Double Happiness (1994)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Mina Shum

Writer:

Mina Shum (writer)

Release Date:

28 July 1995 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Jade Li is a feisty, 20-something Chinese Canadian, trying to achieve that happy medium between giving...

Plot Keywords:

Immigration | Gay Bar | Audition | Father Daughter Relationship | Culture Clash

Awards:

6 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Claudette Carracedo	...	Lisa Chan
Greg Chen	...	Uncle Bing
Stephen Chang	...	Dad Li (Lead) (as Stephen M.D. Chang)
Estelle Coppens	...	Lead Woman in Scene with Jade
Lesley Ewen	...	Carmen the Casting Director
Donald Fong	...	Ah Hong
Nathan Fong	...	Dr. Ming Chu / Bartender
Dennis Foon	...	Director
Kevin Kelly	...	Lead Man in Scene with Jade
Gene Kiniski	...	Man at Bus Stop
Tosca Chin Wah Leong	...	Linda Taylor Wong, Ch. 4 News
Johnny Mah	...	Andrew Chau
Mimi Mok	...	Mrs. Mar
Sandra Oh	...	Jade Li
Alannah Ong	...	Mom Li
Laara Ong	...	Selina
Callum Keith Rennie	...	Mark (as Callum Rennie)
Tony Seaver	...	No -No! Club Bouncer
Wong Shuck	...	See-Fu Geomancer
Mina Shum	...	Janet Eng
So Yee Shum	...	Auntie Bing
May Tam	...	Grandmother
Rose Lam Waddell	...	Producer
Frances You	...	Pearl Li

Directed by
Mina Shum

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Mina Shum		writer

Produced by
Stephen Hegyes	....	producer
Rose Lam Waddell	....	producer

Original Music by
Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet

Cinematography by
Peter Wunstorf

Film Editing by
Alison Grace

Casting by
Anne Andersons		(as Ann Andersons)
Carmen Ruiz Laza

Production Design by
Michael Bjornson

Art Direction by
Candice Dickens
Jill Haras

Set Decoration by
François Milly		(as Francois Milly)

Costume Design by
Cynthia Ann Summers		(as Cynthia Summers)

Makeup Department
Anya Ellis	....	makeup artist
Nancy Steyns	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Robert Petrovicz	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Paul Barry	....	second assistant director
Karin Lee	....	third assistant director
Shirley-Anne Parsons	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Ray Condo	....	production artist
Les Ford	....	property master
Woody Lo	....	assistant props
Judy Mah	....	tail credits
Kate Main	....	assistant set decorator
Della Tokevich	....	production artist

Sound Department
Kelly Cole	....	adr recordist (as Kelly 'Crash' Cole)
Frank Faugno	....	sound designer
Shari Fieldhouse	....	foley assistant
Dean Giammarco	....	sound re-recording mixer
Alison Grace	....	dialogue editor
Ellen Gram	....	background sound editor
Chris James	....	foley recordist
Sheena Macrae	....	adr editor
Bill Mellow	....	foley recordist
Jan Ranft	....	boom operator
Tim Richardson	....	sound mixer
Paul A. Sharpe	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Paul Sharpe)
Shane Shemko	....	foley artist
Bill Sheppard	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Bill 'Otis' Sheppard)
Cam Wagner	....	foley artist

Camera and Electrical Department
Yves Bernadet	....	best boy electric
Kevin Blake	....	generator operator
Tom Brydon	....	title photographer
Rob De Coste	....	first assistant camera (as Robert Decoste)
Todd Elyzen	....	gaffer
Dorian Gray	....	grip
Glen Hawkins	....	key grip
Stephen 'Stevo' Knauff	....	grip
Francis Kramer	....	second assistant camera
Gregory Middleton	....	camera operator (as Greg Middleton)
Ryan Monro	....	dolly grip
Kirk Tougas	....	still photographer
John Westerlaken	....	grip

Animation Department
Deborah Dawson	....	animator
Debra Dawson	....	animator

Casting Department
Ann Forry	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Caroline Davidson	....	costume supervisor
Steve Holloway	....	costumer (as Steven Vincent Holloway)

Editorial Department
Barry Arnst	....	negative cutter
Gay Black	....	negative cutter
Trent Carlson	....	second assistant editor
Michelle Floyd	....	first assistant editor
Catherine Hamm	....	negative cutter
Terry Horsman	....	negative cutter
Angela Stevenson	....	second assistant editor
Lisa Wayne	....	post-production assistant
Gary Shaw	....	final colorist (uncredited)

Music Department
Harley McCanley	....	composer: song "Burnt"
Al Miller	....	music mixer
Al Miller	....	music recordist
Julianna Raeburn	....	clearances: song "Sugar Kane"
Mina Shum	....	composer: song "Burnt"

