“RED DOORS” has a title that could suggest distant exoticism and symbolism—the sort that portrays Asians as foreign and inexplicable. Thankfully, the film has its feet quite firmly planted on the ground—the ground of suburban New York state—and portrays its very human characters with sympathy and humor.

The members of the Wong family are classic types, but do not come off as cliché—perhaps because they are Asian American versions of classic characters, or because of fresh performances by the actors.

Samantha (Jacqueline Kim), the oldest daughter, is the achiever. A young professional perpetually dressed in business attire, she puts in long hours at the office and is successful at it. She’s even engaged, in time for her 30th birthday, and dishes advice to her sister Julie about dating and relationships.

Julie (Elaine Kao) is the prototypical middle child, the nice one, a bit of a pushover, and neither here nor there (which makes it seem somewhat out of character when she decidedly becomes a lesbian). As a medical student, she represents a very common “type” of Asian American.

Katie, the youngest daughter (Kathy Shao-Lin Lee), is a teenager, and pretty much does whatever she feels like. Though her part is mostly comedic, there is character beneath her pranks—that of the youngest child who has seen her siblings grow up.

The father Ed Wong (Tzi Ma) and mother May-Li Wong (Freda Foh Shen) complete the family, and “Red Doors” skillfully balances the development of their stories within the 90-minute frame of the film.

This is no small feat, especially for first-time feature-filmmakers. During a post-screening Q&A in New York, writer-director Georgia Lee was quick to note that none of them [herself or her co-producers Jane Chen and Mia Riverton] went to film school. But continuity and story-telling don’t happen serendipitously, despite all self-effacing claims to the contrary. The filmmakers—the cast and crew—deserve credit and congratulations for making this genuinely entertaining film.

And it is entertaining. “Red Doors” runs on the kind of episodic, momentary humor that invites the audience to relax and enjoy the show. By the time the father is inadvertently shocking himself on their lawn’s invisible fence, you know you are in the hands of a good film, one that is actually quite Hollywood and mainstream in its style and sensibility, despite its indie status.

It’s a family film, despite the R rating for violence and sexuality. The violence due to the father’s a predilection for bungled suicide attempts, a bit of dark comedy. The closest thing to nudity occurs when, as a prank, the teenage Katie anonymously leaves a pile of dildos onto her crush Simon’s bed. While that may sound bizarre out of context, it makes complete sense during the movie, and is one of many funny moments, representing the film’s quirky sense of humor.