I met this remake of Ang Lee’s “The Wedding Banquet” with a blend of skepticism (I love the original movie) and optimism (I adore this new cast and director). Turns out I was right to be optimistic!

Filmmaker Andrew Ahn delivers a good time with a perfect cast that helps modernize this queer love story. I knew Ahn would be a great fit given his last collaboration with star Bowen Yang in “Fire Island,” one of my favorite movies of this decade.

Kelly Marie Tran and Yang star as Angela and Chris, two best friends who share a Seattle household with their respective partners, Lee (Lily Gladstone) and Min (Han Gi-chan).

After a rejected marriage proposal by Chris, Min decides to propose another option to ensure his financial stability and appease his grandmother (Youn Yuh-jung): Angela and Min will get married. Angela (and Lee) agree, as Min offers to pay for IVF treatment for Lee. Chris very reluctantly agrees to go along with the plan, as he still loves Min and wants to see Angela and Lee have the baby they so badly want.

Joan Chen also fills a memorable supporting role as Angela’s mother, May. The whole ensemble of “The Wedding Banquet” really works together well, echoing the success Ahn had in making the entire cast shine in “Fire Island.”

I was especially taken with the performance by Tran as Angela, and I look forward to her having more leading work in projects post-“Star Wars.”

Youn also continues to build on her impressive work from the last few years, including awards season favorite “Minari” and beloved TV show “Pachinko.” She is absolutely perfect as Min’s grandmother, Ja-Young.

While I did find a couple main plot points to be a bit stretchy, I overall enjoyed this remake of one of my favorite ’90s romcoms.

I had the pleasure of watching this film twice before it came out, and while I preferred the atmosphere of the movie theater at the Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival, it was also a fun date night movie at home.

Rating: 4/5