White on Rice (2009)

45% of critics liked it
(11 reviews)
48% of users liked it
(1,129 ratings)

A divorced 40-year-old man-child falls for his brother-in-law's pretty niece in writer/director Dave Boyle's lighthearted follow-up to his 2006 feature debut, Big Dreams Little Tokyo. On the heels of his divorce, Jimmy (Hiroshi Watanabe) moves in with his sister Aiko (Yuki Nae) and her family. He's… More A divorced 40-year-old man-child falls for his brother-in-law's pretty niece in writer/director Dave Boyle's lighthearted follow-up to his 2006 feature debut, Big Dreams Little Tokyo. On the heels of his divorce, Jimmy (Hiroshi Watanabe) moves in with his sister Aiko (Yuki Nae) and her family. He's determined to get back on his feet, and attempts to make the best out of the fact that he'll be sharing a room with his ten-year-old nephew, Bob (Justin Kwong), for the time being. Soon thereafter, Jimmy's brother-in-law, Tak (Mio Takada), announces that his niece Ramona (Lynn Chen) will also be coming to stay with the family for a while. Immediately smitten with the lovely Ramona, Jimmy becomes convinced that the two can start a happy new life together. Unfortunately for Jimmy, Ramona is currently involved with his best friend, Tim (James Kyson Lee), and Tak can't wait to have his developmentally arrested, dinosaur-obsessed brother-in-law out of his family's hair for good. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: PG-13, 1 hr. 26 min.
Directed By: Dave Boyle
Written By: Dave Boyle, Joel Clark
Genres: Comedy

In Theaters: Sep 11, 2009 Wide
On DVD: Mar 1, 2010
Studio: Variance Films

Critic Reviews

Mike Hale, New York Times
Bland and only occasionally funny.
Walter V. Addiego, San Francisco Chronicle
A cockeyed tale about a Japanese nebbish in suburban America, White on Rice will wring some laughs out of anyone but the most humor-impaired.
Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times
Wan, trite and increasingly silly.
David Noh, Film Journal International
...what we mostly get here, unfortunately, is...akin to an Asian minstrel show.
Aaron Hillis, Time Out New York
Watanabe's performance sucks any remaining sweetness right out of this fish-out-of-water comedy; you're ready to call the police once he starts stalking his hot cousin.
Fernando F. Croce, Slant Magazine
If nothing else, White on Rice proves that Napoleon Dynamite's gawk-at-the-spaz routine doesn't sound any more endearing in garbled Engrish.
Jeff Vice, Deseret News, Salt Lake City
Unfortunately, the main character of this unfunny comedy is never endearing, he's just an irritant. So we're not all that interested in his personal and professional plights.
Kam Williams, Sly Fox
A hilarious slice-of-life flick offering a unique take on Japanese-American culture adding up to one of the funniest films of the year thus far.
Sara Maria Vizcarrondo, Boxoffice Magazine
A wry and playful indie.
Chuck Wilson, L.A. Weekly
White on Rice glows with warmth.White on Rice glows with warmth.
Brian Orndorf, BrianOrndorf.com
Bursts with creative energy and stupendous execution, continuously generating colossal laughs as it arranges a colorful bouquet of insecurities and absurdity. It's a divine motion picture.

Read all 11 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Byron B

A kind of 40 year old virgin with a mostly Japanese cast. All the best bits were in the trailer. The hour and a half run time adds nothing but awkwardness. This is an example of a quirky independent flick going too far over the edge.