Starring: Diane Baker, Michael Paul Chan, Rosalind Chao, Kim Chew, Chao Li Chi Average Rating: Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Audience Rating: R (Restricted) Binding: DVD Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, Widescreen, NTSC Label: Buena Vista Home Entertainment Number of Items: 1 Region Code: 1 Release Date: June 04, 2002 Running Time: 139 minutes Theatrical Release Date: 1993
Product Description: The stories of four native-born Chinese women and their American-born daughters, showing the influence each has on the others' lives, and how they are the same and different. Genre: Feature Film-Drama Rating: R Release Date: 14-OCT-2003 Media Type: DVD
Amazon.com: The 1993 film adaptation of Amy Tan's bestselling novel is both a delight and a moving experience, an anthology of stories wrapped in one Chinese-American woman's journey to understand her roots. Wayne Wang (Eat a Bowl of Tea) directs a large, outstanding cast spread over eight different tales of the lives of Chinese women, most of them set in the past. The script by Tan and Ronald Bass (Rain Man) is a delicate balance of emotions that swell but don't gush, and Wang brings impressive texture and a personal feel to Tan's descriptions of daily life in the Chinese-American community. This sprawling, good-looking movie makes for a cathartic tearjerker one can feel good about. --Tom Keogh
One of my all-time Top 10 One of the greatest films ever made - it's got humor, pain, stupidity, and wisdom.
One of My Favorite Films When determining whether to view or purchase a movie or novel, I make it a point to read the highest and lowest ratings of that product. This film is no exception. However, I must say, while not surprised by the volume and intensity of the one-star reviews, I'm perplexed by much of their detail.
One review sited the old adage that film should show rather than tell a story. While that may be true for some subject matter, it does not hold true for all. Additionally, narrative serves to do what action and dialogue cannot--fill the gap of the senses that sight and sound don't address. A well narrated tale is a pleasure to behold, especially when the narrator has the proper voice and emotion.
Joy Luck Club has become one of my favorite films. The only reason I can't give it a full five stars is because it is emotionally painful to watch. That is to say, the emotional toll is so great I must take breaks between repeated viewings. It is much the same with City of Angels and Shindler's List.
As to the issue of stereotyping Asians--especially Asian males--I can only say that from my perspective, "this" story addresses certain characters under certain circumstances. It paints some of them in an unfavorable light. However, I believe it would be unfair to believe the author was attempting to make a statement about all people of the group or even the bulk of the same people.
We have only to look at our present culture and the instances of violence against women to realize that such men are not merely characters of fiction. They still exist in today's society and in nearly every country across the globe. A news article from just two days past (30 August 2008) reported where five women in Pakistan were stoned, shot, and then buried alive because they wanted to chose they own husbands. To deny that animals who prey on women do not exist in every culture is simply to be blind to the world as it is.
That said, The Joy Luck Club was interesting, thought-provoking, well-paced, and emotionally draining. If that's the type of film you like, I would recommend it highly.
Outstanding!!! I had pegged "The Joy Luck Club" as a "woman's movie" (whatever that may mean to anyone). I had expected this to be more of a gender-focussed film that would make it as interesting to a male audience as a Rambo movie would be of interest to a female audience. I watched it recently I confess that I was very very wrong. This is a movie of so many dimensions that it defies any categorization other than "Great Movies". It tells six seperate stories and uses a trio of mother/daughter experiences and relationships to tell those stories. From the first to the last (and everything in between) these stories are woven together to give us all an insight to life and life's experiences. The contrast between Old World and New World are as instruction as the generational differences that we all are familiar with. Each story tells of an individual struggle against diverse challenges. The movie amplifies it's greatness by allowing a willing audience to share in the revelations that mother and daughter, "aunts and nieces", as well as "cousins" discover about each other. Each person grows from the discoveries in the stories that are shared and we, the audience, are all the better for the experience.
The acting is superb, the sets and costumes are outstanding, and the script and direction are first-rate. Maybe you have heard all about this movie, seen it several times, read the book, or otherwise know that "The Joy Luck Club" is a modern screen classic. I had the pleasure to discover that for myself and I am grateful for the experience. There aren't that many movies anymore that catch me by surprise like this one.
One of the Best! The Joy Luck Club is such a great find. A chic flic! This movies leaves you crying and smiling and engulfed in thesse womens lifes. Worth sitting down and watching. Great rainy day movie.
It will make you laugh, cry and sometimes both! It's a sad fact of life that most of us never take the time to get to know the people who made it possible for us be here. Parents, for many of us, remain an enigma. Their lives, before we came into the world, are all to often shrouded in a mist does not rise while they are alive. A mist that all to often becomes permanantly impenatrable after they have left this world. For the young women in this movie this is not to be the case. Because of the circumstances of thier lives these mothers will reveal thier secrets to thier daughters. The daughters will learn the wisdom of thier mothers and find that they learn much about themselves in the process. This movie will pull every emotion out of you and leave you feeling tired, but better for the journey. It will leave you with wisdom by which to judge, and perhaps change, your lives. Give it to someone you love and then share the experience with them. I did and I'm glad!
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