Crazy Rich Asians: A Real Picture of an Asian Family

Do you know that Crazy Rich Asians is the second movie featuring an Asian descent cast ensemble for an English-speaking movie? The first one was The Joy Luck Club in 1993. The Joy Luck Club was a drama that focused on the relationship of each family member from generation to generation. The movie took away the tears of so many audiences, especially the Asian audiences (including me), because somehow, we can see ourselves inside some characters, and what happened in that movie might be confirmed with our family.

With the same topic about family, Crazy Rich Asians flipped the table when featuring the prosperity, fanciness, glamourous, and fabulousness of a wealthy family in Singapore. The Youngs. But unlike The Joy Luck Club, Crazy Rich Asian is a romance-comedy revolving around a favorite topic in every Asian family. Homogamy. Meaning the marriage between people from similar sociological or educational backgrounds. Besides that, Crazy Rich Asians also tell a story of sadness behind people with money.

In this post, I will analyze four main characters we can see inside them.

Source: IMDb

Rachel Chu - An American Girl Who Wants to Live Freely

Rachel Chu grew up in America when she was little, so the American culture and lifestyle impacted her. She did everything she wanted without any forbidden. She lived freely, so she didn’t mind what people said about her. As an American girl, Rachel can easily overcome every circumstance in her life. But when she met her boyfriend's mother, Rachel realized she was nothing to that family. She was just an Economic professor and not rich or famous. What Rachel did would need to be more. When she was in Singapore, Rachel lost herself there. As strong as she is in the US, she is weak in Singapore. It was easy that she didn't understand Asian culture. Everyone around her was rich and famous. They used money to be the measure of everything. Rachel is not one of them. In the world of money and fame, Rachel tried her best to fit in, but she forgot that she was an American who was fearless and didn't have to prove anything. She was always herself. It was the only way to show other wealthy people that she didn't have to change anything to be like them. They had to accept who she was.

Rachel Chu represents the new generation who doesn't live by the measure of a society, wants to do anything they want, wants to break free, and wants to be themselves.

Nick Young - A Prince but Never Consider Himself One

Nick was the heir of the Youngs. The family had high expectations of him. Since the day he was born, Nick was set to take over the family business in the future. He could not do differently. For all those years, he had to live by his family’s standards because he understood it was the only way to be the best heir. Where his parents put him, he had to be there. In one scene, he talks to his best friend, who reminds him about Rachel and his future role in the Young family. Nick realized that he had to choose between his family and his love. He understood that if he and Rachel were together, it would affect the family’s fame. But despite his mother’s objected Rachel, Nick still chose love. It would be such BS in real life because don't ever choose love over your family. Nick was different. He knew deep inside that Rachel was not a gold digger. Rachel only knew about Nick’s family once they came to Singapore. So it could prove she loved him for real. I said Nick Young was a prince but not a prince because even though he was super rich, he was never arrogant. He treated everyone around the same. With that character, Nick was the heir of the Youngs. He looked so handsome too.

Eleanor Young - A woman who puts family first

This is the best character in the movie. Eleanor Young shows zero tolerance for everything that doesn’t please her. Before she stepped inside the Youngs, she was a lawyer. But when she got married, she didn't mind giving up her career to stay behind her husband to help him with business. She sacrificed everything because it was a woman’s duty to her. Then, after her husband, she had to take care of her children. She had to show them what was right and wrong. She had to make sure they could keep on the legacy of the Youngs. She had to make sure Nick could be the perfect heir of the family. It showed that if she saw a lousy seed inside her family, Eleanor would remove it immediately. She didn't like Rachel in the first place because Rachel was not wealthy, she was an American, and she was not Asian enough. She saw Rachel as an outsider who would never be enough for her son. It is widespread in some Asian families. But it was not everything. At the movie’s end, Eleanor finally opens her heart to welcome Rachel. Eleanor saw herself in Rachel.

Before becoming a mother-in-law, Eleanor began as a daughter-in-law. The Youngs at that time would have disagreed with the marriage between Eleanor and Nick's father. The Simple was that Eleanor was nobody. Still, she could overcome those difficulties to define her role in the Youngs. I love Michelle Yeoh.

Astrid Young Teo - A rich woman who also cries.

Casting Gemma Chan for the role of Astrid was the smartest decision ever. She nailed this role in the best way ever. Whoever watches the movie can relate Astrid to someone else or even themselves. Astrid was the kind of woman who loved her family so much and trusted her husband with all of her heart. She was a successful woman who influenced the fashion industry. Outside, she was a powerful woman. But when she returned home, she was just a good mother to her children and a devoted wife to her husband. She had everything in her life. All she wanted was love. However, life played with her. The man she thought would be her love turned out to be a cheater. She gave him everything. When he was in trouble with his business, Astrid was there to help. Her husband didn't know his happiness was right before her, yet he threw it away. Astrid had to swallow her pain until she couldn't do it anymore. She had to do what she had to do. Astrid didn't need to fight her husband's lover. She only needed to leave him because she understood that her husband would be nothing without her. Astrid is the kind of woman that every female should follow.

Crazy Rich Asians is a pure picture of the rich. We can see everything. Having money is having everything. But sometimes, the rich have their problems in life too. They are not perfect. Highly recommend!