A Chinese-American lesbian and her traditionalist mother are reluctant to go public with secret loves that clash against cultural expectations.
Director:
Alice WuWriter:
Alice Wu
From metacritic.com
From Uncle Phil to Ned Stark, fans share their favorite movie and TV dads in honor of Father's Day.
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Title: Saving Face (2004)
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3 wins & 3 nominations.
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Edit
Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Michelle Krusiec | ... | Wilhelmina 'Wil' Pang | |
| Joan Chen | ... | Hwei-Lan Gao - Ma | |
| Lynn Chen | ... | Vivian Shing | |
 |
Jin Wang | ... | Wai Gung - Grandpa |
|
|
Guang Lan Koh | ... | Wai Po - Grandma |
| Jessica Hecht | ... | Randi - Hospital Co-Worker | |
| Ato Essandoh | ... | Jay - Neighbor | |
| David Shih | ... | Norman | |
| Brian Yang | ... | Little Yu | |
|
|
Nathanel Geng | ... | Stimson Cho |
|
|
Mao Zhao | ... | Old Yu |
|
|
Louyong Wong | ... | Dr. Shing |
|
|
Clare Sum | ... | Mrs. Wong |
|
|
Qian Luo | ... | Mrs. Shing |
| Richard Chang | ... | Stephen | |
Edit
Plot Summary
|
Add Synopsis
See All (299) »
Storyline
In Manhattan, the brilliant Chinese-American lesbian surgeon Wil is surprised by the arrival of her forty-eight year old widow mother to her apartment. Ma was banished from Flushing, Queens, when her father discovered that she was pregnant. The presence of Ma affects the personal life of Wil, who is in love with the daughter of her boss at the hospital, the dancer Vivian Shing. Once her grandfather has promised that her mother would only return to Flushing remarried or proving that it was an immaculate conception, Wil tries to find a Chinese bachelor to marry Ma. Written by Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Plot Keywords:
sex | bare breasts | lesbian love | mother daughter relationship | shanghai china |Taglines:
A romantic comedy about right, wrong and everything in between. See more »Parents Guide:
View content advisory »
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See more on IMDbPro »
See full technical specs »
Details
Country:
USARelease Date:
24 June 2005 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Gynaikeies ypotheseis! See more »Filming Locations:
New York City, New York, USAEdit
Box Office
Opening Weekend USA:
$99,079, 27 May 2005, Limited ReleaseGross USA:
$1,186,323, 25 September 2005Company Credits
Show more on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
|Color:
ColorAspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1
Edit
Hwei-Lan Gao - Ma: [in Mandarin] Safer this way. Throw it out afterwards.
Wil: It's rude.
Hwei-Lan Gao - Ma: [in Mandarin] I'll give him two.
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
The scene in the video shop with Joan Chen features a shot of the video for The Last Emperor (1987). Chen starred in that movie. See more »Goofs
Wil consistently wears her hair in a tightly pulled back ponytail, but shortly after her mother moves in she goes to visit her grandfather wearing an army T shirt. While she's adjusting the TV antenna, her hair is uncharacteristically puffed up with no explanation. All scenes before and after show her hair in the tight ponytail. Quite a bit later, there is a scene where Wil's mom sends her to the beauty shop to find out gossip. It's there that Wil is wearing the same army T shirt and getting her hair rolled up in big curls - the end result of which would be puffed hair! See more »Quotes
Wil: Ma, you can't give him a paper plate.Hwei-Lan Gao - Ma: [in Mandarin] Safer this way. Throw it out afterwards.
Wil: It's rude.
Hwei-Lan Gao - Ma: [in Mandarin] I'll give him two.
See more »
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I was lucky enough to get into "Saving Face" on its opening night at the AMC on 42nd St. in NY. It was sold out and for good reason! It was a delightful yet thought-provoking romantic comedy with some important social undertones. The portrayal of three generations of Chinese- Americans included a lovely lesbian love story, a pregnant older Ma, and all sorts of complications and funny funny twists. Lots of laughing out loud- and the audience (very diverse) was REALLY into it... I laughed and cried. And you heard it here first-- Lynn Chen, who convincingly played the ballerina role, is a star waiting to happen. She is just gorgeous, a fine actress, and delightful to watch. All the acting is top-notch. I want everyone to see it so we can support interesting and enjoyable independent movies that open our minds just a little bit!