A Whole Lotta' Heart

Last updated on: November 14, 2007 at 5:09 pm by J. Ryan Parker

A Whole Lotta' Heart 2007-11-14T17:09:04-08:00 J. Ryan Parker

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The career path of a filmmaker or actor is often an interesting thing to track. The choices of what films to direct or what roles to play reveal something of the filmmaker or actor’s artistic abilities, desires, or, in some cases, financial necessities. I doubt that many directors have experienced the creative arc that Chinese-American filmmaker Wayne Wang has. Many viewers may not recognize his name, but they will certainly remember a few of his recent films, Maid in Manhattan (2002), Because of Winn-Dixie (2005), and Last Holiday (2006). However, before you start to think of him as only a director of cheesy, family-friendly films, we should look at his earlier films and the birth of a career that held much artistic promise. While his first film, Chan is Missing (1982), might be his biggest critical success and The Joy Luck Club (1993) his most well-known film, I would like to consider a film that fell in between the two, his 1985 production, Dim Sum: A Little Bit of Heart.

Dim Sum tells the story of the Tam family, a Chinese-American family living in San Francisco. Wang specifically focuses on the relationship between Geraldine and her mother. The widowed Mrs. Tam desperately wants Geraldine to marry her boyfriend Richard, yet Geraldine still feels bound to her mother with whom she lives because no one else will take care of her. Geraldine’s siblings, though moving in and out of the film, are basically out of the picture in terms of parental caretaking: her brother Kevin has his own family now and her sister Amy apparently has experienced some marginalization from the family, although we never are told why (perhaps the presence of her African American or mixed-race child has something to do with this). Other characters make up this family including Mrs. Tam’s brother-in-law (Uncle Tam), their neighbor Auntie Mary, and Geraldine’s friend Julie.

There is not much to speak of in the way of the film’s plot as it rather unassumingly dwells on conversations between the characters, most of which center on whether or not Geraldine will marry Richard. Thus, Wang centers his film on this traditional Chinese family and its intersection with the American culture in which it is situated. How will traditional family values such as the meal ritual, children and parents’ responsibility to one another, the marriage ritual, etc. stand up against a culture that encourages individuality, independence, and fast food meals? Wang is certainly critical of the traditional emphasis on familial responsibility, especially when it places such pressure on Geraldine. In this troubled daughter, Wang offers a character caught in a lose-lose situation: she will either sacrifice her life to care for her mother or she will sacrifice it in her marriage to Richard. Mrs. Tam’s pet birds, constantly chirping throughout the film, are an appropriate symbol for the entrapment that her own daughter feels.

Given the independent nature of this film, there is much to be desired technically, especially the film’s sound quality which fluctuates constantly. However, in Dim Sum, Wang reveals a genius for composition and editing. There is not a wasted transition in this film, and while Wang’s paused shots of empty scenes in between character interaction might be frustratng to Western sensibilities, they are truly a beauty to behold. These peaceful moments not only allow for reflection on previous scenes, but also carry much weight on their own, often signifying themes of presence and absence. What happens when Geraldine briefly leaves her mother? What happens to the family when Mrs. Tam leaves to pay her last respects in China? All of the comings and goings throughout the film are challenges to the family structure that Mrs. Tam hopes to hold together.

Many critics are quick to question Wang’s career path, citing a vanished promise from his earlier films to his most recent. Of course, this implies some elitist or at least hierarchical understanding of filmmaking that could be endlessly debated. This much can be certain: Wang’s Dim Sum demands repeated viewings for its subtle beauty and peaceful rhythm. Maybe I will rent Because of Winn Dixie after all.

Film

Previous Post

November 11, 2007

Beyond Everything...

Next Post

November 20, 2007 Dispatches from AAR...Take 1

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Classics DVD Film Music News Pop Culture Events Print Sports Television Uncategorized Video Games

Select a Month March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What city was Job from?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Edom Susa Uz Shiloh