Word: fang
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Dates: during 1980-1989
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...Grace Fang (Sharon Iwai), Leo's wife, lives a stereotypically Chinese-American life, doing aerobics at the health club and coming home to make noodle lo mein. Mrs. Chao, on the other hand, enjoys a close rapport with her daughter Lili (Li QinQin) and status as the wife of a high-ranking party official...
Their children are equally diametrical. Paul Fang (Kelvin Han Yee) devotes his time to football and a Caucasian girlfriend. Lili spends her time in dutiful pursuits, studying English for the college entrance exams and giggling with her girlfriend...
...When the Fangs arrive in China, East meets West and, as expected, both learn a bit from each other. Fang replaces his jogging with Mr. Chao's workout, which is as much mental as phsyical; Lili adopts some of Paul's arrogance, to the dismay of her parents; and Paul remembers some of his childhood ping-pong expertise, eventually going head to head with Lili's beau in an area youth tournament...
Wang saves the movie from becoming a typical clash-of-cultures, mix-of-cultures, everyone-learn-something picture. As Fang, Wang could be playing himself. He seems so natural, that sometimes the movie seems like an documentary. And Wang's cinematographical direction is simply beautiful...
Both Guanglan and Iwai, who play Fang's wife and sister respectively, also seem to bring their own experience to their roles. In one particularly memorable scene, Grace and Mrs. Chao try to become acquainted even though neither can speak the other's language. Grace tries to make up Mrs. Chao's face, while Mrs. Chao measures Grace for a dress, Chinese style. Although no words are exchanged, this scene brings the two women and the two cultures noticeably closer...