Eat a Bowl of Tea (1989)
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45% of users liked it
(1,192 ratings)
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… More 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 Ben Loy, a young man who decides not to marry the bride picked out for him, but a girl of his own choice, Mei Oi (played by Cora Miao). The film tackles several issues, including Mei's difficulty in assimilation, Ben'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. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Directed By
- Wayne Wang
- Genres
- Comedy, Romance
PG-13,
- In Theaters
- Jul 21, 1989 Wide
- Studio
- Sony Pictures Entertainment
Critic Reviews
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Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
Though not as witty as Chan Is Missing and not as touching as Dim Sum, Wayne Wang's Eat Bowl of Tea relates a little known story of the Chinese-American community, putting on screen characters seldom seen in mainstream American movies.
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Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
Pleasant but unexciting ethnic comedy/romance set in NYC's Chinatown in 1949.
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Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice
Eat a Bowl of Tea explores the pressures put on two newlyweds in Chinatown to meet the expectations of their community.
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Cast
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Cora Miao
as Mei Oi
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Russell Wong
as Ben Loy
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Victor Wong
as Wah Gay
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Lee Sau Kee
as Bok Fat
- Eric Tsang
- Jessica Harper
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Wai Ching Ho
as Song Ah
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Lan Law
as Aunt Gim
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Lau Siu Ming
as Lee Gong
- Lydia Shum
- Hui Fun
- Philip Chan
- Siu-Ming Lau
- Yuen Fat Fai
