MovieChat Forums > The Joy Luck Club (1993) Discussion > Why did ppl find it so touching??

Why did ppl find it so touching??

posted 19 years ago by TAthena
16 replies | jump to latest

I couldn't stand this movie, or the book. The movie is even worse because it tries to make you more sypathetic towards the main characters.
The movie had a bad script...the acting was abit ridiculous. Ex: Ying Ying at home, hubby marches in with prostitute, she smashes the plate and runs up to "stab" him, she has no anger in her face, she has no emotion in her face, she just stands there like an idiot. Another thing about Ying Yingwhat she goes through and who she turns out to be don't even go together! I'll refer to the book now: when she was a little girl, she went to see the moon lady to tell her of her wish, she then finds out that the Moon Lady is in fact a Man. A chinese belief adn tradition is now shatttered in front of her, and yet she turns out to be the most superstitous woman of the group?! What gives? She also is a selfish, self-pittying mess(in the movie). She didn't have to marry that guy,but She didn't even try not to get married to him, and then its all woe-is-me-my-husband-is-a-bad-man trip. So what does she do, she has an abortion. Or in the movie (which makes me even more mad) she lets her baby drowned in the bath because she was soo busy feeling sorry for herself! And then in the movie they don't even claify if it was on purpose or not because she says "i took from him the only thing I could", yet then she is surprised that her baby died!
Another thing, in the movie she says "he took my innosence.." He did not take her innosence for Christsakes, she slept with him because she wanted to. I do not feel any sympathy for this woman.

Then, there is her Daughter. OH no, GodForbid your marriage gets stuck on a financial "sharing" system that YOU agreed to in the first place. Oh, what a monster your husband must be to have you pay half of everything you two buy. That was the only problem in the book, the movie REALLY Exaggerates this.
Instead of going ahead and addressing the Real problem in the marriage, the fact that they don't love eachother anymore, we have to dance around this idea of money systems and sharing and this crap that is supposed to be the real fall of the relationship...plus the fact that the movie make Harold a complete *beep* ITS NOT A THAT BIG OF A PROBLEM. All she had to say was "Harold, this money system isn't working for me any more", or "Harold, I don't feel the way I did _____ years ago." But no, she has to whine. She has to act like a helpless woman in a marriage crisis.

(there is much more to come, i'll post more later)

"Me? Jewish? I don't even like Barbra Streisand."~ Tobias Beecher

[–] TAthena 19 years ago

does anyone here have a freakin opinion or What?

"Me? Jewish? I don't even like Barbra Streisand."~ Tobias Beecher

[–] jmim-1 16 years ago

Yeah, TAthena, I have an opinion, but I wouldn't waste it on someone so shallow that they couldn't appreciate this book or movie, especially considering the cynical nature of your comments.

[–] tesskrit 16 years ago

"Yeah, TAthena, I have an opinion, but I wouldn't waste it on someone so shallow that they couldn't appreciate this book or movie, especially considering the cynical nature of your comments."

to : jmim-1
You took the words right out of my mouth ... er ... fingers ... whatever ... :-) you know what I mean :-)

[–] coolsteph36 18 years ago

I read the book and the movie and it hits close to home for me. The book is about Chinese mothers and their daughters trying to understand each other. Each of the stories have a special meaning whether it's the mom's teaching one daugther that she didn't need to give her husband special things. Because all that showed was She wasn't worthy of his love.

Why this movie hit close to home for me was because that I have a bad love life. I felt like the daughter who would give her husband stuff, saying his love was worth more than mine. I've lost alot of relationships like that.

As for June I know how she feels. My mom wants me to do all these things. Get married, have kids...stuff like that but I can't deliver on those. But I know by this movie that she just hopes these things for me and that's nothing wrong. But it helps me understand that my mom is like June's mom she does see me and even if I never deliver on her hopes she'll still see me.

Anyway this is just my opinion so please respect it. I respect yours. I know that I can't change your mind and you can't change mine.

[–] TAthena 18 years ago

uh, wow, that really sucks....damn..

"Me? Jewish? I don't even like Barbra Streisand."~ Tobias Beecher

[–] coolsteph36 18 years ago

It's not for everyone. Some people like some hate it. It's just how it goes with movies.

[–] k7588551 18 years ago

there is nothing to say ....
nobody's opinions will make a bland man like it

they nevr die who die in a great cause

[–] beer_lager 18 years ago

TAthena, THANK YOU. It's completely ridiculous how these Asian women react to circumstances, and it is equally ridiculous how negatively portrayed the Asian men were depicted in this film. By the way, the cheap husband is written as White in the book, but in the film they make him Asian and a complete douchebag. Also, when the White men in the film do equally if not more horrible things, the Asian women somehow work it in their heads to stay with them. This movie is hypocritical, sends an extremely damaging message, and also doesn't make sense. My theory is that Amy Tan is a self-hating, Asian female Uncle Tom.

.

[–] kendrachiong 18 years ago

HEY! the reason why this book and movie was important to us because it's EXACTLY how it goes down for us poor children of asian immigrants living in the US. I would have to say it's just true. at least 1/3 of my aunts and female cousins are married to white guys who have no clue what's going on. and its kinda cute.

isaiah 53:5

[–] Molly-31 16 years ago

It's not the financial sharing. It's his attitude. You get yourself stuck in a relationship with an anal-retentive jerk and then let's hear you snark.

"Forty-one dollars." "Oh, total?" "Each. What's the matter? *snerking* You don't have it?" "Oh, no, I was just never that good at math, tee hee" meanwhile saying to herself "So what if I had a salad and he had three courses -- so what if I work in his firm and he pays himself seven times what he pays me. Seven and a half."

That whole relationship can be summed up right there. That, and where he comes in and says "Lena, when you buy charcoal, you have to buy lighter fluid. Don't you know that yet? Do I have to remind you every time?" and she hands him the lighter fluid as if he has every right to talk to her that way. Instead of just saying "Lena, where's the lighter fluid?" Or better yet, looking for it himself.

Keep in mind that Lena had no "spirit" by which her mother meant no self-respect. She thought Harold was the best she could do. That's why she acted like that. Same reason I did.

[–] nightshadedespair 16 years ago

This movie focuses on relationships between Mothers and Daughters, and it can apply to ANYONE, not just Asians. I was so close to my mom. She died last year. I have this movie in my collection but haven't been able to watch it since she died. We both loved this movie. We could relate to it and our own relationship. I am adopted but she couldn't be more my mother than the one threw me away!

This movie made us a little closer each time we watched it. I think it's a great mom/daughter movie!

[–] rosiekinns 16 years ago

Same here, nightshadedespair. My mom died last year, and this movie always gets to me. I relate to Jun and Waverly the most. Watching it is always an emotional, cathartic experience.

[–] 16 years ago

[deleted]

[–] bgbdsuisue 15 years ago

apparantly a lot of people didn't agree with you, and a lot of people did find it touching regardless of your points. the movie and book sold so many copies, they have both been recommended by numerous people. why dont u watch it again with an open mind and try to find the touching events in it instead of the reasons to complain. im guessing your either very young, very ignorant, or u have no children. all mothers and daughters are selfish and make good and bad desicions, if you have childeren u would know that.
Thanks for hating, I needed to get to 214 haters before the summer.

[–] FascistFashion 15 years ago

I know how *beep* selfish mothers can be. Trust me, mine has meth problem. Is it ignorant to point out the fact that the movie wasn't true to the book in certain parts? Is it ignorant to point out the fact that there is some really bad acting in that movie? and really bad dialogue? "the babies are alive!!" *hands over papers* *she reads quickly* "you mean to tell me that the babies are alive?!" "Yes, the babies are alive!" Wow.

All i'm saying is, if you want to me to feel sorry for you, you better come up with something better than "ohh, I was just so depressed I let my baby drown..but really it was 'cuz i hated my husband...but it was an accident..."?

I have a lot of amazing older women in my life who dealt with *beep* husbands, *beep* fathers, grew up poor, the works, and I feel like this story is more of an insult to them than in praise of. The women that I know didn't go "woe is me", they got their *beep* together, and sure, they weren't always a ray of sunshine, but I feel like the book/movie was such a whinefest and for what?

Seriously, what were the lessons of this depressfest?
I'll be honest, it's been a long time since I read it, so refresh my memory if you have nothing better to do (i kno i don't, haha).

bgbdsuisue, thnx for keepin the thread alive, can't pass up a good argument!

[–] bgbdsuisue 15 years ago

wow your sensitive, i guess you really felt the need to get your opinion out there, didn't mean to downgrade your opinion. I felt it touching, and i did feel bad for her. I cannot imagine what kind of guilt comes from drowning my own child.... even if she did it to herself, i still feel awful for her. I never read the book so i don't care how it differs from the movie, all i know, is I have a daughter, and this movie made me cry. I would rather find the touching parts in it than break it down and feel like i wasted 2 hours. BTW your mom might be selfish and there's no excuse, i don't know her. But when u r a parent u will see that YOU will also make some selfish decisions. then maybe u should watch the movie again, after you understand there is no rule book to parenting and everyone screws their kid up in one way or another.
Thanks for hating, I needed to get to 214 haters before the summer.