Spoiler alert: This post contains spoilers for”Joy Ride”
The new comedy “Joy Ride” may be filled with many raunchy, R-rated scenes, but one emotional arc towards the end of the film includes a cameo that will make viewers grab their tissues.
In the film, Audrey (Ashley Park) travels to China to close a business deal. Her best friend Lolo (Sherry Colaa) encourages Audrey to contact her birth mother while there. While in China, Audrey makes a discovery that will change her life forever.
Turn back now if you don’t want to be spoiled.
Audrey, Lolo and Lolo’s cousin Deadeye (Sabrina Wu) fly to China so Audrey can secure a deal on behalf of her law firm. While in China, they meet up with Kat (Stephanie Hsu), Audrey’s best friend from college.
Lolo encourages Audrey, who was given up for adoption as an infant, to contact her birth mother while on the mainland. Audrey is hesitant at first, but after the business deal with Chao (Ronnie Chieng) goes awry, the only way Audrey can salvage it is by introducing Chao to her Chinese family, whom of course she’s never met.
The quartet take a train to the Chinese countryside in search of Audrey’s birth mother. During the train ride, their passports are stolen. They eventually end up at the adoption agency where Audrey is shocked to learn that her mother is Korean, not Chinese.
The group fails to charter a flight by posing as popstars and must take a boat to Korea. After arriving, Audrey discovers another shocker: her mother Min Park (Michelle Choi-Lee) died several years prior from illness. A devastated Audrey visits Min’s grave when a man walks up to her.
That man is Dae, Min’s husband, played by Korean American actor Daniel Dae Kim (“Lost,” “Hawaii Five-0”). Kim doesn’t appear in any of the marketing materials and doesn’t appear in the credits on IMdB.
Dae explains to Audrey that Min’s biggest regret was never contacting the daughter that she gave up as a teen. Before she died, Min recorded a video for Audrey hoping she would see it one day.
While Kim’s cameo has largely been a secret, he did join a photocall with the main cast during the Los Angeles premiere of the film last week.
You can see Daniel Dae Kim and the rest of the “Joy Ride” cast in theaters now.
