| Cora
Miao, Russell Wong , Victor Wong , Lee Sau Kee, Eric Tsang, Law
Lan, Wai Ching Ho.
Eat a Bowl of Tea is set in New York's
Chinatown during the immediate postwar years. After a seeming eternity
of separation, Chinese immigrants are finally allowed to bring their
spouses to the U.S. thanks to looser immigration laws. Those husbands
and wives no longer able to procreate fully expect their own sons
to head back to China to seek out new brides. Russell Wong plays
a young man who decides not to marry the bride picked out for him,
but a girl of his own choice, played by Cora Miao. The film tackles
several issues, including Miao's difficulty in assimilation, Wong's
problems with his intrusive relatives, the outside pressure brought
to bear in producing an heir, and the ongoing struggle of making
ends meet financially. Both bride and groom respond to their insecurities
by indulging in extramarital affairs. It takes several near-catastrophic
events to prompt a happy reconciliation. Partially funded by PBS'
American Playhouse production staff, Eat a Bowl of Tea is based
on an extremely popular Chinese-language novel by Louis Chu. |