IMDb > Chan Is Missing (1982)

Chan Is Missing (1982) More at IMDbPro »


Overview

User Rating:
6.8/10   395 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 3% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writers:
Isaac Cronin (writer)
Wayne Wang (writer)
Contact:
View company contact information for Chan Is Missing on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
4 June 1982 (USA) more
Genre:
Plot:
Two cabbies search San Francisco's Chinatown for a mysterious character who has disappeared with their $4000... more | add synopsis
Awards:
2 wins more
User Comments:
A great American film more (12 total)

Cast

  (Complete credited 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
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Additional Details

Runtime:
80 min
Country:
Language:
Sound Mix:

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
This film was selected to the National Film Registry, Library of Congress, in 1995. more
Quotes:
Presco: You guys are looking for Mr. Chan-why don't you look in the puddle? more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Can She Bake a Cherry Pie? (1983) more
Soundtrack:
(We're Gonna) Rock Around the Clock more

FAQ

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2 out of 2 people found the following comment useful.
A great American film, 6 July 2007
10/10
Author: alampls from United States

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.

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