Chan Is Missing (1982)

Director:

Wayne Wang

Writers:

Isaac Cronin (writer)
Wayne Wang (writer)

Release Date:

4 June 1982 (USA)

Genre:

Crime

Plot:

Two cabbies search San Francisco's Chinatown for a mysterious character who has disappeared with their $4000...

Plot Keywords:

San Francisco California | Asian American | Independent Film

Awards:

2 wins

Cast

Wood Moy	...	Jo
Marc Hayashi	...	Steve
Laureen Chew	...	Amy
Peter Wang	...	Henry the Cook
Presco Tabios	...	Presco
Frankie Alarcon	...	Frankie
Judi Nihei	...	Lawer
Ellen Yeung	...	Mrs. Chan Hung
George Woo	...	George
Emily Woo Yamasaki	...	Chan's Daughter Jenny (as Emily Yamasaki)
Virginia Cerenio	...	Jenny's Friend
Roy Chan	...	Mr. Lee
Leong Pui Chee	...	Mr. Fong

Runtime:

80 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Cantonese

Color:

Black and White

Sound Mix:

Mono

Filming Locations:

Chinatown, San Francisco, California, USA

Company:

New Yorker Films

Trivia:

This film was selected to the National Film Registry, Library of Congress, in 1995.

Quotes:

Presco: You guys are looking for Mr. Chan-why don't you look in the puddle?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Can She Bake a Cherry Pie? (1983)

Soundtrack:

(We're Gonna) Rock Around the Clock

A great American film

This is the best depiction of cultural contact I have seen on film. The title points to several layers of meaning, some of which are missed by many viewers. Most obviously, this is a film about real Asian Americans, not the ersatz and offensive characters of the Charlie Chan films. That Chan is missing but not missed. At the same time, the film is a spoof of Charlie Chan films, with Jo the bumbling detective and Steve the number one son, in an outrageously profane update. Finally, the character in the film, Chan Hung, is missing, and his disappearance is symbolic of a passing that is to be mourned much more than the deservedly-forgotten Charlie Chan movies. Chan Hung is the original immigrant, who struggled to survive in his new country but could never shake his love of his original one. His missing image floats through the film like a lost soul, and adds poignance that helps to counterpoint the ribald comedy. Jo is the bridge, feeling Chan's loss, but fully rooted in America: an "ABC"--American Born Chinese. Steve is the impatient third generation, angry that the plight of the immigrants may overshadow the struggles that U.S.-born Asian Americans continue to face. The conclusion of the mystery is as inevitable as it is sad, but the spirit of the characters who inhabit this film is truly inspirational. One of a handful of films that define an essential part of the American experience.