Review of
Eat Drink Man Woman
Reviewed by Young Il Kim
Director: Ang Lee
Starring: Bunch of Asians
The first time I heard about this movie, I knew that this had to be an Asian movie. I didn’t watch it in the theaters because I wasn’t into foreign flicks when I was in college. In fact, I am not really into them now except that girls dig guys who dig foreign flicks. The reason I knew that Eat Drink Man Woman was an Asian movie was because this was how I used to talk during those first few months after I moved to the US from Korea. Yes, grammar was never my strong point.
I heard some good stuff about Ang Lee, so I rented this movie to see what all the fuss was about. Eat Drink Man Woman is a story about a retired master chef (same guy who plays the strict father in The Wedding Banquet) who is a strict widower and has three hot daughters. One is Jia-Jen, second is Jia-Chien, and third is Jia-Ning. So I won’t even bother with names, and I’ll give you the straight scoop instead. One is a bit of an old maid who is a loser chemistry teacher. Second one is pretty hot and is an airline executive. She spends most of the time eating and drinking food and…men. The third is a Britney Spears-in-training who works in a fast-food restaurant. Master Chu prepares a Sunday meal that his daughters must attend. These dinners provide a way for the four individuals to keep in touch but also as a stage for the unfolding of the events that change their lives. Secret romances by all four have plenty of comedy, twists and turns, and important lessons.
This movie tackles the issues such as the generational conflicts between youth and their elders. It sheds light during a time when modernization and prosperity of Taiwan has moved quicker than the cultural acceptance. There is a sense of sexual and emotional liberation that all four learn through their relations with people outside of the family and from one another. Overall, Eat Drink Man Woman provides a refreshing tale of a family that is going through dramatic changes. All four of them are busy trying to hook up (yes, the old father is busy trying to work his thang). You also don’t get the stereotypical view of Asians: too many movies show the Chinese living the rice-farming-and-poor village life. So it is refreshing to see that the lives of Asians are not different from Americans. I will temper my enthusiasm by stating that this movie is probably not for everyone. For example, I, as an Asian American, felt a closer connection. And for African Americans, this story was retold as Soul Food starring Vanessa Williams. My guess is that they aren’t going to make Latino, Native American, Aborigine, and White versions of this movie, so give this movie a try. And if you don’t like it, you will at least get some cravings for Chinese food.
