Stars of Crazy Rich Asians Have a Wild Dallas Night

This Movie is More Than Worthy — and What About Those Closet Scenes?

BY Natalie Gempel // 08.16.18

photography Kim Leeson

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Jimmy O. Yang , LeeAnne Locken, Kevin Kwan

Corey Lark, Kevin Kwan, Scot McMaster and Mary Ruth Murphy

(From left) Greg Frary, Billy Fong, Suzi Woo and David Woo

Field Harrison, Sabrina Harrison, Gemma Chan, Kristin Smith and Frank Del Corral

Emma Immanivong, Liz Immanivong and Uno Immanivong

Stephanie Casey, Gemma Chan, BonBon Montero and Ashley Weller

Ken Harden, Francois-Yves Auger, Andrew Gonzales and Jorge Gallegos

Gemma Chan, Jimmy O. Yang, Kevin Kwan

What: Crazy Rich Asians Dallas Premiere

Where: Alamo Drafthouse

PC Moment: Actress Gemma Chan put it simply: You don’t have to be Asian, you don’t have to be rich, you don’t even have to be crazy to enjoy Crazy Rich Asians.

The book-turned-blockbuster is a delightful summer flick, full of humor, fashion, and light-hearted drama that anyone can appreciate. You could say it’s a typical rom com – but the film is more significant than that implies. Crazy Rich Asians is the first major Hollywood film with an all-Asian cast in over two decades.

It’s undeniably entertaining, yes, but it’s also an incredibly important moment for representation and diversity in mainstream media.

We got a sneak peek of the movie and its stars at the Dallas Premiere of Crazy Rich Asians. Chan joined co-star Jimmy O. Yang and author Kevin Kwan at Alamo Drafthouse Lake Highlands for a fun night of cinema and cocktails. (Chan, donning a french twist and a feathered drop-waist dress, looked every bit as glamorous as her regal, couture-obsessed character, Astrid.) The trio even took a selfie with the theater full of fans (note my colleague Samantha Olguin and I wedged between Kevin Kwan and Gemma Chan in the front row).

Outdoor Dining with Bering's

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Highlights of the movie? There are not one, but two fabulous closet montages. As someone who has googled “movies with fun makeover scenes” on more than one occasion, I really appreciated the film’s fashion.

Then there are the dreamy locales and over-the-top parties. Crazy Rich Asians is a whirlwind trip through the opulent lives of Singapore’s elite. One moment you’re in a baroque mansion, the next you’re on a white sand beach. The wedding (which the plot centers around) is hilariously gaudy but honestly awesome. It’s a shamelessly indulgent visual feast.

And then, of course, there are the lovebirds in the middle of it all. Rachel (Constance Wu) and Nick (Henry Golding) are charming, gorgeous, and sweet without becoming saccharine.

From start to finish, Crazy Rich Asians is right on the money.