‘Saving Face’ and Supporting Asian Lives: Review and Resources
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In my nightly habit of spending hours searching for a movie to watch, I ended up on Amazon Prime again, weeding through their own studio-produced films to find something. I hate to admit it, but they actually have a great indie film selection. If you have the time (and patience), peruse it. After much indecision, I found myself in a déjà vu moment. Have you ever come across a movie that you’ve seen before but ultimately forgot? Well, that’s what I realized after about 20 minutes into my pick for the night: Alice Wu’s Saving Face (2004).
It follows Wilhemina (Wil) a Chinese-American doctor living in New York City. It’s clear she’s a workaholic in her effort to be chief of surgery. As far as her love life goes? That’s where her mother, Gao (played by Joan Chen) comes in. Wil is a lesbian, but it’s not something that they talk about. It’s clear there are cultural expectations that come with being a Chinese-American woman. The tables turn when it’s Gao who must face stigma when her community finds out she is pregnant…while being unmarried. Practically disowned by her parents, Gao moves in with Wil, keeping the paternity of her child secret. Meanwhile, Wil must face her own challenges in a new relationship with Vivien, a Chinese-American dancer. Both Wil and her mother have to face the conventions of their culture and decide if the concept of “face” is really worth saving.
I personally resonate with the way this story is told, centering on mother and daughter. It’s not an “anti-the-old-ways mentality” message, but more so, it begs to make room for gradual acceptance. And this goes both ways. When you’re bi-cultural, growing up in the U.S. with your parent’s cultural lessons, it can be tough straddling that line that makes you feel divided. Even if you have your own mind about how you want to live your life, you can still feel the weight of generations that throw things out of balance. For Wil, she knew that she was a lesbian, and it’s not that she tried to hide it necessarily, but she chose not to be so “open” or “out” with her sexuality. This caused a rift between her and Vivien because Vivien had a family that was already accepting of her. Yet, Wil struggled to find that inner peace, knowing that she didn’t have acceptance or denial, she just didn’t have support. That feeling of disappointment or lack of acknowledgment can be just as damaging to the heart. Alice Wu explores this not only through Wil’s sexuality but also through Gao’s life decisions. It’s easy to look at Gao and shake your head or your finger wondering how she could care what others think. But this is where culture’s strength brings nuance. She grew up with these notions, understanding the world in that way. In Saving Face, I can see that care and community is important to the Gao. It may seem claustrophobic, but if you’re in a land that in many ways, is still not your homeland, you cling to what’s familiar. When Gao had to move to Wil’s place, that was essentially her first time leaving her Chinese-American community in Flushing. Throughout the movie, she only spoke Mandarin. So, naturally, her culture is important to her enough that “face” mattered more than her personal happiness. Face is a concept that relates to social customs that favor image, honor, authority, and morality. Gao’s father could be seen as the driving force behind this. Her desire to please him parallels Wil’s own desire to keep a similar peace with her mother with boundaries. Of course, the comedy comes from Gao’s refusal to respect Wil’s boundaries. While their dynamic may not be like Gilmore Girls (thankfully) there is a lot to learn from watching this mother-daughter duo go through the wringer in order to find self-acceptance. Saving Face (2004) is a unique example of an intimate and cultural story of Asian-American women’s lives.
