Hynavian

The script for the film, Saving Face, won the CAPE¹ screening award in 2001 and was subsequently produced into a film in 2004. Written, directed and produced by Alice Wu, Saving Face is a comedy cum romance drama of an Chinese American lesbian who tries to balance work, family and love. Starring Michelle Krusiec, Joan Chen and Lynn Chen, the film plays on the social concept of face in Chinese social relations and some dilemmas like the clash of the younger generation of Chinese Americans against the older generation in terms of values and practices in the Americanized world.

Wilhelmina Pang (Stars Michelle Krusiec) or Wil for short, is a busy but successful medical surgeon until her mother, 妈 (Stars Joan Chen) or Ma for short, appears at her door step one night and wants to move into her home. Thus she has to dedicate time to not only her work, but also to her attention seeking mother, as well as make time for her dancer girlfriend (Stars Lynn Chen), Vivien Shing. Both mother and daughter have their own situation and secrets and they both are trying their best to hide them. Ma is ostracized by the American Chinese community as she is pregnant again but unwed this time round and she refuses to reveal who the father is. Wil, on the other hand, tries to hide her relationship with Vivien from both her mother and the Chinese community. Both try to keep their situation under wraps just to save the “face” of their family.

Stars Michelle Krusiec as Wil (top) and Lynn Chen as Vivien (bottom)

One of the issues that the film touches on is the cultural clashes that the young Chinese Americans might be facing in face of Americanization. As the film uses a mix of languages; English (80%), Mandarin Chinese (15%) and dialect (5%), older generation often communicate in mandarin or in their dialect while the younger generation speaks perfect English. Parents will speak to their children in Mandarin and though the children understand what their parents are saying, they will reply in English. And when the younger generations do speak Mandarin; their accent is a far cry from that of their parents. In a way the film portrays the lost of “Chinese-ness” in the younger generation in a hilarious yet entertaining manner by contrasting the older generation with the younger generation.

The many perceptions and practices of the Chinese community are brought up and the younger generation of Chinese Americans like Wil always seems so out of place in all those circumstances. The below is what I’ve noted and boy, how true some of the below perceptions are.

• The gossip mongers are represented by old and rich ladies who gossip and show off anything under the Sun during gatherings or Mahjong sessions.

• Food plays an important role in the Chinese culture and there are many scenes where fooooooooood of all kinds are found.

• There is a Chinese saying that a woman loses her “value” as she grows older and hence, the concerned are trying to marry Wil off.
• Chinese parents try to pair up and match-make their children within the Chinese community.
• A “good job” would be occupations like doctor, CEO, vice CEO or any high paying job.
• The Chinese community perceive a divorced woman as having no place in the Chinese society and the thought of re-marrying should not even surface.
• Places like the Chinese hair salons are great “update sites” for gossip hungry monger.
• The “Six degrees of separation” concept is fully shown in the Chinese community as rumors and news spread like the wind and everyone just seems to be connected, somehow.
• The older Chinese generation has a particular bias perception towards the other communities (for this film, the Westerners and Blacks).
• Children having to listen to the head of the household. For this instance, Wil’s grandfather has the most power in the family.

This is my first time catching a film that touches on the various issues that portrays the perspectives of the Chinese American community. I was smiling and nodding at the many silly yet familial Chinese practices that the Chinese community are portrayed as practicing in the film. I grinned so widely when Ma insisted to move into Wil’s home and when Ma made a revamp of Wil’s home according to her traditional Chinese style. The next epic moment is the meet the parent’s session between Ma and Vivien where Wil is stuck in between. Notable appearances by the old and wealthy Chinese women do pop up now and then for some juicy gossiping moments and that made me grin so widely till my gum hurt at the end of the show.

Character wise, Ma is hilariously portrayed that she brought the whole film up to a high. Representing the traditional Chinese woman who will conform to the Chinese community’s expectations and in turn, “save the face” of the family, her actions are overly cautious as she tries to play the role of the traditional daughter. Wil, once again is stuck in the middle as she’s neither traditional nor can she abandon her roots and because of such, lots of comedy surface as she tries to find her place. Gf Vivien, on the other hand, is rather open to her parents regarding her relationship with Wil and pushes Wil to come out of the closet and to face “the gaze” of society.

Though issues that the film covers touch on prevalent social and cultural issues that the Chinese American might be facing, it is presented in a hilarious and light way that the the issues will not overwhelm the viewer at all. Instead, I would recommend Saving Face to all who’s just looking for a laugh while being exposed to the culture of the Chinese American community. However, this film is not for the sensitive and definitely not for kids as there are some lesbian moments that some cannot handle.

Currently, Saving Face is distributed by Sony Picture Classics and for more information on the film itself, visit the official site. For now, Saving Face has toppled my charts as my all time favorite les film that deals with the lives of the Chinese Americans. Someone please recommend a sweeter and more hilarious flick that can beat this.

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1. Also known as the Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment. CAPE is a “non-profit trade organization addressing the interests of Asian Pacific Americans (APA) in the entertainment industry.” [↩]