Yin shi nan nu (1994)

Director:

Ang Lee

Writers:

Ang Lee (writer)
James Schamus (writer)

Release Date:

3 August 1994 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance | Drama

Tagline:

The Ingredients of Life

Plot:

A senior chef lives with his three grown daughters; the middle one finds her future plans affected by unexpected events and the life changes of the other household members.

Plot Keywords:

Gourmet | Family Conflict | Father Daughter Relationship | Food | Human Relationship

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 4 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

Sihung Lung	...	Chu
Yu-Wen Wang	...	Jia-Ning
Chien-lien Wu	...	Jia-Chien
Kuei-Mei Yang	...	Jia-Jen
Sylvia Chang	...	Jin-Rong
Winston Chao	...	Li Kai
Chao-jung Chen	...	Guo Lun
Lester Chit-Man Chan	...	Raymond
Yu Chen	...	Rachel
Ah Lei Gua	...	Madame Liang
Chi-Der Hong	...	Class Leader
Gin-Ming Hsu	...	Coach Chai
Huel-Yi Lin	...	Sister Chang
Shih-Jay Lin	...	Chief's Son
Chin-Cheng Lu	...	Ming-Dao

Also Known As:

Eat Drink Man Woman (USA)
Yin shih nan nyu (Taiwan) (alternative transliteration)

Runtime:

123 min

Country:

Taiwan | USA

Language:

Mandarin

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Canada:G (Quebec) | Australia:PG | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario) | Iceland:L | USA:TV-PG | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Argentina:13 | Chile:14 | Finland:S | Peru:14 | Portugal:M/12 | Spain:T | Sweden:7 | UK:PG | USA:Unrated | South Korea:15 | Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall Park, Taipei, Taiwan

Company:

Central Motion Pictures Corporation

Goofs:

Continuity: As Chu is downing shots at the last Sunday dinner, he spills some on the collar of his jacket. When he stands up to makes his announcement, the stain is gone.

Quotes:

Chu: These past two days, I... something wrong?
Jia-Chien: No, it's fine. Nothing.
[Jia-Chien makes a face from the soup]
Chu: Say it!
Jia-Chien: The ham was oversmoked.
Jia-Ning: It's fine.
Jia-Jen: Father probably forgot to taste it.
Jia-Chien: Or his taste is getting worse.
Chu: My taste is fine!

Movie Connections:

References Tonari no Totoro (1988)

Soundtrack:

LOVE IS COLDER THAN DEATH

a beautiful and endearing film

This Taiwanese movie is about the best film I have seen about the generational gap between traditional and modern Chinese cultures. The father in the movie is a widower and a superb cook who has unfortunately begun to lose his sense of taste--needing to have his assistants taste his food to get the flavor right. Much of the movie centers on the love life of him as well as his daughters, as well as the older man's friendship with a cute neighbor girl and her mother.

I loved this movie because the material was handled so gently and realistically--making you really care about most of the characters. About the only one you DON'T care for is the obnoxious older lady that has set her sights on Dad! How the many relationships are resolved is masterful and provided me with a good laugh! This is a terrific movie for anyone looking for a slice of life, a movie about world cultures or someone wanting to watch a cute romantic movie. Guys--relax!!! You'll enjoy this one, too!