Double Happiness

Mina Shum's Double Happiness bravely explores a group that mainstream film (read: Hollywood) continues to ignore: Asians in North America. That the film features strong acting, good writing and confident direction makes its accomplishments all the more greater.

You don't need to be Asian to enjoy this film, anymore than you have to be Italian to watch The Godfathers. Young women of whatever ethnic backgrounds are bound to identify with the lead character, finely played by Sandra Oh. The daughter-father conflict crosses all national boundaries, and is explored in this film through the eyes of Chinese-Canadians.

I'm a Canadian of Chinese descent, and found the characterizations of the family to be accurate overall. At times, the domineering Father is one-dimensional (tyrannical and cold) and needed to be fleshed out more. The role of the siblings--especially towards their parents--was underplayed and could have offered a contrast to the main relationship between the elder daughter and Dad.

Still, the strict traditionalism of the parents was on the nose, and the struggles of the daughter, Jade, ring true. In fact, I venture to say that Jade was played *too* obediently, and should have broken from her family sooner.

Following this line of thought, the film could have been expanded to explore Jade moving into her own home and finding her own career as an actress, then reconciling (perhaps) with her stern Father at the end.

As it stands, the movie ends abruptly and too soon. Shum and Oh do a fine job of getting Jade on the audience's side, only pull the carpet on her just as she leaves home. The movie begs for closure in the relationship between daughter and father.

Perhaps in the sequel.

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.

Double Happiness is a very realistic look at Asian family values and personal values. Sandra Oh as the cheeky Jade Li was excellent. The actor that played her first date Andrew was great too. I was amused at the outcome of this pairing.I was very impressed by Callum Rennie, who played Jade's caucasian boyfriend Mark. There's a quite funny scene between these two that involves a talk about bad clam chowder and "fascist" bouncers. The chemistry/tension between Jade and Mark was great. The rest of the family was great too. Truly a must see movie about relationships.

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 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!