I did something that’s a bit unusual for me — I saw the movie before I read the book. Usually, whenever I’m interested in a movie or TV show that was originally a book, I have to read the book first. That usually results in me usually never seeing the movie and reading the book about a month after the movie leaves theaters.
However, Crazy Rich Asians was a bit different. I saw the movie as I was reading the book.
But, let me say this — both were pretty amazing.
General Synapses:
Crazy Rich Asians tells the story of Rachel Chu who is invited by her boyfriend, Nick Young, to go to his best friend’s wedding. Little does Rachel know that her boyfriend is hiding a very big secret — that his family is a millionaire. And, that family could be the very reason that could tear them apart.
Book vs. Movie:
I’m not going to lie — I absolutely loved them both. The movie was one of the best that I’ve seen in a very long time, and while the book was well over 500 pages, it was a damn good book. And, the movie and book were pretty similar.
But, there were a few differences. Most of them were minor details.
The first is that there is a ton more backstory in the book — which I get. When you take a 500 page novel and turn it into a movie, somethings do have to go. With that being said, some of the backstory was pretty interesting. For example, it was interesting to read about Eddie’s (one of Nick’s cousins) marriage. We see a bit of him in the movie, but it is a totally different game in the book. And, in the end, his wife ends up leaving him at the wedding — something that didn’t happen in the movie. And, another change is that Peik Lin got invited to go to the party at Nick’s grandmother’s house — something that didn’t happen in the book.
What was also different between the two is the Eleanor (Nick’s mother) and Rachel relationship. Eleanor hated Rachel because she didn’t think she was good enough for Nick. In the book, they didn’t meet until later on, and she was very stand offish until she revealed the truth about Rachel’s past. In the movie, they met at the party, where she was cold to her. Throughout the movie, she was trying to get to Rachel and said flat out mean things to her. This didn’t happen in the book.
But, the biggest difference is the end. And sorry to those who have yet to read the book or see the movie, I’m about to spoil it. So, if you want to avoid spoilers, stop reading. Now.
In the movie, Nick proposes to Rachel twice — once in the park where she refuses and on the plane ride home, where she accepts. In the second proposal, she gets Eleanor’s ring. The movie ends with them being treated to a luxurious engagement party. The book ends with no proposal, although Rachel and Nick are reunited. They end up going out to dinner with Rachel’s mom and Peik Lin.
Overall?
I highly recommend both the book and movie. They are different enough to see one without ruining the other. Therefore, if you haven’t, go see and read Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan. And if you choose the movie first, I guarantee that you will laugh out loud the entire time.
thenutmegmillennial.com 