Based on Adrian Tomine’s 2007 graphic novel, Randall Park’s 2023 romantic-comedy Shortcomings succinctly captures the state of Asian-American representation in the film industry today, while also speaking to the issues that our youngest generations face when it comes to race, gender, sexuality and relationships.
From romantic love stories to animated films, expressions of APIDA (Asian, Pacific Islander, Desi American) power in film have become far more centered around the value of the character over anything else. In the past, we have been given characters that fall within a limited scope of stereotypes.…