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The Joy Luck Club (1993)

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86 comments in total

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34 out of 36 people found the following comment useful :-
Glorious Film making, 2 August 2003

Author: Ironboundfw from United States

Every time I look back at movies through the years, I find myself wondering why The Joy Luck Club did not make a huge splash in the awards circle. The film is one of the BEST FILMS of my lifetime. It will always represent to me, the dream that is America.

I think it's because the emotions of the film are so universal, that I count it as one of my favorites. I am male, I am hispanic, I came to the United States when I was 13 years old. I felt alienated, lonely and hopeless, could anyone really understand all that I wanted to do, all that I wanted to become. How do you reconcile your cultural roots, with wanting to fit into the American Dream.

I try to watch The JOY LUCK CLUB as often as I try to read the book. Because it reminds me that we are all connected in so many ways. That our dreams and desires are not all together different. that Love reaches beyond race, beyond politics and beyond time.

when I saw this film I thought, The Academy of Arts and Sciences would gush over it. But it never reached the kind of acclaim it truly deserved. I think it's because most film makers field of personal experience limited in reaching and feeling. Most of the Academy comes from back grounds that didn't see struggle, that doesn't see the world in unison, but in carefully separated categories. This to them was not a human experience film, it was a film for a minority group. But, while The JOY LUCK CLUB is life affirming to some, to those who have lived the similarities, it is life changing.

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34 out of 38 people found the following comment useful :-
I Honestly Love This Movie, 8 August 2002

Author: Theaterchica07 from MA

The Joy Luck Club is a movie based on the bestselling novel by Amy Tan of the same name. It is one of the best movies I have ever seen in my life. It combines the stories of mothers and daughters to tell one sincere story of friendship. It is one of the finest pieces of acting collaberations among an ensemble cast. It also combines foriegn film with American film in a way giving it a new style. This movie is almost ten years old. For me it never gets old and the stories are also fresh. I like the set up of the movie or the sequence rather, better than the book. It seemed to make more sense. It also has the movie and book on the same level of unique style and everlasting stories to go along with it. Many of the performances were powerful. Even those who only spoke the Chinese language in the film should have gotten awards for performances that made me laugh and cry. I would recommend this film to anyone who wants to see an honestly good film without the Hollywood hype. Rent it, you won't regret it.

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24 out of 24 people found the following comment useful :-
Different strokes for different folks, 12 June 2003
Author: lschow310

I have read the book and seen the movie. I have also read reactions to both. Some really liked it and found it to be very real, while others hate it and object to the "stereotype." It seems to depend on whether you could relate to the stories, characters, or themes.

I myself could relate very well to the stories, but that could be because I too have experienced the intergenerational and intercultural conflict as an American-born Chinese daughter with a very traditional Chinese mother. Many other American-born Chinese women who were born in the 1960s could relate to the stories very well also. For us, we would start crying as soon as the first sentence is made.

I didn't experience everything that June, Rose, Lena, or Waverly went through, but on a grander scale, they are dealing with issues that I have struggled with as well.

I understand that there are other women who could relate to it as well, and these are not Chinese women--or even Asian women. Perhaps Amy Tan has touched on universal themes that women of other nationalities could relate to.

On the other hand, I have found that some people who are ten years younger than me didn't like the book/movie too much and found the characters "stereotypical" or "unrealistic."

Some Caucasian males didn't like this book/movie either, and again it comes back to them not being able to relate to it.

I understand another user's comment about the negative portrayal of Asian men, but this person has forgotten about June's father who was portrayed as a very likeable man who was trying to bridge the gap between his wife and his daughter. As for his objection of the daughters marrying Caucasian wives, he needs to realize that there are other issues/reasons involved and it's not because Chinese-American women like them "hate Chinese men."

In short, this movie is very good at portraying the intergenerational and/or intercultural conflict between people who are caught between two cultures. Women like me have cried while watching this movie because the issues have been very real for us. For those who could not relate to it or cannot see the "reality" of it, then this movie would not be for them.

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25 out of 28 people found the following comment useful :-
Honest and Beautiful, 11 December 2004
Author: justducky from Taichung, Taiwan

Joy Luck Club is a deeply moving film that will touch the heart and mind of anyone who opens themselves to it's messages about life.

If someone (such as darkfalz) feels this film speaks more of women's shallow choices, they miss out on humanity for the sake of superficial judgment.

This is a film about hard choices and sacrifice. It's a story of the generation gap that inevitably occurs between immigrant mother's and their daughters who were brought up surrounded by different values. Each mother strives to raise her children in a way that will bring them success and joy in life. Each hopes to free their offspring from the pains they themselves had to endure.

