The Joy Luck Club

the characters are all strong and meaningful, each having their own place in the large web of stories that are told as the film unfolds.....portrayed a strong picture of the hardship faced by  women in China, compared to the reasonably "safer" upbringing found in America..... ... Full Review

the characters are all strong and meaningful, each having their own place in the large web of stories that are told as the film unfolds.....portrayed a strong picture of the hardship faced by women in China, compared to the reasonably "safer" upbringing found in America..... ... Full Review

The movie is fairly realistic when compared to other legends that have been adapted into movies by Disney. Ming-wa, who did a superb job playing the lead in Buena Vista´s "The Joy Luck Club", gives Mulan a sense of sophistication, playfulness, and gumption. ... Full Review

LuLing's adventuresome, tragic story is effortlessly dramatic, perhaps....a much better writer.... ... Full Review

Loaded with heart, filled with life and completely entertaining, "The Joy Luck Club" is based on Amy Tan's best-seller, directed by Wayne Wang, with a screenplay by Tan and Ronald Bass ("Rain Man"). This rich and fully dimensional ensemble character study also boasts a first-rate cast of entrancing performers. ... Full Review

The Joy Luck Club " is like a flowering of talent that has been waiting so long to be celebrated. In a screenplay remarkable for its complexity and force, " The Joy Luck Club " moves effortlessly between past and present, between what was, and how it became what is. ... Full Review

To borrow a term, "The Joy Luck Club" is about culture wars -- not the ongoing conflict between angry conservative Americans and angry liberal Americans, but the battle between actual cultures as different as night and day. Perhaps the best explanation of the problem comes at the beginning of the play, when four hopeful mothers explain their dreams for their daughters. ... Full Review

From Hollywood to Hanoi introduces a promising new filmmaker with powerful subject matter. Billed as the first American film about Vietnam actually shot in that country, the footage is, indeed, quite remarkable. ... Full Review

The dialogue is often too poetic to be real....The Joy Luck Club tells of the varied difficulties and tragedies involved in these mother/daughter relationships.....while The Joy Luck Club most often successfully navigates the tightrope, there are times when it slips and comes across as heavy-handed.....It's as easy to accept both a little girl and the beautiful, sophisticated-looking Tamlyn Tomita as Waverly.... ... Full Review

For that alone, the movie is valuable. Its quite a movie: a character story that thrives on an enthralling narrative, universal emotions, and little else. Amy Tan -- she wrote the book -- and co-writer Ronald Bass, their dialogue feels natural. ... Full Review