Eat a Bowl of Tea (1989)

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 ... See full summary »

Director:

Wayne Wang

Writers:

Louis Chu (novel), Judith Rascoe (screenplay)

Stars:

Cora Miao, Russell Wong, Victor Wong

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Cora Miao	...	Mei Oi
Russell Wong	...	Ben Loy
Victor Wong	...	Wah Gay
Siu-Ming Lau	...	Lee Gong
Eric Tsang	...	Ah Song (as Eric Tsiang Chi Wai)
Sau Kei Lee	...	Bok Fat (as Lee Sau Kee)
Yuen Fat Fai	...	Letter Writer
Fan Hui	...	Ben Loy's Mother (as Hui Fun)
Lan Law	...	Aunt Gim
Yuen Yee Ng	...	Third Sister
Wu Ming Yu	...	Mei Oi's Mother
Ta Lei	...	Movie Translator (as Tat Lui)
Wai Wong	...	Chuck Ting
Philip Chan	...	Henry Wang
Yu-Yung Teng	...	Fat Man (as Tang Shun Nin)

Storyline

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.

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Plot Keywords:

voice over narration | begins with narration | united states china relationship | husband wife relationship | mother son relationship | 

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Taglines:

The simple recipe for sexual survival.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

PG-13

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Mandarin

Release Date:

10 January 1990 (France)

Also Known As:

A szemük sem áll jól

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Gross USA:

$231,423

Company Credits

Production Co:

American Playhouse

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Features Lost Horizon (1937)

User Reviews

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.