It is also about the Chinese way of pushing a child to be the best, and gives insight into a mother's need to see her own struggles amount to something great in her daughter. However, this is not just about Asians. It is about all parents hopes and all children's frustrations with fulfilling those dreams.

In America the story of the first generational gap is a very real and painful one. It happens for boys as much as girls, and I know a lot of men who relate to this film despite it's inherent chick flick nature. It celebrates the need to keep your roots and history alive, even if you let go of certain traditions that you were not born into.

The women in the film often make hard choices. Many of them folly and sin, but it is not a film about forgiving them so much as it is about the lasting effect of the choices we make.

Everyone should see this film. It's one of the most honest human dramas out there.

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18 out of 21 people found the following comment useful :-
Excellent Film, 24 November 2002

Author: booboobear1970 from Los Angeles, CA

The first time I sat down to watch this it was just because there wasn't anything else on. I mean what would a single guy in his late twenties be interested in a film about relationship between Chinese-American women and their mothers? Well I was wrong. This film was very captivating and moving. It does excellent job of showing the universal issue of generational differences and the love that exist between parents and their children. All of the perfomances in this film were excellent. 8 out of 10 stars.

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14 out of 17 people found the following comment useful :-
One of the best films of 1993!, 26 December 2005

Author: Kristine (kristinedrama14@msn.com) from Chicago, Illinois

I think I feared seeing "The Joy Luck Club" because it just screamed chick flick all over the cover, but my mother kept insisting it was an excellent film that anyone could really enjoy. So, I let my guards down and I was pleasantly surprised by this uplifting and rewarding drama about mother's and daughter's. Just wanting what is best and growing up wisely. I know this sounds silly, but this film made me not only appreciate being an American even more, but it also made me fell better as a woman. The four "Auntie's" had such wisdom and I felt that their stories were so heart wrenching but true and realistic.

One of my friends is from China and she told me how women are treated there and it just broke my heart, watching this movie helped me realize more how much I should appreciate what I have. I even called my mother after the film and told her I loved her because she always tried her best to look out for me. The four stories of how the mother's made their journey to America and raised their daughters was very touching and the ending felt like it could only be a new beginning. I would highly recommend this movie for anyone, it's perfectly directed and acted.

8/10

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14 out of 18 people found the following comment useful :-
What a great movie! Truly a film that fills you with emotion!, 27 May 2003

Author: rances from Hawaii

This film is truly a classic. The stories will touch your heart and make you laugh and cry. The cast did an excellent job of portraying these diverse women. You will love each character. A movie every woman should see.

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9 out of 10 people found the following comment useful :-
Not enough praise!, 9 September 2005

Author: bassmistress_666 from United States

I cannot praise this movie enough. It leaves me walking away feeling empowered! I had a very close relationship with my mother and after she passed this movie helped me with my grief. It is more than a "chick flick" it is a look into another culture's past, present and future. It is a light at the end of a tunnel for those that hold this movie dear to their hearts as I do. This movie helps you run thru all aspects of feelings, I find myself laughing, crying, sad, happy. Every woman I have shared this movie with or recommended to have thanked me endlessly for it. I have also read the book - now normally I would say the book was better but I'm going to have to agree with Theaterchica07's comment that the movie was easier to follow than the book. I reread it 3 times before my mind could actually put together the scenes. My favorite part of the movie is Rose standing in the rain and she says "You're not taking my house, you're not taking my daughter, you're not taking any part of me, because you don't know who I am. I died sixty years ago. I ate opium and I died for my daughter's sake. Now get out of my house!" That right there sent instant chills thru me. Well done!!!

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10 out of 12 people found the following comment useful :-
A masterpiece, 24 November 2002
Author: jhadefoxx (jhadefoxx@aol.com) from Chicago IL

Words fail to capture the essence of this film. I read the book before I saw the movie and as anyone can tell you, the book for a movie is usually a lot better, but in this case and I think they are both on the same level. I watched this movie again for the umpteenth time today and every time I watch it I see the magic again. It makes me think of my own relationship with my mother and my relationship with my daughter. This is the story that made me feel in love with Asian film.

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8 out of 9 people found the following comment useful :-
A great film., 3 November 2005

Author: asc85 from Mercer County, NJ

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

One of the best films of the 90's, I think. This would have been my favorite film of 1993, if not for Schindler's List.

Although I saw the movie first and then read the book, this is one of the few examples where I think the movie surpasses the book.

Amy Tan is a magnificent storyteller, and one of the best out there, IMHO. It is regrettable that many others don't realize this, as she writes primarily about Mother/Daughter relationships from a Chinese point of view, and therefore many don't want to give her a chance. The book "The Bonesetter's Daughter" by her is also magnificent.

Each time I see "The Joy Luck Club," I pull new things out of it. However, the speech towards the end of the movie about her daughter having "best quality heart" always breaks me up.

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