I did not expect to like this movie. Really, I didn’t. Hollywood’s recent history of making smart romantic comedies has of late been pretty pathetic. Plus, aren’t fabulously-wealthy, ostentatious people

insufferable no matter what part of the world they come from? Still, this movie had good word of mouth and I wanted to support a movie that featured an all-Asian cast, a departure from Hollywood studios’ usual dearth of diversity in casting. We have a great deal of power as consumers in that regard and I chose to exercise it.

I’m glad I did.

CRAZY RICH ASIANS is a lot of fun and features a strong female lead as well as smart supporting roles. The entire cast is either Asian or of Asian descent. The female protagonist, Rachel Chu, an American of Chinese descent, is an accomplished academic who is a professor of economics at New York University. Despite the film’s title, she is neither rich nor crazy, but rather the daughter of a single mother, an immigrant from China. We meet her mother at the end of the film when she comes to Singapore to help her daughter. She is presented as a hardworking immigrant who put herself through college while working and raising Rachel. It is a depiction that is both realistic and respectful.

The film begins with Rachel taking a trip to Singapore with her boyfriend Nick to attend a wedding. Only there does she learn his family is absurdly wealthy and that Nick is one of the most sought after bachelors in Singapore. Issues arise with his family, who look down upon Rachel for her low economic status, and she finds herself a target of scheming socialites. It is all presented in a delightfully old fashioned, screwball comedic fashion.

In some ways the film resembles a typical studio romantic Cinderella comedy in that a girl from the wrong side of the tracks  meets the rich Prince Charming with a domineering mother who disapproves of the union. But despite this candy-coated, Champagne-with-Coca-Cola feel, the movie departs from this tired stereotype demonstrating Rachel is a character who does not pine away for her significant other, nor does she look to him to provide meaning in her life. Rachel is independent and will thrive, regardless of whether this relationship makes it or not. The audience cares for them as a couple – we want their relationship to work; but if not, Rachel will flourish nevertheless. That’s why she’s a strong leading lady we can root for.

Even Eleanor, Nick’s domineering mother, boasts welcome nuance and depth. A former law student who  like many women of her era, abandoned her formal education and career ambitions to assume the responsibilities of her matriarchal role. From the opening scene she proves herself a smart, savvy woman  refusing to be pushed around by a racist British hotel manager who does not want “undesirable minority guests.” She gets her revenge by taking ownership of the hotel and having the manager fired. It’s an early glimpse of the awesome power this family, especially its women, will exercise.

Eleanor is so opposed to her son’s relationship with Rachel she hires a private investigator to research her background, discovering Rachel was conceived through an adulterous relationship. Loyal to her mother and beholden to no man regardless of his wealth, Rachel initially declines Nick’s proposal and returns to the United States, realizing she could never be happy losing her independence to a demanding mother- in-law — a far cry from most rom-com endings, where women too freely give up everything for a man.

There’s nothing funny about that.

My one reservation is that the success of this film could encourage Hollywood to once again resort to stereotyping Asian characters: this time limiting the already limited roles to those of great wealth and privilege. There is no such thing as “Asian Culture.” The continent is much too large to encompass a single identity, spanning  multiple countries languages, religions, histories and customs.

Still, we have to start somewhere and this movie has again highlighted the importance of diversity in casting and storytelling. The fact that it was both a critical and box office success will help lay to rest Hollywood’s erroneous belief that worldwide audiences only want to see white faces on the big screen. Nothing could be farther from the truth.