Unsurprisingly, this year's biggest tear-jerking rom-com, Crazy Rich Asians, pulled at my heartstrings in more ways than one. I'm not the biggest romantic-comedy fan, but somehow the film turned me into a giant puddle of tears not only because of the love story but also because of its nuanced depiction of Asian men and women. The film challenges the stale — and perfunctory — Hollywood portrayal of Asians as geeks, perpetual foreigners, and other stereotypes.
What made me the happiest was seeing the responses of those who have a direct connection with the characters, as I did with those featured in Black Panther, because I know how much it means to see yourself represented on the big screen. For instance, reading things like Chrissy Teigen's account of her young daughter, Luna, getting excited about watching a woman who looks like her grandmother on screen. Or Mindy Kaling expressing how beautiful it is to see a love story unfold in a non-European setting, in gorgeous Singapore. Movies like this matter because it broadens the scope of what romance looks like, which makes room for more narratives and voices that are more reflective of the world. And that empowers people to embrace who they are, something I can definitely get behind.