Review of Saving Face (2004) by John K — 06 Jul 2008

When the Joy Luck Club came out over a decade ago, critics lauded it as a breakthrough for Asian-Americans. More thematically similar movies like Double Happiness followed, exploring the modern Asian-American woman and mother-daughter relationships. But while these films did remarkable jobs of spotlighting the dynamism of Asian-American women, they often did so by juxtaposing them with strict traditional families and chauvinistic men. Now no longer fresh and appealing, these tired old themes contribute more toward widening the gender and generation divide in Asian-America.

Therefore, how refreshing it was to see Saving Face, the breakthrough film by Alice Wu. While the movie continues to explore the Asian-American woman and mother-daughter relationships, it does so without undo use of narrow stereotypes. It celebrates the uniqueness of Chinese-American culture without wrapping it in an exotic package or making it a target for ridicule. In keeping the story within the Chinese-American cultural backdrop, it differs from Better Luck Tomorrow where the characters could have been any race; yet it shares the same boldness in portraying Asian-Americans as real people instead of one-dimensional gangsters, martial artists, dragon ladies or Geisha girls.

Saving Face revolves around Wilhemina (Wil, played by Michelle Krusiec), an up-and-coming surgical resident who has difficulties expressing her feelings; her girlfriend Vivian (portrayed by Lynn Chen), a dancer torn between her interest in modern dance and the prestige of classical ballet; and Wil's mother Huilan (played by the ever-brilliant Joan Chen), a widow who lives with her parents and has gotten pregnant at age 48. Huilan's father, a prestigious professor, initially stands out as the cliché male chauvinist. Worried about his loss of face at his unwed daughter's pregnancy, he throws her out of his house until she marries the baby's father or "proves immaculate conception." Inexplicably, she refuses to reveal the father's identity and, with nowhere else to go, moves in with her daughter Wil. As someone used to a Spartan lifestyle, yet unwilling to face "Chinese Karmic Hell" for deserting her motherr, Wil sets out to find a match for her mom. At the same time, just as her mother hides her lover's identity, Wil vigilantly conceals her love for Vivian. But Vivian, who has grown up in a family accepting of her sexual orientation, desperately needs the emotional validation that Wil cannot bring herself to express.

As Saving Face unfolds through several enjoyable twists and turns, we see that the characters do not fit neatly into easily consumed stereotypes. Even Huilan's father, originally assumed to be Hollywood's typical domineering Asian father who drives his daughter to rebellion, turns out much like Shrek the Ogre's proverbial onion. Not just worried about his own face, we learn that he is concerned about his daughter's loneliness, dearly loves his wife, and is excited about the birth of his new granddaughter. Other characters, both minor and major, truly represent a broad spectrum of the Asian-American mosaic: the balding telecom VP, the dashing subway station agent, the romantic restaurant owner, the open-minded mother, the flatulent husband and more.

In the absence of glaring individual and societal stereotypes, Saving Face allows Asian-American characters to flourish with interesting, three-dimensional personalities that exceed our preconceived notions of identity. It finds a way to frame us as individuals through a compelling story about juggling priorities of family, love and expectations. I can only hope more future movies continue to tell our story, through our eyes, with our voice.