family pull together and save Jason from impending doom!? Will Jason have to resort to a shotgun Vegas wedding!? Will Jason’s mom (Jean Yoon) finally stop freaking out? Will she!?
“Wedding Palace” is as hilarious as it is relevant—it is on the one hand a “that’s-totally-my-family” experience for Asian Americans who have parents like Jason’s and also inside a broader story of generational conflict that everyone can relate to. The laughter is for everyone.
About the Author:
Filmmaker/Writer and AOF Staffer Jimmy Zhang is originally from Seattle and is living in Los Angeles. Following the success of his animated film, “The Boy and the Tree” he recently completed a screenplay, “I Am Carly Chen” and is currently working on a screenplay, “Thoughts of a Dying YouTuber” about the difficulty of success in the film industry.
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