The Guide to "Crazy Rich Asians"
Crazy Rich Asians can only be described as a phenomenon. If you're one of the few people that haven't read the book or watched the movie, then this is the complete A-to-Z guide for all things about Crazy Rich Asians.
What is the story of Crazy Rich Asians about?
Wedding movies are always going to be popular with audiences. In the 1990s, we had My Best Friend's Wedding, but Crazy Rich Asians takes it to the next level because we are dealing with billionaires. Director Jon M. Chu created quite a spectacle when he filmed the project.
VIDEO: "Crazy Rich Asians" movie trailer
A few key details: The story is about an extremely wealthy family from Singapore. Essentially, it's the intersection of old money and new money -- and all of the drama that goes along with that. There are plenty of jealous socialites in the mix, too. You won't be surprised to learn that Ah Ma (the mom) doesn't like the native New Yorker Rachel Chu because she's an outsider.
As you can see, the themes with a "longtime boyfriend" and the "boyfriend's family" (Nick's family) aren't new to films, but the way it's packaged in Crazy Rich Asians hasn't been seen before, which is a pleasant surprise.
As you can see, the themes with a "longtime boyfriend" and the "boyfriend's family" (Nick's family) aren't new to films, but the way it's packaged in Crazy Rich Asians hasn't been seen before, which is a pleasant surprise.
Crazy Rich Asians cast
Let's talk about the movie because it's got so much visual razzle dazzle. The cast of Crazy Rich Asians is so often talked about because they are the ones responsible for the film's success. And, of course, they have all become celebrities.
As you can see it's all Asian cast, which hasn't been seen much in the mainstream movies since the movie the Joy Luck Club. This film is certainly a satisfying step forward to showcasing Asian culture.
- Constance Wu played the role of Rachel Chu, Nick's girlfriend and Kerry's daughter
- Henry Golding played the role of Nicholas "Nick" Young, Rachel's boyfriend and Phillip and Eleanor's son
- Gemma Chan played the role of Astrid Leong-Teo, Nick's cousin and Michael's wife, an icon in fashion and a socialite
- Lisa Lu played the role of Shang Su Yi, Nick's grandmother and the matriarch of the family
- Awkwafina played the role of Goh Peik Lin, Rachel's dynamic confidante and best friend, and Wye Mun's daughter
- Ken Jeong played the role of Goh Wye Mun, Peik Lin's affluent father
- Michelle Yeoh played the role of Eleanor Sung-Young, Nick's pushy mother and Phillip's spouse
- Sonoya Mizuno played the role of Araminta Lee, Colin's fiancée and heiress to a billion-dollar chain of resorts
- Chris Pang played the role of Colin Khoo, Nick's best friend from childhood and Araminta's fiancé
- Jimmy O. Yang played the role of Bernard Tai, Nick and Colin's former classmate
- Ronny Chieng played the role of Edison "Eddie" Cheng, Nick and Astrid's cousin and Fiona's husband from Hong Kong
- Remy Hii played the role of Alistair Cheng, Eddie's brother and Nick and Astrid's movie-making cousin from Taiwan
- Nico Santos played the role of Oliver T'sien, Nick's gay and wild second cousin. He's good friends with Peik Lin
- Jing Lusi played the role of Amanda "Mandy" Ling, a lawyer and Nick's former girlfriend
- Harry Shum Jr. played the role of Charlie Wu, Astrid's ex-fiancé
As you can see it's all Asian cast, which hasn't been seen much in the mainstream movies since the movie the Joy Luck Club. This film is certainly a satisfying step forward to showcasing Asian culture.
Crazy Rich Asians family tree
Because there are so many Asian actors from China and Singapore, coupled with the fact that the plot is a little complicated, seeing the Crazy Rich Asians family tree is very helpful.
All Asian casts aren't so common in Western movie theaters, so it's especially remarkable that this is the first film of its kind to be a blockbuster in the United States.
All Asian casts aren't so common in Western movie theaters, so it's especially remarkable that this is the first film of its kind to be a blockbuster in the United States.
How many Asian actors are in Crazy Rich Asians?
According to IMDb, Crazy Rich Asians has more than 70 Asian actors, and what a terrific cast they are. Those 70 Asian actors represent both first time and experienced performers, as well as the starring and supporting cast.
Because the Asian representation is so prevalent, it's especially wonderful that it found an audience worldwide, even out of Asia. Of course, the Chinese audience loved the film, and not just because of the Asian screen representation.
Because the Asian representation is so prevalent, it's especially wonderful that it found an audience worldwide, even out of Asia. Of course, the Chinese audience loved the film, and not just because of the Asian screen representation.
The Crazy Rich Asians book by Kevin Kwan
Crazy Rich Asians is a New York Times Best Seller
We cannot, of course, forget that Crazy Rich Asians first started off as a book written by Kevin Kwan, who grew up in Singapore.
So, the movie is a film adaptation of the novel. While most adaptations of books to movies don't go so well, this one was a smashing success, as evidenced by the strong opening weekend of the motion picture.
The book is a satirical romantic comedy and was followed by two others: China Rich Girlfriend and Rich People Problems.
