Tui shou (1992)

User Rating:

7.3/10   

Director:

Ang Lee

Writers:

Ang Lee (writer)
James Schamus (writer)

Release Date:

20 January 1996 (Japan)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Plot:

All the while, Master Chu tries to find his place in the foreign American world.

Plot Keywords:

Tai Chi | Immigration | Family Conflict | Game Of Go | Martial Arts

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Bin Chao	...	Waiter Wong
Victor Chan	...	Gangster
Lester Chit-Man Chan	...	Chef Tsien
Fanny De Luz	...	Linda
Audrey Haight	...	Anchorwoman
Jackson King	...	Gangster
Eugene Lau	...	Gangster
Bar-Chya Lee	...	Waiter Lee
Haan Lee	...	Jeremy Chu
Peter Lee	...	Waiter Wu
Yin Liang	...	Chef Chang
Richard Light	...	Gangster
Bill Lin	...	Gangster
Emily Yi-Ming Liu	...	Yi Ci
Jeanne Kuo Chang	...	New Cooking Teacher
Pauline Liu	...	News Reporter
James Lou	...	Mr. Chao
Sihung Lung	...	Mr. Chu
Deb Snyder	...	Martha Chu
Hung Chang Wang	...	Boss Huang
Lai Wang	...	Mrs. Chen
Bo Z. Wang	...	Alex Chu
Pamela Yang	...	Yi Yi
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Emily Liu	...	Yi Ci (uncredited)

Directed by
Ang Lee

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Ang Lee		writer
James Schamus		writer

Produced by
Ted Hope	....	producer
Ang Lee	....	producer
Emily Liu	....	producer
Emily Yi-Ming Liu	....	producer
James Schamus	....	producer

Original Music by
Xiao-Song Qu

Cinematography by
Jong Lin

Film Editing by
Tim Squyres

Casting by
Harriet Bass
Jeff Berman
Wendy Ettinger

Production Design by
Scott Bradley

Art Direction by
Michael Shaw

Costume Design by
Elizabeth Jenyon

Makeup Department
Lauren Matonis	....	makeup artist
Josh Turi	....	special makeup effects artist

Production Management
Sam Sarowitz	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Gretel Enck	....	second second assistant director
Brian Gutherman	....	second assistant director
Emily Yi-Ming Liu	....	second unit director
Linda Wilson	....	assistant director: second unit

Art Department
Annie Ballard	....	set dresser
Tom Jarmusch	....	property master

Sound Department
Tom Paul	....	sound mixer
Jeff Pullman	....	sound recordist
Reilly Steele	....	sound re-recording mixer

Special Effects by
Arthur M. Jolly	....	special effects fabricator (as Arthur Jolly)
Pericles Lewnes	....	special effects coordinator

Stunts
Douglas Crosby	....	stunt rigger (as Doug Crosby)
Joe Fitos	....	stunt rigger
Arthur M. Jolly	....	stunt rigging
Ray Micuta	....	stunt rigger
Phil Neilson	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Niels Alpert	....	best boy electric
John Billeci	....	best boy electric
Lisa Bonaccorso	....	electrician
Steve Calalang	....	assistant camera: second unit
Paul Clay	....	additional gaffer
Frank G. DeMarco	....	camera operator: additional photography (as Frank DeMarco)
Karsten Gopinath	....	third grip
Todd S. Klein	....	key grip
Sean McCloud	....	still photographer
Jim McConkey	....	Steadicam operator
Heather McGowan	....	second assistant camera
Alexandre Naufel	....	electrician
Rocco Palmieri	....	additional grip
Linda Phillips	....	additional electrician
Theo Pingarelli	....	first assistant camera
Sally Reed	....	grip: second unit
Sean Sheridan	....	best boy grip
Val Williamson	....	gaffer
Nina Zarnett	....	additional grip

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Christine Gee	....	wardrobe assistant
Suzanne Pettit	....	wardrobe assistant

Editorial Department
Loren R. Brauner	....	apprentice editor
Lisa DeLucia	....	post-production coordinator
Mark Ginsberg	....	color timer
Pamela Martin	....	assistant editor
Sasha Rau	....	post-production assistant
Ann Ruark	....	post-production coordinator
Arnold Shuster	....	negative cutter (as Arnie Shuster)
Jessica Weiner	....	post-production assistant
Bob Wolfrum	....	negative cutter (as Bobby Wolfrum)

Other crew
Laurel Bridges	....	assistant production coordinator
Steve Chang	....	title designer
Debbie Eaton	....	production assistant
Page Feldman	....	assistant: Ted Hope
Kelley Forsyth	....	location manager
Jeanne Gilliland	....	production assistant: second unit
Jane Graham	....	production assistant
Joseph Mennella	....	location scout
Kevin Peck	....	key production assistant
J. Max Ruschak	....	auditor
Jean Summer	....	production assistant
Adrienne Tien	....	script supervisor
Sarah Vogel	....	production coordinator

Production Companies

• Ang Lee Productions
• Central Motion Pictures Corporation

Distributors

• Cinépix Film Properties (CFP) (1995) (USA)
• Good Machine
• Miramar Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Sandrew Metronome Distribution (2006) (Finland) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Eastern Optical EFX  opticals
• Roessel Cpt. Inc.  camera equipment provided by
• Sound One  post-production sound

Also Known As:

Pushing Hands (International: English title)
Tuei shou (Taiwan) (alternative spelling)

Runtime:

105 min

Country:

Taiwan

Language:

Mandarin | English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Finland:K-7 (2006) | South Korea:12

Filming Locations:

Chinatown, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Ang Lee Productions

Before there was Broke Back Mtn or Crouching Tiger, Ang Lee had a few things to learn

I have to disagree with many of those who gave this film anything above a 5. Granted it was directed by Ang Lee in 1992, or long before The Hulk or Broke Back Mountain. But still, it looks too much like an earnest but not-too-skillful novice effort.

The story does center around the old man newly arrived to Westchester after more than 70 years in China, taken in by his loving son and his almost stereotypical Anglo housewife (Martha), complete with her curly hair, her vegetarianism, her obsessive concern about her weight, her poor parenting skills, her disinterest in sex, her... Lots of clichés on the feminine side, although to his credit, Lee does well with his main character-- except for making him a mysterious Kung Fu master (in this case Tai Chi).

The opening scene seems interminable, as we watch Martha struggle at her (now seemingly primitive) computer, while Grand Father slowly does his Tai Chi exercises in an adjacent room. He knows no English, she knows no Chinese, so there is no dialog. We wonder, what's happening, where is this film going? Finally, slowly, the story unfolds, and we learn details about their respective lives.

But this film may also set some sort of record for Most Visible Boom Mic. I swear it makes more on screen appearances than the couple's son (which is fortunate, because this kid is one of the worst child actors in memory).

Yes, this is a story of generations, cultures, ambitions, etc.-- but there are many, better examples. Some scenes show promise, but as a whole, this film does not warrant more than a 5.