Other crew
Bob Adams	....	insurance broker
Patricia Barry	....	script supervisor
Jackie Bowness	....	accountant
Shelly Cheung	....	production intern
Cathy Cunliffe	....	craft service
Cathy Cunliffe	....	first aid
Andrew Currie	....	production intern
Ken Dangerfield	....	legal consultant
Debra Dawson	....	animated title designer
Paul Fafard	....	security officer
Dennis Foon	....	story editor
John Genzel	....	banker
Ann Goobie	....	assistant location manager
Robert Gray	....	subtitler
Tamara Happel	....	accounting assistant
Sarah Hayward	....	production intern
Sedgewick James	....	insurance broker
Ava Karvonen	....	production intern
Bill Kuchera	....	location manager
Laurie Kuchera	....	security officer
Jean-Paul Mageren	....	subtitler
Pia Masse	....	production intern
Joanne Napier	....	production intern
Tina Pehme	....	production coordinator
Nikki Tadema	....	assistant chef
Soren Tanbour	....	chef
Andy Walker	....	publicist

Thanks
Alison Chipman	....	thanks
Alison Elliott	....	thanks (as Allison Elliott)
John Frizzell	....	thanks
Pamela Hawthorne	....	thanks (as Pamela Hawthorn)
Bill Hurst	....	thanks
Alex Mackenzie	....	thanks
Jim Martin	....	thanks
Denise Newvine	....	thanks
So Yee Shum	....	thanks
Yeu Shum	....	thanks
Wayne Sterloff	....	thanks
John Taylor	....	thanks
Jennifer Torrance	....	thanks
Terry Turner	....	thanks
Betty Waddell	....	thanks
Bill Waddell	....	thanks
Sam Waddell	....	thanks

Production Companies

• British Columbia Film Commission
• Fine Line Features
• First Generation Films
• National Film Board of Canada (NFB)
• New Views Films
• Téléfilm Canada

Distributors

• Fine Line Features (1995) (USA) (theatrical)
• Look Now! (1996-1997) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• New Line Home Video (1995) (USA) (VHS)
• Silvio Sardi Communications (1997) (Italy) (all media)

Other Companies

• Canada Council Media Arts  produced with the assistance of
• Canadian Film Centre (CFC)  developed with the assistance of
• Critic's Choice  catering
• Directors Guild of Canada  filmed on location with the assistance of
• Film Effects  opticals
• I.A.T.S.E. Local 669  filmed on location with the assistance of
• Kinograph Inc.  subtitling
• Multiculturalism Canada  produced with the assistance of
• Northern Lights Equipment Inc.  lighting equipment
• Original Conforming Services  negative cutting
• Peter Hudson's Hallamusic Studios  music recorded and mixed at
• Post Haste Video  video post-production
• Praxis  developed with the assistance of
• Royal Bank of Canada  bank services
• Sharpe Sound Studios  audio post-production

Also Known As:

Bonheur aigre-doux (Canada: French title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for one scene of sexuality and brief strong language.

Runtime:

87 min

Country:

Canada

Language:

English | Cantonese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Australia:M | South Korea:15 | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Company:

British Columbia Film Commission

Quotes:

Pearl Li: They're are these two peanuts walking down the street, and one of them gets a-salted.
Jade Li: Ouch.
Pearl Li: Do you get it?

Movie Connections:

Featured in Weird Sex and Snowshoes: A Trek Through the Canadian Cinematic Psyche (2004) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Kung Fu Fighting

Interesting and funny glimpse of Asian life in North America

This movie was an interesting look into the life of a Chinese family in North America. I think the characters were written and portrayed in a believable, sensitive manner. The subtle, reserved, underplaying of the parents I think is sometimes mistaken as one-dimensionality, but really reflects a traditional and reserved nature that they were trying to maintain. Their expectations for their now westernized children, and the dilemmas that arise, are also evidence of that. It is not a case of right versus wrong, but novel versus traditional. As for the conflict of introducing Jade Li's main love interest as a Caucasian, I also don't believe that was intended to pit white people as good versus Asian people as bad. I think that the juxtaposition of the two lifestyles presents Jade's two major conflicts: her desire to lead a more Western life, with freedom to make many non-traditional choices, and her feelings of love, respect, and loyalty toward her traditional parents, whom she would not want to bring shame or betrayal. A life with one of the Asian suitors would symbolize her choice to remain under the guidelines of restraint her heritage suggests and their families demand.

One aspect I feel especially overlooked about this film dealt with Jade's big audition with the woman from Hong Kong. While Jade was brought up in a Chinese home in North America, she could understand and speak some Cantonese, but had many Western interests. But because she could not read Cantonese, this duality did not bring the success one might hope having the benefits of two cultures would bring. As the child of an Asian father and American mother (but raised almost entirely American, I'll admit), I found that scene very interesting.

I think this film was wonderful, and that one need not have a particular interest in Asian families to appreciate the family and social relationships, conflicts, and hopes portrayed in Double Happiness.