The Joy Luck Club is a 1993 American drama film about the relationships between Chinese-American women and their Chinese immigrant mothers. It was directed by Wayne Wang and stars Tsai Chin, Kieu Chinh, Lisa Lu, France Nuyen, Rosalind Chao, Lauren Tom, Tamlyn Tomita, and Ming-Na Wen. The film is based on the 1989 novel of the same name by Amy Tan, who co-wrote the screenplay with Ronald Bass. The film was produced by Bass, Tan, Wang, and Patrick Markey, while Oliver Stone served as an executive producer. Four older women, all Chinese immigrants living in San Francisco, meet regularly to play mahjong, eat, and tell stories. Each of these women has an adult Chinese-American daughter. The film reveals the hidden pasts of the older women and their daughters, and how their lives are shaped by the clash of Chinese and American cultures as they strive to understand their family bonds and one another.
Theatrical release poster
from left: Suyuan (Kieu Chinh), June (Ming-Na Wen), Waverly (Tamlyn Tomita), Lindo (Tsai Chin), Ying-Ying (France Nuyen), Lena (Lauren Tom), An-Mei (Lisa Lu), and Rose (Rosalind Chao)
Ming-Na Wen
Wayne Wang, director and one of the producers
Wayne Wang is a Hong Kong-American film director, producer, and screenwriter. Considered a pioneer of Asian-American cinema, he was one of the first Chinese-American filmmakers to gain a major foothold in Hollywood. His films, often independently produced, deal with issues of contemporary Asian-American culture and domestic life.
Wang in 1983
Preparing a scene from Dim Sum: A Little Bit of Heart
San Francisco's Cannery Cinema screens Chan Is Missing in 1982.
Wang in San Francisco, 1981