What the Hello Kitty

I grew up watching Calgon’s ancient Chinese secret, Kung Fu, Arnold the Happy Days chef, Kung Fu’s barefoot monk, bumbling peasants on MASH, Suzy Wong hookers, Fu Manchu villains, inscrutable Charlie Chans, ridiculous yellowfaced Mickey Rooney’s Mr. Yunioshi (”Miss Gorightry”), Chinese Tong gangsters*, bespectacled asexual nerds. 

Then finally Chinese American women of The Joy Luck Club but that was a quarter century ago.

Too few people appreciated the model minorities behaving badly in Justin Lin’s “Better Luck Tomorrow”.

And now we’ve arrived in “Crazy Rich Asians”.  It speaks to me, my brother, my mother, Chinese and Chinese American friends.  Most importantly it speaks to my son, who as a boy REFUSED to learn Mandarin, but after viewing the film came home singing, “Wo! Wo yao! Wo yao ni!..”

I paid three times to support the box office.  I saw it by myself, then brought my Japanese husband, and today watched it in solidarity with my Chinese friends.

Don’t read if you haven’t yet seen the film...

You know it’s going to be a happy ending for the couple because there is a hint early in the movie.

A fatherless girl (Rachel) with no (discernible) friends is invited to the social event of the year.  Waiting for her is Prince Charming (Nick), the most eligible bachelor in the kingdom (Singapore). Standing in her way are two jealous rivals (Radio 1Asia and Amanda) and a wicked mother (Eleanor).  Fortunately she has help: a very resourceful fairy godmother (Peik Lin).  

Here’s casting:

David Spade as David Sweat

Ken Blumenfeld (RHOBH Kim Richards’ ex) as Richard Matt