451 - Eat Drink Man Woman, Taiwan, 1994. Dir. Ang Lee.

Tuesday, March 27, 2018

451 - Eat Drink Man Woman, Taiwan, 1994.  Dir. Ang Lee.

Three Sisters.

No, this is not Anton Chekhov but Ang Lee.

On the other hand, perhaps you will find some similarities.

Jia-Jen is the oldest.  She works as a schoolteacher.

Dear God, please bring luck to our family.  We are happy to have God in our hearts.  And thank you so much for this terrific dinner.  And thank you again for bringing our family together with happiness.  In the name of Jesus Christ, thank you.  Amen.

Jia-Jen prays before the Sunday dinner.

The Chu family has dinner every Sunday.  Chu is a master chef.  He prepares great meals in great kitchens in Taipei..  Banquets for dignitaries.

He also prepares great meals every week in his home.  At least they are to him.  He is losing his taste buds, and his daughters, who have grown up on his excellence, begin to notice.

When Jia-Chen mentions that the ham is oversmoked, it creates family drama.

The three sisters come home and eat.  And share their lives.  And do not share their secrets.

Three generations of women join them some Sundays.  Single mother Jin-Rong.  Her daughter Shan-Shan.  And her mother Mrs. Liang.

This creates more drama.  Mrs. Liang is pursuing Chu, who has been widowed for sixteen years, but he may have a surprise for all of them in the end.

And because he is a master chef, he prepares great meals for Shan-Shan at school.  Her mother Jin-Rong sends her lunch with her, but Chu shows up with five courses.  The first time, the children laugh and gather round.  But before long, they have Shan-Shan turning in a menu for Chu, and he is making lunch for everyone.

He in turn eats the lunches Jin-Rong sends with Shan-Shan.  When she finds out, she is overwhelmed.  And embarrassed that he is eating her cooking.  He says no worries.  He is losing his taste buds anyway.

Jia-Jen has been mourning for nine years a break-up she had with the love of her life, Li Kai.  Li Kai now works at the airlines with Jia-Jen's sister Jia-Chen.

Jia-Chen is the middle sister.  In the beginning of the film she has the most going for her.  She works at headquarters of the airlines and is being recommended for a promotion to the Amsterdam office.  Her boss says the men who have been sent over have all been idiots.  So he has recommended her for the job.

She has also inherited her father's culinary skills.

Jia-Ning is the youngest.  She works at Wendy's while attending college, and she watches as her friend Rachel strings along a young man named Guo Lun.

Rachel believes she is playing hard to get.  Guo Lun believes Rachel does not love him.  He pines over her.  He shares his heartache with Jia-Ning.  Jia-Ning is there for him.  Guo Lun begins to feel for Jia-Ning.  Rachel has overplayed her hand.

A new volleyball coach, Chou Ming-Dao, enters into Jia-Jen's life.

The rising airline executive, Li Kai, enters into Jia-Chen's life.  She will then learn his side of the story with her sister nine years ago.

Jia-Chen also has her ex-lover, now close friend, Raymond, to talk to.

And Guo Lun enters into Jia-Ning's life when he confides in her about Rachel.

All of these relationships affect the family at Sunday dinner, and their lives change as Taiwan changes.  Old traditions are fading.  New ones are arising.  Times change and people learn to change with them.  Or not.

Chu observes that just as Beethoven could compose masterworks while being deaf, so can he compose great meals without taste buds.

"Good sound is not in the ear.  Good taste is not in the mouth."

His friend and fellow master chef then asks him where good sex is, implying if it is likewise not in the body.

Chu replies, "God knows where."

"Eat, drink, man, woman.  Basic human desires.  Can't avoid them.  All my life, every day, that's all I've ever done. . . . Is that all there is to life?"

"We should be thankful that we're still alive and cooking."

The lives of all four family members take turns that we do not expect.  Surprises are revealed at Sunday dinner.

And life moves on.


"You're pregnant?"
"Nonsense!  Of course not!  It's just that we couldn't wait."


"He's not Christian."
"He will be."


"I think we can be really good friends."
"Sure."
"Then, good friends?"
"Good friends."


"Our love was secret until now."


"Mom?"
"Loosen her collar!"
"Don't touch me!"


"Are you crazy?"
"I'm not crazy.  I know exactly what I'm doing."


"Do you believe that Jesus Christ has forgiven your sins and made you a new person?"
"Yes."


"You can taste?"
"I can taste it."
"Some more.  Please"


"Daughter."
"Dad."