Before Ang Lee​ made his mark in Hollywood, he created a "Father Knows the Best" trilogy in Taiwan. The Wedding Banquet (1993) is the second feature, along with Pushing Hands (1991) and Eat Drink Man Woman (1994). All three films explore the tension between traditional Confucian values and the encroaching influence of Western lifestyles. Lee also co-wrote the script of The Wedding Banquet and made a cameo appearance in the film. The film premiered at the 43rd Berlin International Film Festival, ​winning the Golden Bear​. It was both a critical and commercial success, winning five Golden Horse Awards in Taiwan, including Best Film and Best Director. It received Oscar and Golden Globe nominations for Best Foreign-Language Film, as well as six Independent Spirit Awar​d nominations. In 2023, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

Wei-Tung and his Caucasian gay partner Simon live happily together in Manhattan. Wei-tong's parents in Taiwan pressure him to marry, hoping to have a grandson. To appease his parents and defer their suspicions about Wei-Tung's reluctance to date a traditional Chinese girl, Simon suggests a marriage of convenience between Wei-Tung and Wei-Wei, an immigrant from Shanghai who needs a green card. When Wei-Tung's parents come to America for the wedding, they insist upon a traditional ceremony and an elaborate banquet to celebrate the occasion...

Film

The Wedding Banquet ​喜宴

Directed by

Ang Lee​ 李安

Written by

Ang Lee, Neil Peng, James Schamus

Cinematography

Jong Lin 林良忠

Language

English, Chinese with English subtitles

Starring

Winston Zhao 赵文瑄

Mitchell Lichtenstein

Mei Chin 金素梅

Liang Xiong 梁雄

Gua Ah-leh 归亚蕾