The Joy Luck Club

Movie Details:

Cast & Characters:

• Mothers
  • Kieu Chinh as Suyuan Woo
  • Tsai Chin as Lindo Jong
    • Age 4: Ying Wu
    • Age 15: Irene Ng
  • France Nuyen as Ying-Ying St. Clair
    • Age 16–25: Faye Yu
  • Lisa Lu as An-Mei Hsu
    • Age 4: Emmy Yu
    • Age 9: Yi Ding
• Daughters
  • Ming-Na Wen as June Woo
    • Age 9: Melanie Chang
  • Tamlyn Tomita as Waverly Jong
    • Age 6–9: Mai Vu
  • Lauren Tom as Lena St. Clair
  • Rosalind Chao as Rose Hsu Jordan
• Other characters
  • Michael Paul Chan as Harold, Lena’s Husband
  • Andrew McCarthy as Ted Jordan
  • Christopher Rich as Rich
  • Russell Wong as Lin Xiao
  • Vivian Wu as An-Mei’s Mother
  • Victor Wong as Old Chong the Piano Teacher
  • Xi Meijuan as Lindo’s Mother
  • Hsu Ying Li as the matchmaker
  • Diane Baker as Mrs. Jordan
  • Wu Tianming as Wu-Tsing
  • Elizabeth Sung as Second Wife
  • Chao-Li Chi as June’s Father
  • Philip Moon as Ken, Lena’s Fiancé

Storyline:

Four Chinese women along with their mothers delve into their past and try to find answers. Slowly, this search helps them to understand the complex relationship they share with each other.

About Movie:

The Joy Luck Club (simplified Chinese: 喜福会; traditional Chinese: 喜福會; pinyin: Xǐ Fú Huì) is an American drama that explores the relationships between Chinese-American women and their immigrant mothers.

Directed by Wayne Wang, the film features Tsai Chin, Kieu Chinh, Lisa Lu, France Nuyen, Rosalind Chao, Lauren Tom, Tamlyn Tomita, and Ming-Na Wen. Based on Amy Tan’s 1989 novel, Tan co-wrote the screenplay with Ronald Bass. Producers include Bass, Tan, Wang, and Patrick Markey, with Oliver Stone as an executive producer.

Set in San Francisco, the film centers on four Chinese immigrant women who meet regularly to play mahjong, enjoy meals, and share stories. Each woman has an adult Chinese-American daughter. As the narrative unfolds, the film reveals the hidden pasts of these older women and their daughters, illustrating the impact of cultural clashes on their family dynamics.

Development began when Wang approached Tan in 1989, soon after the novel’s release. Concerned about its intricate storytelling, they collaborated with Bass in January 1990, who introduced a farewell party scene and voice-overs to enhance the film’s pacing while retaining the original plot. Initially supported by Carolco Pictures, the filmmakers sought greater creative control and eventually moved to Hollywood Pictures in spring 1992 after writing the first draft from August to November 1991.

Principal photography occurred in San Francisco in October 1992, followed by shoots in China in February 1993, concluding in March 1993.

The film was sneak-previewed in spring 1993 and showcased at festivals in August and September. It premiered in Los Angeles, New York City, and San Francisco on September 8, 1993. With a budget of $10.5 million, it earned $32.9 million in the U.S., receiving positive reviews, though it faced criticism for its portrayal of Asian-American and Asian male characters.

In 2020, the Library of Congress selected the film for preservation in the United States National Film Registry, recognizing its cultural, historical, or aesthetic significance.

Budget & Box Office Collection: