THE JOY LUCK CLUB
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1993 James Berardinelli
Rating (Linear 0 to 10): 8.4
Date Released: 9/24/93 (limited); 10/1/93 (general) Running Length: 2:19 Rated: R (Language, mature themes, violence)
Starring: Ming-Na Wen, Tamlyn Tomita, Lauren Tom, Rosalind Chao, Kieu Chinh, Tsai Chin, France Nuyen, Lisa Lu Director: Wayne Wang Producers: Wayne Wang, Amy Tan, Ronald Bass, and Patrick Markey Screenplay: Amy Tan and Ronald Bass based on the novel by Amy Tan Music: Rachel Portman Released by Hollywood Pictures In English and Chinese with English subtitles
The Joy Luck Club, as stated in the movie's opening narrative, is a collection of four aging Chinese women bound together more by hope than by joy or luck. The four women--Suyuan (Kieu Chinh), Lindo (Tsai Chin), Ying Ying (France Nuyen), and An Mei (Lisa Lu)--came to America many years ago to escape China's feudal society for the promise of the United States' democracy. Now, however, Suyuan has died and the three surviving members of the club invite her daughter June (Ming-Na Wen) to take her place. June belongs to the "new" generation, those of Chinese heritage who grew up speaking English and learning American customs. Also of roughly the same age are Waverly (Tamlyn Tomita), Lindo's daughter; Lena (Lauren Tom), Ying Ying's daughter; and Rose (Rosalind Chao), An Mei's daughter. It is around these eight figures that the stories of THE JOY LUCK CLUB revolve, telling of the varied difficulties and tragedies involved in these mother/daughter relationships.
Co-writer Ronald Bass (who, along with Amy Tan, adapted from Tan's novel) says that there are sixteen separate stories in THE JOY LUCK CLUB. Since I didn't count, I can't verify this statement, but it sounds about right. Taken as a whole, all of these vignettes combine to lend greater meaning to the whole. THE JOY LUCK CLUB is the sum total of its parts with common themes giving solid grounding and greater resonance to the overall film. As Bass comments, "I saw all the mothers' and daughters' stories as facets of the same experience. Put together, they formed a mosaic. That's the genius of the book, and if we cut it down to just a couple of stories it would be like any other movie."
The stories are not told in such a manner as to seem pared down or truncated, nor is their presentation confusing, thanks to a cleverly- orchestrated framing scene with the principal characters gathered together. However, it is apparent that a lot more could have been told, and we're left wondering about all that we didn't get to see. The characters are mostly well-developed, but it's tantalizing to consider just how much fuller some of them could have been with a different plot structure. But there are always sacrifices to be made, and no movie can tell everything about the lives of the people it introduces.
One of the themes of SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE is that there are some "guy movies" and some "chick movies." If this is true, then THE JOY LUCK CLUB fits into the latter category. Certainly, a tear-jerker like this is likely to find more open acceptance among women than among men. That's not necessarily because men won't like it, but some will be too embarrassed to admit that they enjoyed something as emotional as this. In fact, there are those who may refuse to see it to avoid this possible dilemma altogether.
Nevertheless, there will be a group of people who will genuinely dislike THE JOY LUCK CLUB, and I can't say that their reasoning is entirely flawed. The movie has a few moments that can justifiably be described as cloying and manipulative, and those who are offended by these methods are going to become annoyed at THE JOY LUCK CLUB. Die-hard cynics are advised to stay clear.
What the aforementioned people have missed, however, is that the scenes that don't work are far fewer in number than those that do, and most of these can easily be overlooked in piecing together the overall intent of the motion picture. Few movies are without at least a problem or two, and it's more difficult to put together a flawless production when going for the emotional payoffs that this film does.
THE JOY LUCK CLUB is clearly--perhaps too clearly--an adaptation of a book. The dialogue is often too poetic to be real, and the story too clearly plotted to be acceptable as anything more than an imperfect reflection of the world we live in. I hasten to add that this is not a bad thing, but it is evidence that this movie, through its willingness to loosen the strings of realism, expects a certain suspension of disbelief from the audience.
Personally, I never identified with any of the characters, but I became involved in their stories. That is to say, never did I make a connection between something in my own life and what I was seeing on screen, but that in no way diminished the impact of what was being presented. I venture to say that many women, especially those who have had tempestuous relationships with their mothers or daughters, will have an entirely different viewpoint.
The line between drama and melodrama is a fine one, and most of THE JOY LUCK CLUB successfully navigates the tightrope, staying on the more powerful dramatic side. There are times when it slips and comes across as heavy-handed. You know something isn't right when it becomes apparent that certain lines of dialogue and character actions are trying desperately to make you, as a member of the audience, shed a tear. Whether or not these incidents do what they're trying to is another matter entirely....
Wayne Wang, whose best-known previous film was DIM SUM, shows significant ability in the way he has structured this movie. He has an excellent and believable cast working behind him, including a number of virtual unknowns (France Nuyen and Rosalind Chao being exceptions).
The characters are THE JOY LUCK CLUB's real strength. Many are played by more than one actor (as children then adults, for example), but all changes are smooth and seamless. It's as easy to accept a little girl as Waverly as it is the beautiful, sophisticated-looking Tamlyn Tomita, and that's because the characters transcend the performers portraying them.
It's fascinating and satisfying the way that the diverse threads are knitted together into a single tapestry. Some might complain that this movie is a downer, but those who do, fail to recognize that THE JOY LUCK CLUB's message is one of hope, and that catharsis and emotional fulfillment often come through tragedy. Sure, a lot of bad things happen during the course of this film, but at the end, the tears are of happiness and new beginnings, not loss.
- James Berardinelli (blake7@cc.bellcore.com)
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