Welcome to the Weekly Movie Thread, your place on the Avocado to discuss films with your fellow commenters. Want to make a recommendation? Looking for recommendations? Want to share your opinions of movies, both new and classic? 

This week, Filipino comedian Jo Koy hits the big screen in his comedy, Easter Sunday. Destined for Netflix, Jo Koy pushed for the film to be released in theaters so Filipinos could see themselves ion the big screen. A noble goal, as a recent study showed that between 2007 and 2019 only 3.3% of the top 1,300 movies had Asian Americans or Pacific Islanders as leads.

References to Filipino American culture abound in the film, from a Santo Niño statue to halo-halo and karaoke. Koy’s favorite scene is when the family fills up a balikbayan box with goods that would be sent to their family in the Philippines. He said it brought him back to his childhood in the ’80s, when his mom would pack balikbayan boxes with candy, toys, health products and an assortment of other goods for her relatives in her home country.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/rcna40114

It’s a familiar story, as Netflix was also trying to secure distribution rights for Crazy Rich Asians. Director John Chu and writer Kevin Kwan ultimately decided on Warner Brothers for the same reasons: Asians just were never the leads in Hollywood movies.

Now… shouldn’t this have come out in the spring? You know, with that title and all?

I will say, however, that holy crap this group of actors looks like my family. I mean, Tia Carrere and her frown face is doing a straight up impersonation of one of my aunts. I think this is true for a lot of Filipino families. I’m sure all of us ave an aunt who have the mannerisms of Tia Carrere here.

Which brings us to today’s bonus prompt: what movie family reminds you a lot of your own?