THE WEDDING DIARY II (结婚那件事之后) (2013)

Genre: Comedy
Director: Adrian Teh
Cast: A Niu, Elanne Kwong, Cynthia Wang, Kara Hui, Marcus Chin, Jack Choo, Shaun Chen, Maggie Theng, Ericia Lee, Rosa Chong, John Cheng, Mindee Ong, Chapman To
Runtime: 1 hr 36 mins
Rating: PG (Some Sexual References)
Released By: GV & Clover Films
Official Website:

Opening Day: 14 February 2013

Synopsis: Soon after marriage, Weijie and Zhixin face pressure to conceive. When it finally happens, amidst preparations for the Full-month celebration of the new family member, Zhixin’s dad Colin’s business meets with investment failures and he suffers a stroke as a result. Zhixin has to step up to take over Colin’s business. Between ensuring that her mum Alison does not have a mental breakdown and tending to her young family, Zhixin has to run the company and deal with insubordination from the veterans. It pains Weijie to see Zhixin under such stress and he quits his job to be a stay-home dad.

Over in Penang, Weijie’s dad Ah Sai heeds Colin’s advice and expands his humble salted-fish business. As his workload increases and he shuttles between Singapore and Penang, the harmonious family starts to disintegrate. 

Meanwhile, Alison is taken aback by the sudden appearance of Reese, who claims to be Colin’s illegitimate daughter. Zhixin cannot come to terms with having a half-sister and even suspects Reese of seducing Weijie.

At the same time, Weijie faces much pressure being a stay-home dad taking care of Xing’guan. There is talk that he is living off his wife and the couple ends up in a big quarrel. 

Amidst all these problems, one day, both Reese and baby Xing’guan disappear! Has Reese anything to do with baby Xing’guan’s disappearance? Will the couple overcome their differences?

Movie Review:

From marriage to parenthood – that life-stage trajectory also represents the progression from ‘The Wedding Diary’ to ‘The Wedding Diary II’, a journey which – going by its first-ever screening as the Closing Film of ScreenSingapore – has taken just nine months. More amazingly, returning director Adrian Teh has managed to assemble the entire ensemble cast for this second outing – including our very own Zhu Houren and Marcus Chin, Malaysian actor A-niu, as well as Hong Kong actresses Elanne Kwong and Kara Hui.

Presuming that its audience is already familiar with the various characters as well as their respective personalities, the movie wastes little time in setting up Weijie (A-niu) and Zhixin’s (Elanne Kwong) new addition to the family Xing’guan - which when taken with his surname ‘Cai’ sounds like the vegetable but in a bottle. Indeed, Teh and his screenwriter Rebecca Liow get the predictable stuff over and done with quickly – Weijie’s father Ah Sai (Marcus Chin) and Zhixin’s parents Colin and Alison (Zhu Houren and Kara Hui respectively)’s persistent nagging at their childlessness; Weijie’s conniving (but successful) attempt at getting Zhixin pregnant; and subsequently Zhixin’s excruciating process of childbirth.

More attention is in fact spent on the days after, which also shrewdly gives more screen time for the ‘oh-so-adorable’ Xing'guan.  At his first-month celebrations, Colin suffers a stroke after getting some upsetting news on his company’s investment in China, setting into motion a chain of events that ultimately tests each family unit’s resilience and each member’s commitment. Those expecting light-hearted fun like the last time might be in for a surprise, since the dramatic arcs that Liow (working from a story by Teh and executive producer Lim Teck) chooses are more sober than that previously.

It isn’t just Daniel and Tina’s marriage that is at stake now – the sudden appearance of an illegitimate daughter, Reese (Wang Xinru), claiming to be from an affair Colin apparently had in Taiwan tests the lengths Alison is willing to look past her husband’s possible transgressions; while Ah Sai’s greedy ambition to expand his small-time salted fish business tests his relationship with his family. Between the disharmony in both their respective families, the perceived disdain on Weijie’s part from being a house husband and the pressures on Zhixin’s part from having to step into her father’s shoes at the company threaten their once blissful marriage.  Throw in a late twist involving Weijie’s alleged indiscretion, and you have a movie that is about twice as busy as its predecessor.

The challenge of juggling so many plotlines does make for a less coherent movie overall - especially in the first half where the individual narratives unfold quite independently of one another – as well as a choppy viewing experience. Thankfully, while the parts don’t make for a very complete whole, there are still stellar bits that will tickle you silly. Notwithstanding the irresistible cuteness of Xing’guan that will never fail to melt your heart, the most entertaining bits come from the witty dialect jokes delivered with panache by both A-niu and Marcus Chin.

In place of the repartee between Houren and Marcus, Teh inserts a priceless sequence where the former’s character asks Marcus’ semi-literate character to send a letter of apology to his wife. The results of that are truly hilarious – one of our favourite parts of the whole movie – and most reminiscent of the cheerful tone of the previous movie. Another inspired bit sees Hong Kong actor Chapman To in a cameo doing a Peter Chan impersonation as ‘Liang Dao’ and that sequence where a frustrated Chapman in Cantonese-accented Mandarin teaches Ah Nan (aka Johnathan Cheng) and Mindee Ong how to act out a childbirth scene is side-splittingly funny.

Admittedly the aforementioned sequences might not add to the main or sub-plots, but they provide some much-needed levity in a movie that would otherwise be a sombre affair what with quarrels, betrayals and misunderstandings abound. Just when you think the movie is going off in different directions, Teh manages to pull it all together in the last act, emphasising the important values of empathy, understanding and trust in any marriage – whether it is of a young couple like Weijie and Zhixin or a seasoned couple like Colin and Alison. Not just that, the fact that he has turned the ending into something so poignant guaranteed to touch the hearts especially of married couples out there is genuinely admirable.

Of course, part of that achievement belongs to the mostly outstanding cast. A-niu might not be the most natural choice for the lead in a romantic comedy, but like the previous movie, he brings a low-key charm and a winning chemistry with Elanne. Deserving of mention too is Kara Hui, who delivers a well-nuanced performance as the faithful wife caring for her stroke-ridden husband Colin while coming to terms with his past faults. Next to the rest, Xinru sticks out with a rather stilted performance, but for better or for worse, her awkwardness fits her role as an outsider to the family.

The inevitable question that you would ask is whether this sequel is as good as the first. It’s not as straightforwardly entertaining that’s for sure, and credit must be given to the filmmakers for taking on more mature issues surrounding marriage than the first movie – just as how the adage ‘a wedding is a day, and a marriage is a lifetime’ goes. There are certainly amusing parts that will have you laughing out loud, but the subject matter they take on is much more complex than you would expect – even if the ‘baby’ factor is exploited for maximum likeability. For having surprisingly more ambition, and ultimately delivering a story rich in meaning and poignancy, we’re giving our vote to ‘The Wedding Diary II’ as a touching yet humourous look at marriage that you should make a date with next Valentine's Day.

Movie Rating:

(This post-wedding chapter may not be as instantaneously funny as its predecessor, but is still an amusing and surprisingly poignant look at married life)

Review by Gabriel Chong