Andrew Ahn’s “The Wedding Banquet” isn’t really a remake of Ang Lee’s 1993 arthouse hit of the same title; rather, it’s a reimagining, for a world that’s changed a lot in three-plus decades. In present-day Seattle (though filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia, with a few Space Needle and Dick’s Drive-In shots inserted), two gay couples live in friendly proximity: Angela (Kelly Marie Tran) and Lee (Lily Gladstone) in the house Lee inherited from her family; Min (Han Gi-Chan) and his boyfriend Chris (Bowen Yang) in the backyard guesthouse. A crisis arises for this cozy foursome when Min realizes that his student visa is on the verge of expiring. Not wanting to return to Korea, he ponders the idea of gaining citizenship by marrying Angela — and giving Angela and Lee a wad of cash to help with their in vitro fertilization woes.

You don’t need me to tell you that things do not work out quite as Min plans — but work out they do, in a charming rom-com with plenty to say about love, friendship, family legacy, chosen family and what it means to make a home. There’s a coziness to the relationships between Angela/Lee and Min/Chris that speak of long familiarity and comfort, with each of the actors able to wordlessly communicate their closeness. And the central quartet is given rich support by two scene-stealing members of older generations: Joan Chen as Angela’s gay-activist mother (her horrified delivery of the line “My own daughter? Marrying a MAN?” is pretty much worth the ticket price right there) and Youn Yuh-Jung (an Oscar winner for “Minari”) as Min’s very traditional Korean grandmother.

Despite a plot twist you’ll see coming all the way from Vancouver, “The Wedding Banquet” is a worthy successor to Ang Lee’s classic, and a chance for a group of actors to shine together and separately. There’s plenty of silliness, but also time to be moved by quiet moments. If you know Yang mostly from his zany performances on“Saturday Night Live,” you’ll be moved by the soft touch of his work as Chris, a man who finds peace in bird-watching. And local favorite Gladstone, in a role that feels too small for her talents but nonetheless suits her beautifully, has an uncanny way of telling complicated stories in one searing glance. Watch Lee as she gazes at Angela near the end of the film; it’s a look that’s at once wry, affectionate, mystified and immensely complicated — in other words, a lovely look of love.

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'THE WEDDING BANQUET'

3.5 stars (out of 4)

MPA rating: R (for language and some sexual material/nudity)

Running time: 1:42

How to watch: In theaters April 18

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