Joy Ride (2023) is a comedy movie directed by Adele Lim, who is making her directorial debut. The film follows four Asian-American friends, played by Ashley Park, Sherry Cola, Stephanie Hsu, and Sabrina Wu, traveling throughout China searching for Audrey’s biological mother. Audrey was adopted by American parents as a baby, leaving her no recollection of her birth family and heritage. Along the way, they encounter various challenges, including a drug smuggler, a Chinese businessman, a famous actress’s fiancé, and a basketball team down for fun. The movie is a funny and candid exploration of identity and self-discovery, highlighting the universal truth of accepting and loving oneself.
Let me be honest; I do not directly relate to the main characters. I am a white male who was not adopted by parents who lived in another country. But I still appreciate the movie’s story and find the comedic situations hilarious. I always value it when I can walk into a viewing of a film with the intent to be entertained with a good story and be given exactly that by the time the end credits begin to roll across the screen. This movie accomplished meeting my expectations.
Behind the scenes, Joy Ride is helmed by Adele Lim, an accomplished Malaysian-American screenwriter and producer who has made quite an impression during her tenure in Hollywood. Her notable contributions include co-writing the groundbreaking romantic comedy Crazy Rich Asians (2018), which broke a 25-year record by being the first American-based film to prominently feature an Asian cast, a feat previously achieved only by The Joy Luck Club (1993). Lim has also contributed to the screenplay for Disney’s Raya and the Last Dragon (2021), an animated fantasy adventure inspired by Southeast Asian cultures.
With her background in journalism in Malaysia, Lim boldly pursued her dream of becoming a television writer and has worked on several successful shows such as One Tree Hill, Private Practice, Lethal Weapon, and Dynasty. Lim is passionately committed to sharing authentic and diverse stories that reflect her personal experiences and heritage and is dedicated to mentoring and advocating for aspiring writers of color in the industry. Her work has earned several well-deserved awards and nominations, including a Writers Guild of America Award, a Critics’ Choice Award, and a Hollywood Film Award.
Joy Ride (2023)
DIRECTOR: Adele Lim.
WRITERS: Cherry Chevapravatdumrong, Teresa Hsiao, Adele Lim.
MPAA RATING: R – Viewer discretion is advised.
GENRES: Comedy.
LENGTH: 1h 35min.
LANGUAGE: English, Mandarin, Korean.
WHERE TO RENT: JustWatch, ReelGood
★★★★☆ | WATCHED: July 8, 2023
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