Last week, the staff at Jackfroot featured the Filipino independent film “The Debut” that told the story of first generation Filipino-Americans and the clash with their immigrant parents. In this week’s installment of Must See Films, we’re now switching the focus to Chinese-Americans and their story in the classic film “The Joy Luck Club” starring Ming Na, Ming-Na Wen, Lisa Lu, Tamlyn Tomita, France Nuyen, and Kieu Chinh. This movie was an adaptation of the bestselling novel by author Amy Tan and is one of the more influential films in Asian American cinema.
The movie was released in theaters nationwide in 1993 and was an instant classic among movie-goers of all ages and ethnicities. The Joy Luck Club told the story of four Chinese-American women who all shared a story of struggle and happiness while trying to connect with their roots. Their past and present all become relative as they take grasp of who they really are as people.
Here’s a quick review of the film
“Â The 1993 film adaptation of Amy Tan’s bestselling novel is both a delight and a moving experience, an anthology of stories wrapped in one Chinese-American woman’s journey to understand her roots. Wayne Wang (Eat a Bowl of Tea) directs a large, outstanding cast spread over eight different tales of the lives of Chinese women, most of them set in the past. The script by Tan and Ronald Bass (Rain Man) is a delicate balance of emotions that swell but don’t gush, and Wang brings impressive texture and a personal feel to Tan’s descriptions of daily life in the Chinese-American community. This sprawling, good-looking movie makes for a cathartic tearjerker one can feel good about.”
There are many films that tell the conflicting story between different generations, but none do it quite like The Joy Luck Club. Ming Na’s performance in this film was superb as she does a very convincing job as a woman struggling with her life and connecting to her cultural roots. It is rare to get the woman’s perspective for the both the mother and the daughter which is a pleasure to see on screen. However, the story is one that could be understood regardless of gender, race, and religious preference.
We highly recommend you add this film to your movie collection and watch it if you’ve never seen it before. It’s moving and motivating at the same time. As first-generation Asian Americans ourselves, we can easily relate to this story and realize that our past is as important as our future and you should never lose sight of that. Press play to check out a “fan made” trailer of the film (we couldn’t find the original trailer). If you wish to add this classic film to your collection, click on the Amazon link below. Don’t forget to read the book by Amy Tan as well! (Link below)
Amazon Link:Â The Joy Luck Club DVD
Amazon Link: The Joy Luck Club Book
