The movie that sent us into the school year with a bang. “Crazy Rich Asians” is a romantic comedy focused around the character Rachel Chu, an American born Asian who is an economics professor, played by Asian American actress Constance Wu. Her longtime boyfriend, Nick Young, played by Henry Golding, convinces her to come to Singapore where she discovers that he is, in fact, a crazy rich Asian. Rachel has to face his mother who views her as not as a true Asian but as one who has been tainted by western culture.

“I think what made it different was the stereotype that went with it. The movie was really funny but also like really sad. I was crying at one point because it’s so sweet, but then I started laughing because then there were synchronized swimmers in the background because they are at an engagement party on this boat in the middle of the ocean and I was like, ‘this is so ridiculous and extravagant. That never happens unless they are like crazy rich Asians,’” said Alexis Rivers, 12.

The movie came out on Aug. 15 and swept the box office collecting $86,581,410 worldwide. While the romantic comedy genre has always been a staple in the movie industry, many have flopped recently not being able to beat the classics of the ‘90s and early 2000s. This movie is not only doing well in its first weekend, but continues to do well.

“The movie is projected to make $28 million over Labor Day weekend; this would be the third biggest on record,” says Forbes, which went on to say, “it has a decent shot of passing Hitch ($180 million in 2005) to become the second-biggest romantic comedy ever behind My Big Fat Greek Wedding ($243 million in 2002).”

The movie has been a big hit not only for Asian Americans, but also for lovers of romantic comedies.

“This was definitely a special occasion because movies are super expensive,” explained Rivers, “I was actually was seeing Mama Mia 2 and saw a commercial for [“Crazy Rich Asians”] and I was like ‘oh my goodness that looks so good and so funny and I feel like it’s such a stereotype that Asians are so smart and so rich’ so I was like ‘now they are making a movie about it so now I have to go see it.’”

Not only was this the first rom-com to do well recently, but it’s also the first major Hollywood movie to feature an all Asian cast that wasn’t a period piece or a martial arts movie in a quarter of a century. The last of which was “The Joy Luck Club” that came out in 1993.

“Many Asian Americans, myself included, see this movie as so much more than your average popular chick-lit turned rom-com,” said Entertainment reporter Ashley Lee, calling the film “a pipe dream come true,” and others have hailed it a “historic moment for Asian Americans,” explained Washington Post reporter, Allyson Chiu, “While watching the trailer, I experienced something new. I looked at Rachel…and completely related to her.”

This movie provides Asian Americans the opportunity to see themselves not as a super nerd who is top of the class and a complete genius, nor as a martial arts master who has to save the day. While those movies are wonderful and entertaining, this movie moves past those stereotypes and allows Asian Americans to experience their culture and heritage, while pushing Hollywood to accept that they need to rethink how they view Asian Americans in their movies.