Eat Drink Man Woman
Released 1994
Stars Sihung Lung, Kuei-Mei-Yang, Chien-Lien Wu, Yu-Wen Wang, Winston Chao,
Chao-Jung Chen
Directed by Ang Lee
This is a rather beautiful film that explores the relationships within a family that's lost its warmth. The mother passed away when the kids were young, which pushed the eldest daughter into her role. Subsequently, she wasn't really a sibling to her two younger sisters, and she reluctantantly accepted her future of caring for her father and not marrying. We don't learn much about the youngest daughter, but it's clear she didn't feel much warmth in the house. It's the relationship between the middle daughter, Jia-Chen (Chien-Lien Wu), and her father, Tao Chu (Sihung Lung), however, that's the heart of the movie. I'm worried my relationship with my own daughter may be like this in a few years. We're both stubborn, and my daughter is outgoing and independent. I'm going to do my best to be flexible and accepting of her while I try to steer her through her treacherous teens. I really don't want to have a contentious relationship like the one between Jia-Chen and her father, where there's nothing but resentment. Each of them wishes to reach out, but neither can bring themselves to do it.
With Chu unable to communicate verbally with his daughters, he resorts to food. He's a master chef, and he cooks an enormous sumptuous feast every Sunday. The problem is they're joyless affairs, where the girls only nibble while everyone struggles to work up the courage to make an "announcement." The food in this film is amazing, and it's the final thread that tenuously holds the family together.
There are several surprises that I won't spoil here, but in the beginning I was wondering why Chu didn't seem interested in his daughters anymore. He just wanted them to move away, yet he doted on little Shan-Shan. While some of the surprise weddings come out of the blue too quickly, Chu's story is a pleasant shocker. The movie takes its time to set up his story, and the payoff is wonderful. Also, the final scene is perfectly done. It stands on its own literally but also symbolically. When Chu is finally allowed to move on with his life, he's able to regain his taste for life. Literally.
Summary by Bill Alward, September 25, 2002