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Father Knows Best by Ang Lee - Movie Review Example

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The author of this paper "Father Knows Best by Ang Lee" discusses the fundamentals of the comedy and plot of the movie. The paper focuses on what Ang Lee mainly illustrates in the story,  the implication of the movie, analyzing what lifestyle is shown, and the characters translate it…
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Father Knows Best by Ang Lee
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Visual Arts and Film Studies Plot Summary Simon and Wei-Tung is a cheerful homosexual couple, who live in Manhattan. The latter is in his belatedly 20s, and his parents are custom-minded people. They are very excited to witness him wed and bear a kid to sustain the family lineage. The preliminary section of the movie is a crazy joke. At some point, Wei-Tung parents get a rendezvous service, Simon and Tung make respond by making up unfeasible requirements. In the culture of the Chinese, the musicians of opera are at all times men. The gay couple demanded for a female musician, who should have been extra ordinarily tall, possessing more than one professional doctorate and fluent in talking at least five different languages. The rendezvous service after a long search identified a female who was quite tall and sang the opera music. Furthermore, she was capable of communicating in more than five different languages and possessed one professional doctorate. On her discovery concerning the Wei-Tung’s dilemma, the girl became very cordial because she also had a relationship running. Following Simons persistence, Wei-Tung made a resolution to wed one of his renters. The name of the girl was Wei-Wei. She had no money, and she was in great want of a green card. In addition, by assisting out Wei-Wei, Wei-Tung and Simon believed that Wei-Tung’s guardians would get contented and be happy that their son finally wed (Lim 42). After some time, Wei-Tung’s guardians settled on travelling to their son’s place with an objective of preparing an expensive nuptial for him. Simon and Wei-Tung refused to disclose the secret to his guardians, since his dad, who was a former officer in the Army forces, had at that moment just recuperated from a heart disease. Nevertheless, the disappointment his mum got at the law court wedding provided for a narrative fit for a slot in theater. The merely manner to make harmony for the discreditable nuptial was a superb bridal feast. Subsequent to the feast, the girl enticed the intoxicated Wei-Tung, and got expectant. Consequently, Simon became tremendously distressed when he discovered, and his affair with Wei-Tung became continually estranged. Following the emotion draining battle with both his girlfriend and boyfriend, Wei-Tung became furious, and confessed the reality to his mum. The mum became distressed and persisted that he should never mention that to his dad. Surprisingly, the dad had seen some signs regarding Tung’s orientations and had at one time discretely mentioned it to Simon. Furthermore, he was thankful to Simon for the various significant forfeits he had done for his real son. He even had Simon as one of his son. Simon did not refuse the offer, an indication that he had confirmed their love affair. However, the father of Wei-Tung made him swear to keep it a secret. He also admits that if it were not for the lie, he would have probably never got an opportunity to see his grandchild. The expectant girl had booked an appointment in which she was supposed to undergo an abortion. However, she did not go and instead, opted to keep the kid. Furthermore, she requested Simon to live with her husband and play the role of a dad as well. In the end of the scene, as the parents organized to go back to their home, Wei-Tung’s mum pretended to have a strong bond with the son’s wife. Wei-Tung’s dad recognized Simon and cordially greeted him. Finally, Wei-Tung’s parents got some contentment from the scenario, and they set off to board the plane, leaving behind the extraordinary family to decide the way forward. Analysis In the film of Wedding Banquet, Ang Lee appears to have imitated heterosexual character traits onto the homosexual couples. Lee appears to be deliberately hazing the difference between gays and heterosexuals and centering the entire audience’s concentration on the apparently eternal and genuine love between the homosexual couples (Yang 42). Lee’s entire plead by ways of fitting the styles of heterosexuality to demonstrate homosexuality appears to form a paradox in depicting the sexual minorities, who are the homosexual couples in the movie. The paradoxical scenery of their affair, which is the homosexual sexuality, discloses a note of linguistic want. It is on a single dimension similar sex craves, though on the other, a representation of the conventional heterosexual contact. Consequently, Lee’s anticipation of the heterosexual contact onto similar-sex affairs is less than a generalization or typecasting of human being gender, crave or personality. Therefore, Lee appears to signify the similar-sex crave as shabby. As demonstrated in the Wedding Banquet, the homosexual couples, who are Wei-Tung and Simon, are a couple that reside together as a man and a spouse who are in an excellent relationship. Wei-Tung dramatizes the sex duty of the male spouse, while the Simon the loving and kind homemaker. Simon does not just lovingly take care of the Wei-Tung like an affectionate spouse but also illustrates superior ability for cooking (Berry & Merry 177). Besides, Simon’s femaleness is forthright in some scenes one example being when he caringly gives his present, which is a quantity of beauty product for mature people, to the mother of Wei-Tung. Furthermore, Simon accepts his womanly duty, after the