Sunday, March 5, 2017

The Joy Luck Club 1993


     This film is based on a novel by Amy Tan published in 1989.  The relationships between four Chinese-American women and their Chinese mothers are explored.  June Woo’s mother has passed away and the friends and families unite to eat together.  It is a going-away party for June’s upcoming trip to China and also to remember Suyuan Woo.  The other mothers and daughters are Lindo and Waverly Jong, Ying-Ying and Lena St. Clair, An-Mei and Rose Hus.  The mothers suffered terribly during their childhoods and young adult years during the 1930’s and 1940’s in China.  All their stories are told in flashbacks.  Now that the daughters are adults, the mother’s only want the best for their daughters and grandchildren.  They want to pass on the wisdom they have learned as the years went by.
     I really enjoyed this film and it’s difficult to hold back some tears as the stories are told.  The Chinese and Chinese-American cultures are complicated and very interesting.  There is also the tiger-mother culture for the childhood stories in San Francisco.  4 ½* (I really liked this movie)

139 min, Drama directed by Wayne Wang with Tamlyn Tomita, Rosalind Chao, Kieu Chinh, France Nuyen, Lisa Lu, Ming-NaWen, Lauren Tom, Chao Li Dhi, Melanie Chang, Victor Wong, Lisa Connolly, Mai Vu.

Note:  Imdb 7.6 out of 10, 85% critic 89% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Roger Ebert 4*, Amazon 4.7* out of 5* with 690 reviews.
Special Note:  Filmed in Richmond, San Francisco, Woodside, California and China.  Close to the end of the film, June escorts an elderly couple to the door after a party.  The couple is Daisy and T.C. Daisy.  These are the American names of Amy Tan’s parents.

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