Double Happiness (1994)

Director:

Mina Shum

Writer:

Mina Shum (writer)

Release Date:

28 July 1995 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Twenty-two year old Chinese-Canadian Jade Li comes from a traditional Chinese family, who try to put...

Plot Keywords:

Immigration | Gay Bar | Audition | Father Daughter Relationship | Culture Clash

Awards:

6 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Sandra Oh	...	Jade Li
Stephen Chang	...	Dad Li (as Stephen M.D. Chang)
Alannah Ong	...	Mom Li
Donald Fong	...	Ah Hong
Frances You	...	Pearl Li
Callum Keith Rennie	...	Mark (as Callum Rennie)
Claudette Carracedo	...	Lisa Chan
Johnny Mah	...	Andrew Chau
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Greg Chen	...	Uncle Bing
Estelle Coppens	...	Lead Woman in Scene with Jade
Lesley Ewen	...	Carmen the Casting Director
Nathan Fong	...	Dr. Ming Chu / Bartender
Dennis Foon	...	Director
Kevin Kelly	...	Lead Man in Scene with Jade
Gene Kiniski	...	Man at Bus Stop
Rose Lam	...	Producer (as Rose Lam Waddell)
Tosca Chin Wah Leong	...	Linda Taylor Wong, Ch. 4 News
Mimi Mok	...	Mrs. Mar
Laara Ong	...	Selina
Tony Seaver	...	No -No! Club Bouncer
Wong Shuck	...	See-Fu Geomancer
Mina Shum	...	Janet Eng
So Yee Shum	...	Auntie Bing
May Tam	...	Grandmother

Also Known As:

Bonheur aigre-doux (Canada: French title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for one scene of sexuality and brief strong language.

Runtime:

87 min

Country:

Canada

Language:

English | Cantonese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Australia:M | South Korea:15 | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Company:

British Columbia Film Commission

Quotes:

Jade Li: Double Happiness is when you make yourself happy and everyone else happy too.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Weird Sex and Snowshoes: A Trek Through the Canadian Cinematic Psyche (2004) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Macarthur Park

Sandra Oh is mesmerizing

Mina Shum wrote and directed this story of a Chinese-Canadian family in Vancouver with the central character being Jade (Sandra Oh). Jade's father Quo (Stephen Chang) is very strict about his children following old Chinese traditions and if they don't then they are disowned by him. So Jade actually tries to live two separate lives, one an obedient daughter who goes along with her fathers wishes (For the most part) and when she is out with her friends she can be a normal woman in her early 20's who talk about boys and goes to clubs. Jade wants to be an actress much to the chagrin of her parents and she goes out on auditions. One night she meets a man named Mark who is white and they have a one night stand. Jade's parents do not know him at first and fix her up on dates with Chinese men. They're is some excellent visual imagery in the film and in one scene Jade and Mark are on swings and the shot is in slow motion with a good and effective musical score to enhance the visual flair. In another scene a fed up Jade gets out of the car of another date and starts to run down the street. We are not told where she is running to but we must assume its to Mark. Sandra Oh's performance seems to be flawless. Watching her character ultimately give up trying to please her father is just riveting to watch. I've always been a big fan of Oh's and I thought she was equally terrific in "Dancing at the Blue Iguana". Oh takes the character of Jade and makes her not only smart and strong, but makes her very human also! When a casting director asks her how could she possibly think of herself as Chinese if she cannot read it, Jade at this point in the film questions herself and ultimately comes to a life changing decision. Mina Shums script is sharp and she doesn't portray Jade's parents as one dimensional. They have issues as well and it affects the lives of their children. Well written script gives Oh the opportunity to give a totally convincing and haunting performance.