The Joy Luck Club (1993)

The life histories of four Asian women and their daughters reflect and guide each other.

Director:

Wayne Wang

Writers:

Amy Tan (novel), Amy Tan (screenplay)

Stars:

Tamlyn Tomita, Rosalind Chao, Kieu Chinh

Nominated for 1 BAFTA Film Award. Another 3 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kieu Chinh	...	Suyuan - The Mother
Tsai Chin	...	Lindo - The Mother
France Nuyen	...	Ying-Ying - The Mother
Lisa Lu	...	An-Mei - The Mother
Ming-Na Wen	...	June - The Daughter
Tamlyn Tomita	...	Waverly - The Daughter
Lauren Tom	...	Lena - The Daughter
Rosalind Chao	...	Rose - The Daughter
Chao Li Chi	...	June's Father
Melanie Chang	...	June - Age 9
Victor Wong	...	Old Chong
Lisa Connolly	...	Singing Girl
Mai Vu	...	Waverly - Age 6-9 (as Vu Mai)
Ying Wu	...	Lindo - Age 4
Meijuan Xi	...	Lindo's Mother (as Mei Juan Xi)

Storyline

Through a series of flashbacks, four young chinese women born in America and their respective mothers born in feudal China, explore their past. This search will help them understand their difficult mother/daughter relationship.

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Plot Keywords:

chopsticks the eating utensil | mother murders own child | subtitled scene | sacrifice | farewell party | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong depiction of thematic material

Details

Country:

USA China

Language:

English Mandarin Cantonese

Release Date:

29 October 1993 (USA)

Also Known As:

El club de la buena estrella

Filming Locations:

610 Rhode Island Street, San Francisco, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$11,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$32,861,136

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hollywood Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

139 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In a 2018 NPR interview, executive producer Janet Yang recalled that director Wayne Wang (who she said usually had "the most lovely personality") lost his temper in a marketing meeting because the studio had presented him with the choices for posters to advertise The Joy Luck Club, and all of the options avoided showing the face of an Asian person. Either the designs were very abstract (for example, a decorative woodcut) or they were photos of the actresses' backs.

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Goofs

When Jun is at the piano for the recital, her fingers do not come down in time with the start of the music cue.

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Quotes

Ted: I always knew you were a jerk, but, shit, this is the first time in my life I've been ashamed of you.
Mrs. Jordan: How dare you use that language. I think you'd better apologize right now.
Ted: I'm sorry Mom, you made a fucking asshole out of yourself in front of the woman I love!

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Connections

Referenced in Futurama: Möbius Dick (2011)

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Soundtracks

One Fine Day
(1963)
Written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King
Used by permission of Screen Gems-EMI Music Inc.
Performed by The Chiffons
Under license from Cema Special Markets

User Reviews

Glorious Film making

Every time I look back at movies through the years, I find myself wondering why The Joy Luck Club did not make a huge splash in the awards circle. The film is one of the BEST FILMS of my lifetime. It will always represent to me, the dream that is America.

I think it's because the emotions of the film are so universal, that I count it as one of my favorites. I am male, I am hispanic, I came to the United States when I was 13 years old. I felt alienated, lonely and hopeless, could anyone really understand all that I wanted to do, all that I wanted to become. How do you reconcile your cultural roots, with wanting to fit into the American Dream.

I try to watch The JOY LUCK CLUB as often as I try to read the book. Because it reminds me that we are all connected in so many ways. That our dreams and desires are not all together different. that Love reaches beyond race, beyond politics and beyond time.

when I saw this film I thought, The Academy of Arts and Sciences would gush over it. But it never reached the kind of acclaim it truly deserved. I think it's because most film makers field of personal experience limited in reaching and feeling. Most of the Academy comes from back grounds that didn't see struggle, that doesn't see the world in unison, but in carefully separated categories. This to them was not a human experience film, it was a film for a minority group. But, while The JOY LUCK CLUB is life affirming to some, to those who have lived the similarities, it is life changing.