Ming Ding (Charles Jang) is an illegal Chinese immigrant who works in a small Chinese food shop as a take-out deliveryman. He has come to America with dreams of making a lot of money to send home to his wife and child. But Ming Ding made the mistake of borrowing money from those who smuggled him into the country. Now they have demanded the payment of $800 by the end of the day.

Luckily, Ming Ding has a friend who comes up with an idea that will help him to achieve his goal. Young (Jeng-Hua Yu), the other deliveryman, is willing to give him all the assignments for the day. He also gives his buddy a lesson in smiling and saying thank you in order to get a higher tip.

New York City is a tense place when it rains: drivers honk their horns impatiently, cars splash the water from potholes on pedestrians, and anyone on a bicycle is bound to get drenched. But Ming Ding is on a mission, and so he begins the deliveries. He must contend with rude customers, those who treat him shabbily for bringing the wrong food, and penurious apartment dwellers who give small tips. And then, of course, there is the roar of the city with the loud noises made by car alarms and ambulance and police car sirens.

Sean Baker and Shih-Ching Tsou have made a gritty film about the struggle to survive in New York City by one determined young man on a lousy and pressure-filled day. Ming Ding is one of the many invisible people in a metropolis upon whom apartment dwellers depend for essential services. Seeing Ming Ding trying to raise the money he needs while dealing with a flat tire, a cook's gossip, his poor English, and the grueling schedule of a 12-hour work day ought to send shudders up the spines of all viewers. Watching him, we feel our hearts going out to all immigrants at the bottom of the income ladder who are animated by a deep yearning to make a better life for themselves and their loved ones.


Special DVD features include an audio commentary with directors Sean Baker and Shih-Ching Tsou and actor Charles Jang; cast and crew interviews; two deleted scenes; Charles Jang's audition for Ming Ding; and a stills gallery.