Double Happiness

This movie was a nice little picture about a group of Asans living in Canada and they all seemed like nice people, despite the differences in how they adapt to living in a new land. The parents are very traditional and want their daughter to marry a traditional Chinese man. I like their portrayal because they want what's best for her and are not ogres. The daughter, who is NOT tradition-bound wants to make her own way in life and resists her parents by "doing her own thing" when they aren't looking.

The acting and writing is excellent, as the story rings true to life. If you like this movie, I strongly recommend EAT, DRINK, MAN WOMAN--a Taiwanese film that covers some of the same ground but seems to do an even better job (if that's even possible!).

NOTE: since first reviewing this movie, I saw BOLLYWOOD/Hollywood. It's another Canadian film but this time instead of focusing on Chinese culture, it concerns Indian culture. It, too, involves the older generations pushing their kids NOT to marry Caucasians but find a nice boy or girl from back home. Very similar and just as wonderful as DOUBLE HAPPINESS. Watch them both!

This is an excellent movie portraying the struggle of any Asian child: personal goals over family expectations. Every one of us go through Jade's life and it's a very challenging goal. It's impossible to please yourself and please your family at the same time. As an Asian kid myself, I strongly advise for you to do whatever makes you happy.

An under-appreciated film (as many Canadian films are), Double Happiness expresses brilliantly the tightrope one often has to walk between pleasing others and pleasing oneself. Jade Li, portrayed masterfully by neophyte Sandra Oh, must choose between her desires for love and stardom and her desire to please her demanding, suffocating, ultra-traditional Chinese father. Her life complicates when she meets a sweet English major named Mark, played by Callum Keith Rennie, a hidden treasure of an actor; the scenes between Jade and Mark dynamically reflect the most uncertain nature in love, an uncertainty which often makes love all the more worth fighting for. Yet, there is a subtlety in the way writer/director Mina Shum presents Jade's nervous breakdown of a life, a subtlety which craftily creates the effect of slowly drawing the viewer into the spiralling life of Jade. With its powerful, yet simplistic (in the Hal Hartley vein) direction and tremendous performances, Double Happiness stands as a remarkable film which deserves more attention. Pity!

This movie was an interesting look into the life of a Chinese family in North America. I think the characters were written and portrayed in a believable, sensitive manner. The subtle, reserved, underplaying of the parents I think is sometimes mistaken as one-dimensionality, but really reflects a traditional and reserved nature that they were trying to maintain. Their expectations for their now westernized children, and the dilemmas that arise, are also evidence of that. It is not a case of right versus wrong, but novel versus traditional. As for the conflict of introducing Jade Li's main love interest as a Caucasian, I also don't believe that was intended to pit white people as good versus Asian people as bad. I think that the juxtaposition of the two lifestyles presents Jade's two major conflicts: her desire to lead a more Western life, with freedom to make many non-traditional choices, and her feelings of love, respect, and loyalty toward her traditional parents, whom she would not want to bring shame or betrayal. A life with one of the Asian suitors would symbolize her choice to remain under the guidelines of restraint her heritage suggests and their families demand.

One aspect I feel especially overlooked about this film dealt with Jade's big audition with the woman from Hong Kong. While Jade was brought up in a Chinese home in North America, she could understand and speak some Cantonese, but had many Western interests. But because she could not read Cantonese, this duality did not bring the success one might hope having the benefits of two cultures would bring. As the child of an Asian father and American mother (but raised almost entirely American, I'll admit), I found that scene very interesting.

I think this film was wonderful, and that one need not have a particular interest in Asian families to appreciate the family and social relationships, conflicts, and hopes portrayed in Double Happiness.

Mina Shum wrote and directed this story of a Chinese-Canadian family in Vancouver with the central character being Jade (Sandra Oh). Jade's father Quo (Stephen Chang) is very strict about his children following old Chinese traditions and if they don't then they are disowned by him. So Jade actually tries to live two separate lives, one an obedient daughter who goes along with her fathers wishes (For the most part) and when she is out with her friends she can be a normal woman in her early 20's who talk about boys and goes to clubs. Jade wants to be an actress much to the chagrin of her parents and she goes out on auditions. One night she meets a man named Mark who is white and they have a one night stand. Jade's parents do not know him at first and fix her up on dates with Chinese men. They're is some excellent visual imagery in the film and in one scene Jade and Mark are on swings and the shot is in slow motion with a good and effective musical score to enhance the visual flair. In another scene a fed up Jade gets out of the car of another date and starts to run down the street. We are not told where she is running to but we must assume its to Mark. Sandra Oh's performance seems to be flawless. Watching her character ultimately give up trying to please her father is just riveting to watch. I've always been a big fan of Oh's and I thought she was equally terrific in "Dancing at the Blue Iguana". Oh takes the character of Jade and makes her not only smart and strong, but makes her very human also! When a casting director asks her how could she possibly think of herself as Chinese if she cannot read it, Jade at this point in the film questions herself and ultimately comes to a life changing decision. Mina Shums script is sharp and she doesn't portray Jade's parents as one dimensional. They have issues as well and it affects the lives of their children. Well written script gives Oh the opportunity to give a totally convincing and haunting performance.