Double Happiness (1995)

East clashes with West and generations collide in this comedy about a young Chinese woman struggling to appease her old-fashioned father and at the same time pursue her modern dreams! Jade's parents want to see her happily married to a nice successful Chinese man so they embark on a matchmaking mission. But Jade wants to make up her own mind. The problem is telling them the truth about her secret romance with a Caucasian man would break their hearts. For Jade the choice between family and personal happiness is about to change her life forever. Starring Sandra Oh from the TV hit Grey's Anatomy and the acclaimed film Sideways Double Happiness is a funny and bittersweet comedy with something for everyone!Rated: PG-13 Parents Strongly Cautioned for one scene of sexuality and brief strong language.System Requirements:Running Time: 87 Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA Rating: NR UPC: 014381138429 Manufacturer No: ID1384LIDVD Product Description

I didn't get two scoops of satisfied...

Let me say first that I have never seen an episode of `Grey's Anatomy', but I am a fan of Oh's in the event that everything I've seen her in she's been funny and charming and undeniably talented. Even here, in this lackluster coming-of-age story she is entertaining and certainly attention stealing, but sadly, even Oh's undeniable charm cannot save this movie from the depths of mediocrity.

`Double Happiness' is a sweet if not entirely predictable story about a young Chinese woman named Jade living in America with her family. She is desperately trying to please her hard to please parents while staying true to her own dreams and aspirations. She wants to be an actress and while her parents allow her to entertain the idea momentarily, they are wholly unsupportive and they make this very plain and clear. They want her to marry a nice Chinese boy, and so they make it a point to set her up with someone they think suitable, no mater how incompatible he really is with Jade. Jade on the other hand, has met a nice Caucasian man and has fallen in love with him behind her parents back. She fears pursuing the relationship because of her parent's inevitable reaction, but she knows that in her heart this is the course she needs to take.

Like I said, it's sweet, but it's not anything we haven't seen before.

Sandra Oh is a delight here, and she tries hard to elevate the materiel, but the material winds up holding her back. In fact, there isn't a single bad performance in the bunch, but nothing stands out as great because the script is so bland.

I was stunned by the fact that the film, while only encompassing a mere eighty-seven minutes or so, feels like it's a three hour epic. The film just has no sense of flow to it, in my opinion. It drags its feet, taking much too long to make its point and filling space with uninteresting and mind-numbing sequences of events. I expected a brisker walk, but this felt like a one-hundred-mile dash.

In the end I have to say that I was not satisfied as I thought I would be with `Double Happiness' and have to give it a final grade of a low C. I see that I am in the minority, for a lot of people appear to really enjoy this film. I can see why, if they are fans of Sandra Oh, for she is charming, and some of the dialog is truthful and earnest. I just feel that in the end the big picture is lost in translation, and the film ultimately fails to be anything special or noteworthy at all. It promises the viewer an extra helping of happiness, but it winds up leaving us with less than a single serving. September 25, 2008

x Oh

This film made me a fan of Sandra Oh.

Unlike many of the other reviewers here, I wasn't reminded of "Joy Luck Club," but of another Canadian indie, 1999's "New Waterford Girl," about another beguiling young woman trying to escape the constraints of formal homelife through the arts.

All the actors are pretty good, and most everyone is portrayed with an endearing balance of humor and pathos, though there are several stilted monologues that disrupt the mood, and writer/director Mina Shum has the mom end up like a dum dum. The music is pretty good, too.

Aside from widescreen presentation, the DVD has no special features. June 19, 2008

Sandra Oh rox!

I've been waiting a while to be able to get this on DVD, and I'm glad I was finally able too. Had this on my DVR for a while, but lost it when I had to return it to the cable company. This is a really good movie, and Ms. Oh, as usual, shines. I'd pretty much recommend any of her movies, however there are a lot of movies where she has a really small part, which is disappointing, but generally they're still worth a look. The bigger her part, the better the movie, as a rule, but I might be biased...

"Long Life, Happiness and Prosperity" is also one of my faves, and definitely worth seeking out. July 25, 2007

Sandra Oh rocks in this small gem of a film. . .

"Double Happiness" is not an earthshattering, groundbreaking film--but damn, it's good. Especially the wonderful Sandra Oh (Christine on "Grey's Anatomy"), who is a delight. She doesn't play a hardnosed, sharp-tongued character here--like she does very well on TV--instead she delivers a warm, appealing performance as a young woman caught between her family's strict values and her longing to break free and enjoy life. Not that she's miserable living at home with Mom and Dad and Sis--they have fun together--but she wants to be an Oscar-winning actress, and her parents don't see this as a proper career. All the actors are outstanding--and there are many great scenes--especially when the song "MacArthur Park" is unexpectedly introduced and also when Sandra discovers the truth about her handsome date. If you like Sandra Oh, you'll enjoy this film. July 9, 2007

Worth seeing!

I found this movie to be quite entertaining. I have read some of the other comments on this website and I have to agree with some of the other people. Comparing this movie to Joy Luck Club is like comparing apples and oranges. These movies are not the same, and should be judged on their individual merits. I really enjoyed both movies.

While this movie is not a big Hollywood blockbuster, it has a good storyline, and some really good actors. It doesn't matter whether the family is Asian, American, or any other nationality. What is important is the fact that this movie shows the complexity of a family, and how their culture is viewed by the different generations. Any family who has older generations that want to preserve the culture, and has younger generations who are trying to fit in with the current world, will appreciate how difficult this can be. This movie gives us a brief look into some of the difficulties that may arise in such a situation.

Another movie that touchs on this, in a different format, is the movie What's Cooking. It centers around several different families and cultures around the Thansksgiving holiday (without being too holiday-ish in feeling). Another movie worth seeing.

Anyway, Double Happiness has an independent film feeling to it. If you don't particularly care for independent films you may not like this movie, but it is worth checking out at the video store if you can find it on VHS. From what I have found online, this movie is due out on DVD in April 2007. Hopefully it will get released on time, as this is a worthwhile film.

Update***
This has been released on DVD. December 31, 2006

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