Eat Drink Man Woman
Encyclopedia
Eat Drink Man Woman is a Taiwanese film
directed by Ang Lee
and starring Sihung Lung
, Yu-wen Wang, Chien-lien Wu, Kuei-mei Yang. Many of the cast had starred in Ang Lee's previous film, The Wedding Banquet
with Sihung Lung and Ah Lei Gua once more playing central elderly figures, and Winston Chao
. The film was released on August 3, 1994.
The film was a critical success, and the 2001 film Tortilla Soup
was a re-make of the film.
, Taiwan. At the start of the film, he lives with his three attractive daughters, all of whom are unattached. The three daughters are:
As the film progresses, each daughter encounters new men. When these new relationships blossom, their roles are broken and the living situation within the family changes.
at 67th Academy Awards
. It was also nominated for Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film
.
The film features numerous scenes displaying the technique and artistry of gourmet Chinese cuisine
. Since the family members have difficulty expressing their love for one another, the intricate preparation of banquet quality dishes for their Sunday dinners serves as a surrogate for the spoken expression of their familial feelings.
Another theme is the burden of aging. Chef Chu is depicted as having lost his "one true love" (his wife), losing another (his ability to taste) and about to lose two daughters to marriage, not to mention the usual spectre of old age.
, reviewing for The New York Times
, praised Li as “a warmly engaging storyteller.” She wrote, "Wonderfully seductive, and nicely knowing about all of its characters' appetites, 'Eat Drink Man Woman' makes for an uncomplicatedly pleasant experience." The film received a favorable rating of 94% on the film review website Rotten Tomatoes
.
Cinema of Taiwan
The history of Chinese-language cinema has three separate threads of development: Cinema of Hong Kong, Cinema of Mainland China and Cinema of Taiwan . Taiwanese cinema grew up outside of the Hong Kong mainstream and the censorship of the People's Republic of China.Taiwanese cinema is deeply rooted...
directed by Ang Lee
Ang Lee
Ang Lee is a Taiwanese film director. Lee has directed a diverse set of films such as Eat Drink Man Woman , Sense and Sensibility , Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon , Hulk , and Brokeback Mountain , for which he won an Academy...
and starring Sihung Lung
Sihung Lung
Sihung Lung was an actor in the cinema of Taiwan who appeared in over 100 films and was best known for playing paternal roles in films including Eat Drink Man Woman and The Wedding Banquet...
, Yu-wen Wang, Chien-lien Wu, Kuei-mei Yang. Many of the cast had starred in Ang Lee's previous film, The Wedding Banquet
The Wedding Banquet
The Wedding Banquet is a 1993 film about a gay Taiwanese immigrant man who marries a mainland Chinese woman to placate his parents and get her a green card. His plan backfires when his parents arrive in the United States to plan his wedding banquet....
with Sihung Lung and Ah Lei Gua once more playing central elderly figures, and Winston Chao
Winston Chao
Winston Chao Wen-Hsuan is a Taiwanese actor. He came to international attention for his performance in the 1993 film The Wedding Banquet...
. The film was released on August 3, 1994.
The film was a critical success, and the 2001 film Tortilla Soup
Tortilla Soup
Tortilla Soup is a 2001 American comedy-drama film directed by Maria Ripoll. The screenplay by Tom Musca, Ramón Menéndez, and Vera Blasi is based on the film Eat Drink Man Woman, which was written by Hui-Ling Wang, Ang Lee, and James Schamus.-Plot:...
was a re-make of the film.
Plot
This film tells the story of a semi-retired and widowed Chinese master chef at the Taipei Grand Hotel. Chef Chu (Sihung Lung) and his family are living in modern day TaipeiTaipei
Taipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...
, Taiwan. At the start of the film, he lives with his three attractive daughters, all of whom are unattached. The three daughters are:
- Jia-Jen, the oldest one (Kuei-Mei Yang), a school teacher nursing a broken heart
- Jia-Chien, the middle one (Chien-lien Wu), a career woman
- Jia-Ning, the youngest one (Yu-Wen Wang), a twenty year old
As the film progresses, each daughter encounters new men. When these new relationships blossom, their roles are broken and the living situation within the family changes.
Awards
The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language FilmAcademy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
The Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film is one of the Academy Awards of Merit, popularly known as the Oscars, handed out annually by the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences...
at 67th Academy Awards
67th Academy Awards
The 67th Academy Awards, honoring the best films of 1994, were held on March 27, 1995 at the Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles, California. They were hosted by well-known comedian and talk show host David Letterman....
. It was also nominated for Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film
Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film
The Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film is one of the awards presented at the Golden Globes, an American film awards ceremony.Until 1986, it was known as the Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Film, meaning that any non-American film could be honoured...
.
Themes
A major theme of the movie is that romantic relationships give life meaning and are necessities of life (such as eating and drinking).The film features numerous scenes displaying the technique and artistry of gourmet Chinese cuisine
Chinese cuisine
Chinese cuisine is any of several styles originating in the regions of China, some of which have become highly popular in other parts of the world – from Asia to the Americas, Australia, Western Europe and Southern Africa...
. Since the family members have difficulty expressing their love for one another, the intricate preparation of banquet quality dishes for their Sunday dinners serves as a surrogate for the spoken expression of their familial feelings.
Another theme is the burden of aging. Chef Chu is depicted as having lost his "one true love" (his wife), losing another (his ability to taste) and about to lose two daughters to marriage, not to mention the usual spectre of old age.
Critical Reception
Janet MaslinJanet Maslin
Janet Maslin is an American journalist, best known as a film and literary critic for The New York Times. She served as the Times film critic from 1977–1999.- Biography :...
, reviewing for The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, praised Li as “a warmly engaging storyteller.” She wrote, "Wonderfully seductive, and nicely knowing about all of its characters' appetites, 'Eat Drink Man Woman' makes for an uncomplicatedly pleasant experience." The film received a favorable rating of 94% on the film review website Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
.
Trivia
- The title is an old expression elaborating two main desires in human nature - "to eat and drink and to have sex", contemplated upon by Chu with his long-time friend while both were inebriated.
- This was the first film Ang Lee made in Taiwan