Vox Nova at the Movies: The Joy Luck Club

I thought I would take a little break from politics to talk about one of my favorite movies of all time, the adaptation of Amy Tan’s The Joy Luck Club. This might seem a strange choice, especially for someone notoriously averse to breezy romantic movies and other productions that get dubbed with the rather dubious title “chick flick”. Nor am I given to displays of emotion, and yet I can say sincerely that I have not yet watched this movie without it inducing a tear or two. Put simply, it is one of the most sensitive and beautiful movies ever made. The dialogue is simply serene. And although it cannot be really regarded as a Christian movie, I would argue that is suffused with themes of hope, grace, and redemption.

The story is straightforward, almost too convenient in its set up. It is about the relationship between four close friends, Chinese immigrants to the United States, and their daughters. As the movie progresses, we learn more about the lives of the women before they left China. They all suffered immensely, having lived through some of the great upheavals in China during the early twentieth century. And they came to America, passing much of this “baggage” (to use a convenient but slightly unsatisfactory term) to their daughters. The core of the movie is how about how the younger generation, especially June –the main protagonist– overcome this rupture, ultimately deriving strength from their families. The movie ends with June returning to China to meet her half-sisters she believed her mother had callously abandoned as infants at the side of the road. At the end of the day, it is really about family.

The scene below is the famous “best quality” sequence. It is quite long, but the first half is mostly set up. The center of the scene is a Chinese New Year’s dinner, hosted by June’s mother. During the conversation, June is humiliated by her more successful friend Waverly, who is told she is not good enough to make it in their publishing business. June’s self-worth is given a further blow when her mother seems to side with Waverly, saying that June simply doesn’t have much style and “must be born that way.” On one level, this seems like an affirmation of the very traditional Chinese concepts of fate and destiny that cannot be altered. But then comes the follow up, in the kitchen after the dinner as June confronts her mother for her perceived treachery. Listen to the rest. Listen to how the word “hope” is used. And listen to how June’s mother re-uses the “must be born this way”. Beautiful.