THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, August 10, 1995 TAG: 9508100676
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E6 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Movie Review
SOURCE: BY MAL VINCENT, MOVIE CRITIC
LENGTH: Medium: 71 lines
ANG LEE HAS done more to unveil the mystery of the East than anyone since Marco Polo. His films about Chinese people, whether in America or in their native land, have reached huge audiences and proved that people, after all, are merely people. Both ``The Wedding Banquet'' and ``Eat Drink Man Woman'' received Oscar nominations and, more amazingly, mass audiences. Human nature, with an emphasis on family connections, is this writer-director's strength.
``Pushing Hands,'' his first feature film, is finally getting an American release. Perhaps it rides on the coattails of his twin hit films, but it brings a charm of its own. For those who want a ``family'' story, complete with sly humor, this is a solid character-driven drama-comedy.
It's a familiar situation. An aging father moves in with his son and daughter-in-law. Immediately, trouble develops with the daughter-in-law. She resents the old man's presence. He feels unwanted and disrespected. He wants out, but where to go?
The 70-year-old father is Mr. Chu, who has made the trek from Beijing to New York City just a month ago - add culture clash to the generation gap. He speaks no English and his daughter-in-law, a struggling writer, speaks no Chinese. The son vows that he was raised to care for his parents and will not go back on his beliefs.
Sihung Lung, who appeared in both ``Wedding Banquet'' and ``Eat Drink,'' brings a thoughtful and heart-touching quality to the role of Mr. Chu, a man who practices martial arts, particularly the tai chi method of ``pushing hands'' (keeping your own balance, while pushing your opponent off balance).
Refreshingly, there are no villains. The daughter-in-law, played with world-weary tenacity by Deb Snyder, tries to adapt to the old man's presence. A likable, and welcome, presence is added by a widow - played by Lai Wang - who comes along just in time for the young couple to try match-making.
The film is overly long but uses its leisurely pace to establish characters. The cross-culture cast and the Ney York City setting provide novelty.
As usual, Ang Lee sets a number of scenes in the kitchen with characters wolfing down everything from dumplings to rice. This director, it seems, is never on a diet. His use of food in ``Eat Drink Man Woman'' is already legendary.
This is perhaps the lesser in what has come to be known as his ``father knows best'' trilogy of films, but only because its aims are smaller and gentler. In ``Pushing Hands,'' the culture clash is only a part of the familial adjustment. This movie will bring together elderly people and their families.
There is a gentle, sweet quality that is too seldom found in current films. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
CFP DISTRIBUTION
Deb Snyder and Sihung Lung must deal with cultural and generational
conflicts in ``Pushing Hands.''
Graphic
MOVIE REVIEW
``Pushing Hands''
Cast: Sihung Lung, Lai Wang, Bo Z. Wang, Deb Snyder
Director, writer: Ang Lee
MPAA rating: Not rated (largely inoffensive)
Mal's rating: Three stars
Locations: Naro in Norfolk
by CNB