Rating: 
Summary: Read the book first
Review: I must say that after reading the book, I was greatly compelled to buy the video. I have never regretted since. The video really brings out the angst of each character. The book has more feeling in it than the movie itself. But then again, that's as much as the cameras can do as well as the actors can portray. Thus I recommend the book as a guide to watching the video, so read it first. It truly comes in handy sometimes.
Rating:
Summary: Lacks the books vibrant spirit, but good.
Review: The movie version was great. It brought to life the harsh lives of the women depicted in the novel, but lacked much of the books strong passion. The book was very compelling and enjoyable. The movie was also, but not so as much as the book. If you're interested, read the book first, then watch the movie. It will help you follow the movie more closely. END
Rating: 
Summary: This is not only about being Chinese
Review: Plenty of people have pointed out the movie's good points but beyond the mother - daughter theme that is so wonderfully dealt with, this movie is also about the immigrant experience. In this world today, so many people immigrate and must contend with the difficult process of watching their children grow up in another culture - wonderful, different, distant, restive - and they have to figure out how to connect with their children. "Joy Luck Club" portrays this poignantly. How many children of refugees really have any idea what their parents went through? Many people from a variety of cultures will appreciate the film for that reason alone.
As for those who say Tan is "male-bashing", keep in mind the very loving character of June's father. Also, if you've read Tan's other books, (The Kitchen God's Wife, for example), there are both good and bad men with great depth of character.
Let's remember, too, that history is not exactly littered with the stories of women, and Tan is just trying to rectify that imbalance. Having lived in Asia for 8 years, I'd say that male privilege is still alive and well...and in support of Tan's story, the (lack of) legal rights of women alone in pre-war China should illustrate the possiblity that four women might have had such experiences.
Rating: 
Summary: Sadly disappointed.....
Review: I truly had high hopes for this film as the book received such good reviews. Unfortunately the film version was a sad disappointment. As a working screenwriter I'm shocked this film ever got made -- first of all, if I wanted the book read to me I would have purchased the book on tape. A film is expressed primarily through visual images, then dialogue, NOT through narrative extracted from a novel. The story is hard to follow and the film ends up being a succession of vignettes which do not flow and cause a choppy, unintelligible result. It was long, slow, draggy and I kept finding myself checking the clock to see when it would finally end. Oh, in parts the acting is so melodramatic it's hard to stomach.
As for the content....I am a Caucasian Christian woman who was offended by the sterotypes presented of Chinese people. Having grown up in San Francisco I am fairly well acquainted with this culture and I don't recall ever having had the impression of Chinese men as they are presented in this film. While watching this film it came to mind that there definitely seem to be personal psychological issues which came through as a catharsis for the writers/filmmakers. When one makes a movie about a particular culture great care needs to be taken -- there is enough racism in this society, films certainly do not need to spread more. I regret having to rate this film one star, but in my opinion I can't give it a higher rating.
Rating:
Summary: The Joy Luck Club
Review: I thought I'd never find myself reviewing a movie of this standard. Nor did I expect myself to love it at the same time. A Oliver stone production movie, in a pivotal film about both eastern, and western cultures. I adore all of the stories that were told [the character auntie lindo adds awesome humor] but it was the story of June I related to the most. The best actress that has ever graced the show ER. In my opinion. I've found myself into leaning towards Japanese, and [for this movie] Chinese cultures and their ways, and everything else for the last 3 months. This movie has kept me on that steady road.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing.
Review: Amazing. The book, too. I even read Amy Tan's newest nonfiction book, where she discusses the painful yet rewarding process of creating this movie. It's not far-fetched because much of it is based on real-life stories that occurred to her mother and aunties.
Rating:
Summary: My favorite "alleged" Chick Flick
Review:
This is probably my most favorite movie. I've never known a movie that can literally "make me cry" when I watch it. Everytime I sit down to watch this movie, I'm hanging on every word and scene. I can feel the pain, so intensely! My heart goes out to Amy Tan, Oliver Stone, and all the wonderful and beautiful actresses in this film. The young, as well as, the elder. This is not just a "chick-flick!" The guys I share this film with walk away with a different perspective than they expected. It's the best movie to have on when your wife has all her friends over. Forget the movie "Now and Then" (with Demi Moore and Rosie McDowall?, McDonald? I dunno). Anyway, this film is truly psychologically engrossing!
I do wish this DVD had more special features added to it though. I really was looking forward to hearing and seeing the actors and actresses talking about this film they did. I usually don't like getting DVD's released with an extra DVD of specials (I mean, really, who'd watch some of those dumb extra features more than once?) But, if this movie had at least one documentary, like "American Graffiti" did, it would be so much better, because I've really come to feel that I'd like to know what these actresses perspectives were on this film.
I recommend, "Raise the Red Lantern" as your follow-up movie to watch. Hopefully, this will be on DVD someday. Bollywood has a great eye-opening film, also. It's about the oppressed women of India. It's called "Lajja". Hard-headed, male-dominant religion is the terror of this film.
Rating:
Summary: The Most Underrated Film of the 90s
Review: This is hands-down one of the best films I have ever seen. There are too few feature films that present Chinese American life as something multi-dimensional, but the Joy Luck Club manages to do just that. It does away with stereotypes and shallow perceptions of Asian culture. The female leads--both the mothers and the daughters--are strong, beautiful women who are a delight to watch. As Wang takes us from one story to the next, we never tire because each frame is so meticulously crafted, so well done. Ming-Na's monologue about the single swan feather at the opening of the film is lovely. If you love sagas and intergenerational works of perfection, The Joy Luck Club is definitely for you.
Rating:
Summary: This is not only about being Chinese
Review:
Having spent a year in China (1948), I admit to a soft spot for the Chinese people and their stories, and especially for Amy Tan, whose books I have read and loved. This superlative movie was based on her book of the same name.
In this story (the script was written by Tan and Ronald Bass) the tension between four Chinese women, who were born in China and later came to the United States, and their Americanized daughters, is the foundation of the story, and is the theme that epitomizes Amy Tan's stories. She has noted in an interview that such tension existed in her own life between her and her own mother. Much of the tension is due to the cultural clash. Times in China were hard a few short decades ago, and life was harsh. Starvation and disease was rife even in later years, when I was there in the late 'forties. When Americans today refer to poverty or hunger in this country, they have no conception of the real poverty and hunger that existed in China in the 'thirties and 'forties, or customs like the very painful historical binding of women's feet, which in effect crippled them for life, in the name of beauty, or the custom of wealthy Chinese men often having multiple wives and concubines, or the total degradation of women which existed and was totally accepted throughout the culture. Not to mention the impact of continuing warfare between warlords, the nationalists (Kuomintang) and communists, and the Japanese occupation all of which lasted for generations. This is an emotion evoking story. It is more than simply entertainment; it is a story with which you will identify, with characters with which you will empathize. Amy Tan knows whereof she writes, and her stories are compelling and sympathy evoking. Another Chinese woman who wrote her autobiography which touched on some of the same themes, who was in Tsingtao when I was, and whose tale enchanted me, was Dr. H. Mei Lu, who now lives in Honolulu, and whose book was titled, "Grandfather's Microscope" q.v. Coming from a humble background, in China, she became an esteemed pathologist in the United States. I heartily recommend her book as well as Amy Tan's, for any Sinophile. These ladies both write extremely well, and have immensely interesting things to say. Joseph (Joe) Pierre, USN (Ret)
author of The Road to Damascus
and other books
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