So, the movie is a film adaptation of the novel. While most adaptations of books to movies don't go so well, this one was a smashing success, as evidenced by the strong opening weekend of the motion picture.
The book is a satirical romantic comedy and was followed by two others: China Rich Girlfriend and Rich People Problems.
Will China Rich Girlfriend also become a movie?
It's hard to say, but we vote that the chances are good. Crazy Rich Asians did very well at the box office, and since its original release date, it's still going strong.
All in, the film grossed about $250,000,000 on a $30,000,000 budget, which is a smashing success.
Because of the wild success of Crazy Rich Asians, the publishing company of the book encouraged the writer to do a follow up, which was also successful.
China Rich Girlfriend certainly has the spirit of its predecessor because it's about billionaires and all of the problems that come with it.
All in, the film grossed about $250,000,000 on a $30,000,000 budget, which is a smashing success.
Because of the wild success of Crazy Rich Asians, the publishing company of the book encouraged the writer to do a follow up, which was also successful.
China Rich Girlfriend certainly has the spirit of its predecessor because it's about billionaires and all of the problems that come with it.
Is Crazy Rich Asians an accurate depiction of Asian culture?
It certainly is, for the rich Asians from Singapore at least. The writer grew up wealthy in Singapore, so his journey to becoming a writer was inspired by his real life. Both Crazy Rich Asians and China Rich Girlfriend are deftly drawing inspiration from what Kwan actually experienced growing up.
Is the character of Rachel Chu based on a real person?
As stated before, the author of Crazy Rich Asians took inspiration from his real life to write the book. For legal reasons, the character's names in the movie are fictitious. Many people, though, who watch the movie can see the inspiration from the real rich families in Singapore. One thing is for sure, and that's the character of Rachel Chu is the linchpin for the story. The actress who played the part of Rachel is Constance Wu.
I want to know more about Constance Wu
Constance Wu played the role of New Yorker Rachel Chu. That's Nick's girlfriend. It can be a little hard to keep track of it all, so refer back to the Crazy Rich Asians family tree graphic that we showed you earlier.
In the movie, Rachel and Nick travel to Singapore to see his best friend's wedding. In real life, Constance Wu's parents are from Taiwan, and her father is a professor at a university; so, there are many real-life parallels taking place.
Although many audiences were introduced to Constance Wu in the movie Crazy Rich Asians, it wasn't her introduction to entertainment. She was included in Time magazine's "100 most influential people in the world" one year before the release of the movie Crazy Rich Asians. That's because she had nominations from several award bodies from her work in Fresh Off the Boat, which aired years before the movie was released.
In the movie, Rachel and Nick travel to Singapore to see his best friend's wedding. In real life, Constance Wu's parents are from Taiwan, and her father is a professor at a university; so, there are many real-life parallels taking place.
Although many audiences were introduced to Constance Wu in the movie Crazy Rich Asians, it wasn't her introduction to entertainment. She was included in Time magazine's "100 most influential people in the world" one year before the release of the movie Crazy Rich Asians. That's because she had nominations from several award bodies from her work in Fresh Off the Boat, which aired years before the movie was released.
Where to watch Crazy Rich Asians
There is no shortage of places to watch Crazy Rich Asians online. Most streaming platforms have it, including Apple TV, YouTube, Google Play, Amazon Prime, and VUDU. If you are old school and you want to buy the DVD, then most major retailers carry it, including Walmart, Best Buy, and Target.
Can I watch the Crazy Rich Asians full movie for free?
At this time, there is no place to watch the full movie for free. Some platforms like Amazon Prime will occasionally offer a full movie at no charge because they insert commercials. For now, you will have to watch Crazy Rich Asians on a paid streaming platform. Since Warner Bros. owns the movie rights, they aren't allowing any audience to see it for free.
Crazy Rich Asians rating
Crazy Rich Asians scored VERY HIGH with audiences. The well-known movie review website Rotten Tomatoes gave the movie a fresh score of 91%, which is incredibly high. IMDb puts the movie at a 6.9 out of 10, putting it in the top 500 movies on the entire platform -- that's exceptional! It scored well in certain pockets of the US as well, including San Francisco because of the large Chinese population.
Which family is the real-life Crazy Rich Asians?
One of the real-life inspirations for Crazy Rich Asians would be the Khoo family in Singapore. They are actually mentioned by name in the film. The Khoo family are the heirs to a multibillion-dollar banking fortune started by the late Khoo Teck Puat, who founded Standard Charter Bank in the 1980s. The family also controls a lucrative group of hotels in Singapore.
How could I become a personal assistant to one of the members of the Crazy Rich Asians family?
We have some personal assistant job listings in Singapore that you can check out. You could also study the real-life Crazy Rich Asians family tree, which is available on Google. Start sending letters to different members of the family and express your interest in working for them. They must have small armies of domestic staff. Good luck!
Filed Under: Crazy Rich Asians real life, Rachel Chu, Nick Young, a few key details, Constance Wu, director Jon M. Chu, Warner Bros, Astrid's mother, Michael scene, account, Facebook
