Eat a Bowl of Tea

Synopsis: A study in culture bridging, including ... a new US-born husband, trying to work within the traditional ways, a new China-born wife, eager to join the "dream" of America, two family-minded fathers, lots of gender-related social bifurcations.

Genre: Drama, Romance

Director(s): Wayne Wang

Actors: Cora Miao, Russell Wong, Victor Wong, Siu-Ming Lau

Production: Sony Pictures Entertainment


IMDB:: 6.4

Collection Edit Watch PDF Buy

: PG-13
Year:: 1989
: 102 min
: 22 Views

NEW YORK CHINATOWN
Haven't been too lucky, huh?
Seventy-five.
Years back...
...the Chinese came to America...
...leaving their women behind.
They thought they were
going to get rich.
And they'd go back to China
and be big shots.
But it seldom worked out that way.
Then, the U.S. Exclusion laws
came down on them.
They were treated differently
from the rest of the immigrants.
For 60 years, the Chinese
couldn't become citizens...
...and no Chinese woman
could come to America.
Not even a wife.
Not even a daughter.
Chinatown was dying.
The men just kept getting older.
Their sons couldn't
find women to marry.
And there were no families.
Well...
...the second world war
changed all that.
China became America's ally.
Congress passed new laws.
The old-timers
could become citizens...
...just like everybody else.
And the boys who fought
in the U.S. Armed Forces...
...could go back to China...
...take a bride...
...and bring her to America.
So one day we were dying off,
and the next thing you know...
...everybody's talking about
arranging marriages for their kids...
...and how many grandchildren
they were going to have.
You got a letter from your wife.
You're sending all this money
to your wife?
You sent some last week already.
No wonder I don't see you
around my club.
All this land your wife
is buying in China...
...the Communists
are gonna take it anyway.
Remember that.
"Dear husband:
All is well here.
But I think it's time...
...for our son to come home
to find a wife.
You promised you would talk
to your friend...
...who has a daughter back here
in our village..."
That's enough.
I know what she's gonna say.
He just came out of the Army,
my boy.
Two years ago.
Don't you start up on me.
Just write.
Now...
"Dear wife:
"
Blah-blah-blah-blah.
"I'm fine."
Blah-blah-blah.
"Very busy.
Business is..."
Very good?
- Excellent?
- No, no.
So-so.
Otherwise, I gotta send her
more money.
Hello, Lee Gong.
Letter to my wife.
Me too.
Thank you.
You got time for a drink?
- Why not come to my laundry?
- Fine.
There's something
I want to talk to you about.
I have something to talk to you too.
Come on.
Last night,
at the Chinese Elk Club...
...this guy falls over dead
in the middle of a card game.
- Never got to see his grandchildren.
- What grandchildren?
You know, in a manner of speaking.
Same thing is gonna happen to me.
I only got one son and he acts
like there's no tomorrow.
Ben is a good boy.
Did I tell you
I saw him the other day?
I went to the place where he works.
In Hoboken? What were
you doing in Hoboken?
I had some business.
Ben Loy is very nice and very polite.
That worthless kid.
He seems very smart.
I hope that one day
your boy finds a nice young lady.
You know, Lee Gong...
...I always hoped he could
marry a girl from back home.
Like your daughter.
Yeah, time flies.
My daughter is already
a grown woman.
Let's have a drink.
- I'd like to get you...
- Really?
...on a slow boat to China.
All to myself, alone.
I wanna see that place again
where you was raked by gunfire.
You do? Hold on.
- It's way in the back there.
- Come on.
Good morning.
What's the matter
with the water at your place?
The water heater broke down.
Do I have a pimple behind my ear?
No. It's a bit red, though.
Where have you been?
I've been looking all over for you.
I was at a club.
It's a sort of youth group.
Youth group?
Youth group, my ass.
You're not a youth anymore.
Now...
...I want you to fix this place up.
This is my place now, Dad.
I wanna talk to you.
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