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Anonymous.
AnonymousI have shown clips of this film to my students whenever I cover topics on Chinese cuisine. The main character of this movie is a widowed Chinese master chef at the Grand Hotel in Taipei, Taiwan. The first 5-7 minutes of the film shows how the chef prepares special dishes for his three daughters. It's really amazing to watch how he cuts, chops and cooks, not to mention seeing all the different knives hung in his kitchen.
AnonymousThis film showed things that are important in Chinese culture. First, it is "Food". When Chinese meet each other, the first thing they ask is not " How are you ?" but "Have you eaten yet?" Chinese like to have meal together in order to have conflict resolve, and to do business.Then, it is " FACE" , everyone has to do their best in order to save face for their family name. Last, it is family getting together. Everyone wants their children to be the best in school, so that during family get together, they get to share how good their kids were.
I will have the students share with each other what Chinese food they have tried, and which is their favorite Chinese food. I will introduce different Chinese food, and have Chinese cooking class in the afternoon. I will cook Chinese sweet dumplings for Chinese New Year in one session, then cook Ma-Po Tofu in another session, introduce where tofu comes from, show them the parts of a soy bean plant, the roots, stem, leaves, beans, and each to their functions. In the third session, I will cook Chinese fry rice in the class, the students will learn about different Chinese utensils like the use of wok, the Chinese rice scraper, chopsticks, and etc. Students will learn good nutrition by using different vegetables, protein in eggs, and meat, and carbohydrates in rice.
edited by rliao on 6/21/2012
AnonymousI have seen this movie at least three times, befire and after having our seminar. It shows ciiy and home life in Taiwan. The film has heart, showing filial love, kindness, tenderness, romance, drama; and most of all, good food. A Widower living with his daughters, he is a master chef of a high class restaurant. He loves to prepare fantastic chinese food for his family and at work. At the end, he falls in love with a younger single mom and her little daughter, a school girl. The movie has a happy, tender ending. It makes you go craving for Chinese food.
AnonymousYes, I loved this movie. The "Have you eaten yet?" part reminds me of my Latino family and of course this is always a common groud that our students can use to identify with each other.
AnonymousThe moment at the end when the father is finally able to taste again is so incredibly touching. Ang Lee really does a wonderful job of weaving the happy moments with the melancholy ones.
AnonymousI have seen this film several times and along with The Wedding Banquet, it is one of my favorite Chinese films. The honest portrayals of trying and not succeeding in living up to the familial obligations and expectations is heartwarming. The acting is top notch in its restraint-- a nice refreshing change from the melodrama of Bollywood films I sometimes cannot resist watching.
AnonymousYes, the film's focus on food makes it hard to watch and not end up hungry by its end! And more importantly, the family dynamics and relationships that are made or broken over the meals in the course of the film and how food plays a central role in bringing people, more specifically families, together is universal. That's probably why the film's themes and plot were so translatable to the "Tortilla Soup" remake, which presented the story in the context of a Mexican-American family. When considering both films, it shows how regardless of geographical location, food preparation and process is inherent in all cultures (we all have to eat!) and is the culmination of communal efforts that bring people together. It's perfect for sparking a discussion in the classroom on tradition in a general sense and that of each student's family.
AnonymousThis film reminded me of Sunday meals with my parents. That was the one day that we all had to be home and eat as a family. I remember, just like the daughters in this film, how much I hated it at that time in my life. This film made me miss those times. Sure the food my parents made me was not even close to that exquisite but it was still special. This film could be a good tool in discussing family dynamics in the classroom.
AnonymousI showed a few minutes of the film in class specially to show the student what 'skill' looks like.
AnonymousI think this film does a great job of showing the dynamics of a typical Chinese family. Chinese families are not extremely communicative of their emotions. We don't tell each other that we love each other or that we miss each other. We don't verbally express our appreciation for each other or even encourage each other often. If anything, Chinese parents negatively harp on their kids too much. Chinese parents tend to show their love in different ways--food being one of them. The dad in this film shows his love for his daughters in the way he prepares dinner for them each week. My husband and I go over to his parents' house every Wednesday for family dinner and my mother-in-law always prepares at least 5 dishes, not including rice and soup. My father-in-law works most of the time so he's hardly around, but when he is free for family dinner, he goes all out and prepares at least 7 or 8 dishes! It's an insane amount of food for 5 people (2 parent-in-laws, 1 brother-in-law, husband, and myself). They don't ever tell my husband or brother-in-law that they love them or are proud of them for what they are doing in life--they show them by putting all this effort into making dinner for us.
AnonymousI saw this film a couple of years ago. What I remembered most was how happy I felt watching her father regain his taste for food....and life. I have begun in recent years to understand the importance of sharing meals together mostly due to the influence of the Chinese families I have come to know. When my children were small, we ate meals together but as they grew it became so much harder to get everyone together. When we are all in the kitchen and cleaning up together after a meal or they are bothering me for taste testing at the stove while I prepare, these are great times. I have asked them to commit to one day a month (the married one) where I can prepare a meal for all of the siblings to get together and stay connected. In this regard, the Chinese set a very good example for Western families to emulate.
AnonymousI have not seen this film, but after reading these reviews, I look forward to watching it.
Rob_Hugo@PortNWThis is an inspiring film about father-daughter relationships, family traditions, and life from the perspective of an motherless Chinese family.