Xi yan (1993)

Director:

Ang Lee

Writers:

Ang Lee (writer)
Neil Peng (writer)
(more)

Release Date:

4 August 1993 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

A little deception in the reception.

Plot:

To satisfy his nagging parents, a gay landlord and a female tenant agree to a marriage of convenience, but his parents arrive to visit and things get out of hand.

Plot Keywords:

Pregnancy | Landlord | Painting | Restaurant | Scam

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 12 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

Dion Birney	...	Andrew
Jeanne Kuo Chang	...	Wai-Tung's Secretary
Winston Chao	...	Wai-Tung Gao
Paul Chen	...	Guest
May Chin	...	Wei-Wei
Chung-Wei Chou	...	Chef
Yun Chung	...	Guest
Ho-Mean Fu	...	Guest
Michael Gaston	...	Justice of the Peace
Ah Lei Gua	...	Mrs. Gao
Jeffrey Howard	...	Street Musician
Theresa Hou	...	Female Cashier
Yung-Teh Hsu	...	Bob Law, Wai-Tung's Old Friend
Jean Hu	...	Guest
Albert Huang	...	Guest
Neal Huff	...	Steve
Anthony Ingoglia	...	Wei-Wei's Employer (as Anthony 'Iggy' Ingoglia)
Eddie Johns	...	Haskell
Thomas Koo	...	Guest
Chih Kuan	...	Granny Tien
Robert Larenquent	...	Hispanic Man
Neal Lee	...	Waiter
Mason C. Lee	...	Baby
Dean Li	...	Director Wang
Mitchell Lichtenstein	...	Simon
Jennifer Lin	...	Guest
Sihung Lung	...	Mr. Gao
John Nathan	...	Joe
Francis Pan	...	Guest
Neal Peng	...	Guest
Tien Pien	...	Old Chen
Marny Pocato	...	Miriam
Tonia Rowe	...	Simon's Nurse
Chung-Hsien Su	...	Studio Photographer
Hannah Sullivan	...	Mariane (as Patricia Sullivan)
Elizabeth Yang	...	Guest
Vanessa Yang	...	Mao Mei
Wei-Huang Ying	...	Guest
Peide Yao	...	Egg Head
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Mason Lee	...	Man (uncredited)

Directed by
Ang Lee

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Ang Lee		writer
Neil Peng		writer
James Schamus		writer

Produced by
Dolly Hall	....	line producer
Ted Hope	....	producer
Li-Kong Hsu	....	associate producer
Feng-Chyt Jiang	....	executive producer
Ang Lee	....	producer
James Schamus	....	producer

Original Music by
Mader

Non-Original Music by
Giacomo Puccini		(from opera "Madame Butterfly")

Cinematography by
Jong Lin

Film Editing by
Tim Squyres

Casting by
Judy Dennis

Production Design by
Steve Rosenzweig

Art Direction by
Rachael Weinzimer

Set Decoration by
Amy Beth Silver

Costume Design by
Michael Clancy

Production Management
Shih-chieh Chen	....	executive in charge of production
Bill Rouady	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Annie Tan	....	second second assistant director

Sound Department
Jeanne Gilliland	....	boom operator
Pamela Martin	....	sound editor
Tom Paul	....	sound mixer
Dan Sable	....	sound effects editor
Lynn Sable	....	assistant sound editor
Reilly Steele	....	post-production sound mixer

Camera and Electrical Department
Dave Samuel	....	gaffer (as David Samuel)
Susanna Virtanen	....	first assistant camera

Casting Department
Judy Dennis	....	casting: USA
Wendy Ettinger	....	casting: USA
Ben Prayz	....	extras casting: USA

Editorial Department
Melissa Fleming	....	post-production assistant
Elliott Gamson	....	negative cutter
Pamela Martin	....	assistant film editor
David Pultz	....	color timer
Michael Yetter	....	negative cutter

Music Department
Chosei Funahara	....	soundtrack supervisor
Eric Liljestrand	....	music mixer
Samantha Rosenfelds	....	music coordinator

Transportation Department
Philip Harrison	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Steve Chang	....	title designer
Joyce Hsieh	....	production accountant
Mary Jane Skalski	....	post-production delivery coordinator
Jane Stavinoha	....	assistant production coordinator
Michael Taylor	....	script supervisor

Production Companies

• Central Motion Pictures Corporation
• Good Machine

Distributors

• Arthaus Filmverleih
• Film Arte (Argentina)
• Flashstar Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Golem Distribución (Spain)
• Good Machine
• Homescreen (1994) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Roadshow Entertainment Video (Australia) (VHS)
• Roadshow Entertainment (Australia)
• Samuel Goldwyn Company, The
• Sandrew Metronome Distribution (2006) (Finland) (DVD)
• Transeuropa Video Entertainment (TVE) (Argentina) (VHS)

Also Known As:

Si yan (Taiwan)
The Wedding Banquet (USA)

Runtime:

106 min

Country:

Taiwan | USA

Language:

Mandarin | English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Philippines:R-18 | Singapore:R(A) (cut) | Australia:M | Iceland:L | South Korea:15 | Argentina:16 | Chile:18 | Finland:S | Germany:6 | Peru:18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:Btl | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Brooklyn Bridge, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Central Motion Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Director Cameo: [Ang Lee]a guest at the wedding banquet.

Goofs:

Continuity: During the small family dinner to which Simon treats the newlyweds and Wei-Tung's parents, Simon can be seen to alternately hold chopsticks, a small bowl or nothing in his left hand, depending on the camera angle.

Quotes:

Wai-Tung Gao: I don't know, we should have moved you out.
Simon: I'll survive.
Wai-Tung Gao: Not if Wei Wei keeps cooking.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Kicking and Screaming (1995)

Soundtrack:

The Wedding Banquet

Ang lee's The Wedding Banquet is a great addition to gay film

The Wedding Banquet is a truly inspiring and cross-culturally challenging film. It touches on many issues/themes which have never been combined before in one movie: Taiwanese Americans vs. Chinese Americans, Asian American families, old school parents vs. younger generation(s), multi-racial couples, gay couples, gay Asian Americans, immigrants, pride, family values and love.

And… while I found the ending of this movie somewhat unrealistic (I'll let other viewers decide) I also found the film challenging and optimistic (which is where my realism takes over).

You should watch this movie if you are… Asian… gay… Asian AND gay… or simply want to learn something about another culture. You might be surprised!

Props to Ang Lee for creating a unique opportunity to look into two very distinct and different cultures at the same time: Asian American and gays in the early 90s.