Release CalendarTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV NewsIndia TV Spotlight
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsBest Picture WinnersBest Picture WinnersEmmysSTARmeter AwardsSan Diego Comic-ConNew York Comic-ConSundance Film FestivalToronto Int'l Film FestivalAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
IMDbPro

Eat a Bowl of Tea

  • 19891989
  • PG-13PG-13
  • 1h 42m
IMDb RATING
6.3/10
765
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
66,349
2,165
Eat a Bowl of Tea (1989)
Watch Official Trailer
Play trailer1:04
1 Video
19 Photos
ComedyDramaRomance
A study in culture bridging, including ... a new US-born husband, trying to work within the traditional ways, a new China-born wife, eager to join the "dream" of America, two family-minded f... Read allA study in culture bridging, including ... a new US-born husband, trying to work within the traditional ways, a new China-born wife, eager to join the "dream" of America, two family-minded fathers, lots of gender-related social bifurcations.A study in culture bridging, including ... a new US-born husband, trying to work within the traditional ways, a new China-born wife, eager to join the "dream" of America, two family-minded fathers, lots of gender-related social bifurcations.
IMDb RATING
6.3/10
765
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
66,349
2,165
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • Wayne Wang
    • Writers
      • Louis Chu(novel)
      • Judith Rascoe(screenplay)
    • Stars
      • Cora Miao
      • Russell Wong
      • Victor Wong
    Top credits
    • Director
      • Wayne Wang
    • Writers
      • Louis Chu(novel)
      • Judith Rascoe(screenplay)
    • Stars
      • Cora Miao
      • Russell Wong
      • Victor Wong
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 16User reviews
    • 17Critic reviews

    Videos1

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 1:04
    Official Trailer

    Photos19

    Eat a Bowl of Tea (1989)
    Eat a Bowl of Tea (1989)
    Eat a Bowl of Tea (1989)
    Eat a Bowl of Tea (1989)
    Eat a Bowl of Tea (1989)
    Siu-Ming Lau, Cora Miao, and Victor Wong in Eat a Bowl of Tea (1989)
    Russell Wong, Siu-Ming Lau, Cora Miao, and Victor Wong in Eat a Bowl of Tea (1989)
    Russell Wong in Eat a Bowl of Tea (1989)
    Russell Wong and Cora Miao in Eat a Bowl of Tea (1989)
    Yuen Fat Fai and Victor Wong in Eat a Bowl of Tea (1989)
    Russell Wong and Cora Miao in Eat a Bowl of Tea (1989)
    Russell Wong and Cora Miao in Eat a Bowl of Tea (1989)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Cora Miao
    Cora Miao
    • Mei Oi
    Russell Wong
    Russell Wong
    • Ben Loy
    Victor Wong
    Victor Wong
    • Wah Gay
    Sau-Kei Lee
    Sau-Kei Lee
    • Bok Fat
    • (as Lee Sau Kee)
    Yuen Fat Fai
    Yuen Fat Fai
    • Letter Writer
    Siu-Ming Lau
    Siu-Ming Lau
    • Lee Gong
    • (as Lau Siu Ming)
    Fan Hui
    Fan Hui
    • Ben Loy's Mom
    • (as Hui Fun)
    Lan Law
    Lan Law
    • Aunt Gim
    • (as Law Lan)
    Yuen-Yee Ng
    Yuen-Yee Ng
    • Third Sister
    • (as Ng Yurn Yee)
    Wu Ming Yu
    • Mei Oi's Mom
    Ta Lei
    Ta Lei
    • Movie Translator
    • (as Lui Tat)
    Eric Tsang
    Eric Tsang
    • Ah Song
    • (as Eric Tsang Chi Wai)
    Wai Wong
    Wai Wong
    • Chuck Ting
    • (as Wong Wai)
    Philip Chan
    Philip Chan
    • Henry Wang
    Yu-Yung Teng
    Yu-Yung Teng
    • Fat Man
    • (as Tang Shun Nin)
    Ming-Yang Li
    • Old Lum
    • (as Michael Lee)
    Z. Greenstreet Kam
    • Chong Loo
    Wing-Tat Woo
    • Sum Woo
    • (as Woo Wang Tat)
    • Director
      • Wayne Wang
    • Writers
      • Louis Chu(novel)
      • Judith Rascoe(screenplay)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    More like this

    Dim Sum: A Little Bit of Heart
    6.5
    Dim Sum: A Little Bit of Heart
    Chan Is Missing
    7.0
    Chan Is Missing
    The True Adventures of Raoul Walsh
    7.7
    The True Adventures of Raoul Walsh
    Double Happiness
    7.1
    Double Happiness
    Every Man for Himself
    6.6
    Every Man for Himself
    Million Dollar Legs
    6.9
    Million Dollar Legs
    Youth of the Beast
    7.4
    Youth of the Beast
    Life Is Cheap... But Toilet Paper Is Expensive
    5.6
    Life Is Cheap... But Toilet Paper Is Expensive
    Walk a Crooked Mile
    6.3
    Walk a Crooked Mile
    A Thousand Years of Good Prayers
    6.7
    A Thousand Years of Good Prayers
    The Chalk Garden
    7.2
    The Chalk Garden
    Lady from Chungking
    5.6
    Lady from Chungking

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Connections
      Featured in The Slanted Screen (2006)

    User reviews16

    Review
    Review
    Top review
    6/10
    Not a comedy, but an enjoyable drama
    We selected this film on the merits of the many famous HK actors involved, so I didn't notice its labeling as a 'comedy' until we got it home. True, it has comedic moments, but so does the Bourne Identity.

    The review here also lists the film as Mandarin with English subtitles; it is in Cantonese, with some characters speaking a regional dialect.

    The story centers around that period in US history just after WWII where, for the first time, Chinese immigrants were allowed to apply for full citizenship and allowed to bring wives from China; the story follows a young ex-serviceman whose father sends him home to bring back one of the first of these wives. In a few days he's thrust from the club-hopping carefree vet to take his full traditional role as First-Son with all it's trappings and responsibilities, all this on top of he and his wife being one of the first of their kind, a true Chinese-American family.

    Put yourself there, you'll agree, this is a lot to heap on a pair of 20-somethings, it wears them down, things fall apart.

    It is, in a sense, the same old story, as they say, boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy finds girl, love always wins, love never loses, put your money on love sort of story, well shot, well put together. It's about an important time in our history while also an important time in all our lives, nothing to shower with awards, but a good story well told and well worth the rental.
    helpful•3
    1
    • teledyn
    • Mar 31, 2005

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • January 10, 1990 (France)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Languages
      • English
      • Mandarin
    • Also known as
      • Eine Tasse Tee für die Liebe
    • Filming locations
      • New York City, New York, USA
    • Production company
      • American Playhouse
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $231,423
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 42 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    Eat a Bowl of Tea (1989)
    Top Gap
    What is the English language plot outline for Eat a Bowl of Tea (1989)?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    View image
    Photos
    These Stars Are on the Rise
    See the gallery
    View list
    List
    Fall TV Guide: The Best Shows Coming This Year
    See the full list
    View image
    Photos
    Hollywood Romances: Our Favorite Couples
    See the gallery
    Back to top

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    Sign in for more access
    Sign in for more access
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Interest-Based Ads
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2022 by IMDb.com, Inc.