Review of The Joy Luck Club (1993) by Cory T — 01 Aug 2008

There is a quote I found a couple of months ago, one that I think about a lot but have yet to encounter an appropriate situation to say it. Granted, this film doesn't fit perfectly, but it'll do: "You never love a woman because she is beautiful, she is beautiful because you love her." Now, what the women in "The Joy Luck Club" could have used were some men who understood that sentence, believed that sentence. The film centers on one woman, whose mother died a few months before the story begins. Her mother had three best friends, and all four had uniquely tragic stories as to how they immigrated from China to America, each with their own personal struggles with daughterhood, motherhood, marriage, life. The meat of this movie, then, explores each woman's story in a detailed fashion that never feels forced or necessary. Each story is poignant and painful, but not heavy-handed. There were moments when the movie subsided into a melodramatic feel, but these emotions were never forced or unwelcomed.

In 2002, Wayne Wang directed one of my favorite movies (of that year) that dealt with almost exactly the same material, "Anywhere But Here." While it is true that both Susan Sarandon and Natalie Portman are well-rounded enough actors to carry the material themselves, there was a care and subtlety that Wang brought to the film, enhancing the performances. It is obvious that he understands the dynamics between a mother and daughter, dealing with the complications of respect, letting go, understanding, and love.

There is an interesting comparison to make here: In "The Joy Luck Club," the older women made sacrifices- some intensely painful- to get to America in hopes of starting a life where they would be respected for themselves, not their husbands, and where their children (all of them daughters) could have every opportunity they did not. Nine years later, Wang explores the lives of an American mother/daughter relationship, where the mother is so intent on getting out of their small, midwest town and wholeheartedly embrace the promises of Beverly Hills that she will do almost anything. Her daughter, on the other hand, feels resentful for being dragged away from the only life she knew. Both films are very well made, both concluding that children should always respect their parents but listen to what they say with a grain of salt. They are probably right, for sure, but times change and each person should be their own individual selves, not carbon copies.

"The Joy Luck Club" is representational of Asian-Americans, but only in a literal sense. Perhaps, the same is true of the 2008 Spanish film, "La Misma Luna," which deals with the illegal immigration struggle and its effect on a mother and her young son.

This movie has a universal appeal, eluding to the troubles most everyone faces with their parents. What they don't tell you in the middle of the storm, is that you'll respect them for their decisions. Even if you would have done it differently, you would not be who you are today had certain things they did not happen.

It is a lengthy film, yes, but definitely worth the time. Besides, how many Asian-American films has Hollywood released lately? ... We needn't be picky.