Crazy Rich Asians: Book vs Movie

You could call me a rom-com connoisseur.

Over the past 16 years, I’ve seen a total of 136 rom-coms (yes, I counted). While most of them use every cliché — from iconic airport reunions, to best friends who realize they’re in love — they still leave my sappy self with glossy eyes, not to mention it also gives me incredibly unrealistic expectations.

Will my longtime best friend chase me to gate 27 at KCI and confess his love for me? Hopefully, but probably not.

So when I was first introduced to “Crazy Rich Asians,” (shoutout to Annabelle Cook) I thought I knew what to expect — girl meets boy, girl falls in love with boy, complications with said boy, a break-up and an eventual happy ending — the classic cookie-cutter plot to every tacky rom-com.

And that’s partially what I got. But in a glamorous, posh and bubbly way.

When boyfriend Nick Young, “the Prince Harry of Singapore” invites American-born economic professor, Rachel Chu into his lavish lifestyle, she’s greeted by a luxurious 200 million dollar plot of real estate, trays of magazine-worthy food, elegant met-gala esque parties. Oh, and an incredibly disapproving mother who, naturally, despises the quirky, middle-class Rachel.

The “Crazy Rich Asians’” movie debut on Aug. 15 not only featured the first all-Asian cast since 1993’s “The Joy Luck Club,” but also gave us an adaptation of the bestselling trilogy written by Kevin Kwan — one with intricate details and plotlines that proved to be challenging to transform to the big screen.

The book is centered around the ultra-rich Young family of Singapore with alternating chapters following the plotlines of multiple main characters over the course of 544 pages of tart-toned satire.

I whipped through the book in a solid two days and loved every word, and if you can relate, I ask you to keep an open mind when taking your seat at the movie — the choice to leave out details to whip up a two-hour screenplay is inevitable. So (spoiler alert) if you’re going to watch the fabulous Astrid-Charlie love story unfold between the novel’s supporting characters, I’m afraid you’ll have to wait until the second movie — this version of the story is all about our leading lady Rachel and her swoon-worthy man, Nick.

Through tangy one-liners and empowering female leads, “Crazy Rich Asians” plunges us deep into the storyline of the crazy-thrilling, yet unfulfilling life of the top one percent.

We watch as our main characters struggle with their lives. We see Rachel question her cultural identity. Astrid with the fate of her doomed-from-the-beginning marriage. And Nick’s decision on whether or not he’s fit to follow his mother Eleanor’s wishes. All of which unfold while wearing color-blocking and diamond encrusted outfits that only Amal Clooney could fathom owning, of course.

Except for a few minor details regarding crazy friend Peik Lin’s enhanced role that I’ll let slide, the casting was spot on: each member portrayed the character’s personalities almost exactly how I pictured from the book.

The crazy-dazzling motion-picture pulls out all the stops that make a good rom-com. We get the classic sassy best friend (who stole the freaking show), a backstabbing ex, and an ultimatum — because every epic love story needs one — between family and money, or true love.

While the book will always have a place in my heart, the glitzy movie brought something new to the table, and honestly, it probably doubled my already unrealistic expectations. But does this mean it’s as good as the book? Hell no. But did I still love it? Absolutely.