Film Review

By Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat

Pushing Hands
Directed by Ang Lee
Image Entertainment, Inc. 06/95 DVD/VHS Feature Film
Not Rated

Pushing Hands is a cross-cultural masterpiece by the director of The Wedding Banquet and Eat Drink Man Woman.

After escaping from the rigors of life in China, Mr. Chu (Sihung Lung), a tai chi master, settles down in the United States with his son Alex (Bo Z. Wang). However, his lifestyle bothers Alex's wife (Deb Snyder) who works at home as a writer. Tensions in the household force Mr. Chu to find a place of his own, not without some comic misadventures along the way.

Writer and director Ang Lee beautifully conveys the difficulty this ascetic Easterner has in adapting to the consumer culture of the West. The film is enhanced by its discerning look at the spiritual potencies of tai chi, the Chinese ethic of filial relations, and the complications of father-son relationships.

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by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat