116
407
15
2
5
2
7
9
3
11
1
1
1
1
2
4
7
4
9
What we have here, is a failure to communicate*
Pushing Hands was director Ang Lee’s first full length film. It was also the first in what critics have affectionately termed the “Father Knows Best” trilogy. Lee’s first three films (unrelated) focused on conflicts between modern children and their traditional fathers, all three films starred Lung Sihung as a father in the middle of familial tension. While entertaining, I found this film to be the weakest of the three.
The Chu family household has been set on edge ever since Alex’s seventy-year-old father moved into their home a month prior. Chu senior speaks no English and Alex’s wife, Martha, speaks no Mandarin. The young grandson, Jeremy, has been taking Chinese lessons after school and understands some of what his grandfather says. The wife and father-in-law are basically in a cold war. Mr Chu’s very presence disturbs Martha so much that she has developed writer’s block and has been unable to progress on her second book. One need not speak English to understand her irritated body language and hostile words. Alex ends up listening to both of their complaints at the dinner table, often at the same time, with English in one ear and Mandarin in the other. Mr. Chu is a tai chi master and teaches a class at the local continuing education facility while his grandson takes his Chinese class and Alex plays basketball. One evening, the Chinese cooking teacher, Mrs. Chen, purposefully moves her class into his large room in order to meet the older gentleman. Both discover that they are living in difficult family situations that are heading to a boil.
I struggled with the core conflict of this film with the open hostility Martha showed Mr. Chu. She mentioned that Alex barely spoke of his father for seven years and then “Boom! One month ago, this shows up on our doorstep.” Alex told his father it was his plan all along for him to come live with them. It sounds like he never brought that up with Martha. This is the type of conversation that needed to happen as the father’s arrival would have required some planning and cooperation. Martha’s work space could have been modified for more privacy and she could have taken evening classes with her son to better be able to speak with her FIL. Alex bringing his father over and hoping for the best left his father feeling alienated and his wife feeling resentful.
The film focused on a variety of gaps-language, cultural, generational, and modern vs traditional values. Mr. Chu might have been home and with family but it did not feel like home. Alex had videotaped Taiwanese movies for his father to watch, most of which he was uninterested in. Only the Chinese Opera appealed to him which decidedly did nothing for Martha’s frayed nerves. Mrs. Chen gave Mr. Chu someone he could relate to which both exasperated children used to try and manipulate to their advantage. The older people felt useless and isolated, unwanted in their children’s homes. In a land of material wealth, there was no room for them. As with his other father films, Ang Lee managed to salvage relationships even if they were still damaged. Parents and children grudgingly learned to adapt and find a way to balance their expectations and bonds. And there were those who learned the hard way to not mess with a seventy-year-old tai chi master. Not one of Ang Lee’s strongest films but still quite watchable.
4 June 2026
*Headline note: Quote from Cool Hand Luke
Golden note: 1991 Golden Horse Best Actor Award for Lung Sihung and Best Actress Award for Lai Wang. The acting for these two was significantly stronger than much of the rest of the cast.
Paternal Note: The three Ang Lee “Father Knows Best” films: Pushing Hands, The Wedding Banquet, and Eat Drink Man Woman.
The Chu family household has been set on edge ever since Alex’s seventy-year-old father moved into their home a month prior. Chu senior speaks no English and Alex’s wife, Martha, speaks no Mandarin. The young grandson, Jeremy, has been taking Chinese lessons after school and understands some of what his grandfather says. The wife and father-in-law are basically in a cold war. Mr Chu’s very presence disturbs Martha so much that she has developed writer’s block and has been unable to progress on her second book. One need not speak English to understand her irritated body language and hostile words. Alex ends up listening to both of their complaints at the dinner table, often at the same time, with English in one ear and Mandarin in the other. Mr. Chu is a tai chi master and teaches a class at the local continuing education facility while his grandson takes his Chinese class and Alex plays basketball. One evening, the Chinese cooking teacher, Mrs. Chen, purposefully moves her class into his large room in order to meet the older gentleman. Both discover that they are living in difficult family situations that are heading to a boil.
I struggled with the core conflict of this film with the open hostility Martha showed Mr. Chu. She mentioned that Alex barely spoke of his father for seven years and then “Boom! One month ago, this shows up on our doorstep.” Alex told his father it was his plan all along for him to come live with them. It sounds like he never brought that up with Martha. This is the type of conversation that needed to happen as the father’s arrival would have required some planning and cooperation. Martha’s work space could have been modified for more privacy and she could have taken evening classes with her son to better be able to speak with her FIL. Alex bringing his father over and hoping for the best left his father feeling alienated and his wife feeling resentful.
The film focused on a variety of gaps-language, cultural, generational, and modern vs traditional values. Mr. Chu might have been home and with family but it did not feel like home. Alex had videotaped Taiwanese movies for his father to watch, most of which he was uninterested in. Only the Chinese Opera appealed to him which decidedly did nothing for Martha’s frayed nerves. Mrs. Chen gave Mr. Chu someone he could relate to which both exasperated children used to try and manipulate to their advantage. The older people felt useless and isolated, unwanted in their children’s homes. In a land of material wealth, there was no room for them. As with his other father films, Ang Lee managed to salvage relationships even if they were still damaged. Parents and children grudgingly learned to adapt and find a way to balance their expectations and bonds. And there were those who learned the hard way to not mess with a seventy-year-old tai chi master. Not one of Ang Lee’s strongest films but still quite watchable.
4 June 2026
*Headline note: Quote from Cool Hand Luke
Golden note: 1991 Golden Horse Best Actor Award for Lung Sihung and Best Actress Award for Lai Wang. The acting for these two was significantly stronger than much of the rest of the cast.
Paternal Note: The three Ang Lee “Father Knows Best” films: Pushing Hands, The Wedding Banquet, and Eat Drink Man Woman.
Was this review helpful to you?
