Page 30 - ARUBA TODAY

A30 PEOPLE & ARTS
Tuesday 4 June 2019
In Asian-led 'Always Be My Maybe,' ethnicity is secondary

By TERRY TANG part of all.
Associated Press "It wasn't the type of thing
The newly released Net- where we sat down and
flix movie "Always Be My said before we wrote it,
Maybe," is an Asian Ameri- 'OK, we got to represent
can rom-com with a twist: and make sure we're mak-
Ethnicity isn't central to the ing the perfect Asian Amer-
plot. ican movie,'" Park told The
It's just stand-up comedian Associated Press. "It was
and actress Ali Wong and more like, 'Let's make a re-
"Fresh Off the Boat" actor ally heartfelt and really
Randall Park playing best funny romantic comedy, a
friends and soul mates who movie that we'd really love
happen to be Asian, which to see.'"
may be the most refreshing In the flick, best friends Sa-

This undated image shows Randall Park and Ali Wong in a scene from the movie "Always Be My
Maybe."
Associated Press

sha (Wong) and Marcus it,'" said Park, who is Korean to Asian culture, like people
(Park), who grew up next American. taking off their shoes when
door to each other in San First-time movie director they enter homes.
Francisco, lose touch af- Nahnatchka Khan, who is The filmmakers strived for
ter a night of passion. They also the creator of "Fresh authenticity, like using a
are reunited 15 years later Off the Boat," said it was working dim sum restaurant
when Sasha, now a celebri- thrilling to watch him em- and its servers in a scene.
ty chef, temporarily moves brace playing a romantic "It just made the experi-
back home to launch a leading man. ence even better," Park
new restaurant. "He just pulls off the emo- said.
Meanwhile, Marcus works tion," Khan said. "I think Unlike previous mainstream
for his father's air condition- everybody has seen him rom-coms that take place
ing company while playing be really funny in all of his in San Francisco, a lot of the
in a band. Despite both of TV and movie work. But to bars and restaurant scenes
them being in relationships have him kind of carry this have plenty of Asian extras
and having opposite life- movie on his shoulders, you in the background. That
styles, it's clear the more- feel for him and you're root- was something Khan was
than-friends feelings are still ing for him." always conscious of.
there. Wong, who is Vietnamese "On the monitors, I would
Like "Crazy Rich Asians," the and Chinese American, is always look at each frame
film showcases an all-Asian courted by two other char- and just make sure the
ensemble and it's romantic acters played by Keanu crowd felt real, it felt au-
and funny. But that's where Reeves, who is part Chi- thentic," Khan said.
the similarities end. nese and Native Hawaiian, It was also integral to Park
Wong, Park and Michael and Daniel Dae Kim, who in scenes where Marcus
Golamco, who met doing is Korean American. To see performs with his band
theater at the University of men of Asian descent play- Hello Peril. After college,
California, Los Angeles, in ing the rivals is significant he performed in a largely
the late '90s, co-wrote the because those roles could Asian American band like
screenplay that has more have easily been cast with in the movie.
in common with "When non-Asian American ac- "Because of that, Asian
Harry Met Sally" than "Crazy tors. Americans came to our
Rich Asians." "What I find interesting shows," Park said. "Just by
While the cast is Asian about this particular film is nature, the community
American, there's no prom- that the three main roman- comes out to support and
inent East-meets-West cul- tic rivals ... they're all play- that's reflected in those
ture clash story line like in ing different types of Asian scenes and in reality."
"Crazy Rich Asians." American men," said Keith Chow said he hopes the
Park, who plays a sweet- Chow, creator of online film will continue to nor-
natured father of three on pop culture website The malize stories focused on
TV's "Fresh Off the Boat," has Nerds of Color. Asians so that they are not
always wanted to play a The characters are seen seen as "niche." And so
romantic lead. doing activities commonly Asian Americans will not
"I never really got afforded associated with Asians, feel pressure that movies or
the chance by the industry. like eating dim sum or go- TV shows have to be hits so
So it was the type of thing ing to a Korean spa. But, that someone else's project
'Well, I guess I got to write there are also subtler nods can get made.q