dad of Wei-Tung lastly admits the reality that Simon is the actual life spouse of his son Wei-Tung, and not the counterfeit girl by the name Wei Wei, even if she was able to bear him a number of grandchildren. Consequently, Lee appears to be typecasting a perfect homosexual affair by imitating heterosexual style of love affair onto this homosexual couples. Pessimistically, the heterosexual desire is resistant when the tricky film appears to recompense its wickedness in its illusory way by making Wei-Tung unintentionally seem intoxicated and hence making his girlfriend pregnant. The audience can have a sentiment that Lee appears not merely to alleviate similar-sex affection of its contentious temperament, which is sterility, but also put in some taste of humankind to it by depicting the homosexual couple’s incapacity to the heterosexual morals and ethics. The final scene where the homosexual couple and the counterfeit woman escort the parents of Wei-Tung at the airport could as well exemplify the aforementioned. Prior to their take off, they sit down jointly as people of a pleasant family whilst looking at the nuptial photographs. Accordingly, Lee appears to challenge the authenticity of gay couples and stress its limitation by imitating the gay couples’ principles and styles onto the homosexual couples. Paradoxically, fore fronting the challenges and shortages of similar-sex urge and affair by imitating the heterosexual affair onto the homosexual couples appears to alleviate them of their offense and show the homosexual couples a single way out of their stalemate, and concurrently, convey them some form of civilization. The sexual acknowledgement of Wei-Tung’s urge appears to repeat the dispute concerning gender vagueness. This happens when he shortly changes his homosexuality via engaging into sex with his woman on the nuptial feast and making her pregnant. In addition, he possibly would also make up to be a conservative devout man via gratifying his duty-play at the nuptial banquet. Nevertheless, Wei-Tung rapidly laments acting usual after he wakes up from the heterosexual scenario with his wife. He plans to have his counterfeit woman carry out the abortion operation. However, his sagacity of sustaining his ancestors’ lineage causes him to settle on to maintain the baby. Subsequent to the big anticipation of his customary guardians, the sexual and gender personality of Wei-Tung are continuous toggling among a variety of diverse responsibilities and situations. Wei-Tung gets satisfaction in similar-sex affection an engagement that completely upsets his dad’s big hope and dream. His status as a gay does not relinquish his intense sagacity of devoutness in carrying on the ancestors line via having sex with a true female, which is in opposition to his sexual fact at that time. Ironically, despite being in the homosexual world, Wei-Tung acts the part of a male spouse, which is pleasing to the current wife Simon and the true womanly girl Wei Wei. Wei-Tung seems to be appearing unrevealed in a personality that is neither his actual nor a new-fangled one. Ang Lee has created Wei-Tung to be the medium for the formation of distinctiveness rather than the phrase of personality. Conclusion Behind the fundamentals of the comedy and plot, there is a challenge of contradictory principles and stances. Wei-Tung’s dad has a status of being an ex- military bureaucrat ordering hundreds of armed forces. The dad comes out of this dispute unhurt and does not head home with nothing. Actually, Ang Lee illustrates the success of the communal over the personality. He shows this when Wei- Tung, who is a homosexual person appeared normal by the influence and demands of communal traditionalism that brings about the nuptial feast in the first place. Actions open up but not fairly as the schemers have dramatized them to swindle wedding as a comic story. The intricate nuptial feast becomes a practice of Chinese customary values. In a logic way, he verifies the amalgamation of Wei-Tung and his woman in manners more significant than the wedding guarantees they take randomly at Manhattan community office. Implication of the movie Different from Wei-Tung, his woman appears to have a cordial correlation with her family members whom she yearns to see. These two different personalities illustrate to the spectators that there are both accomplishments and letdowns among the Chinese people who go to the United States in search for greener pastures. However, to hide in the United States of America is never the mode to become victorious, and this is an implication of the movie. Tackling the challenges that are ahead of somebody, whether he or she is facing challenges concerning parents, sexuality, an innovative way of life, or a new-fangled chance is better than concealing them. The movie is attempting to illustrate that the gay couples should not be applicable in the United States of America only, but internationally. Various societies need to recognize it as it is a vital part of the current society. The movie is demanding for the renovation of customary morals. The current lifestyle seems to be influencing several ways of the society, which incorporates the notion of families. During the recent moments of China, or the globe for that subject, the notion of a family is varying. Married couples are undergoing separation, similar sex weddings are of late a part of community, and the basic family affairs are vanishing. In the final scene of the film, the dad of Wei-Tung lifts his hand as if to give in to the latest family morals that he has seen with his son. The movie is also implying that the people are not neglecting the customary morals completely. The principle of getting a kid and maintaining the ancestor’s identity is still probable. Presently because the basic family has altered, does not signify there cannot be kids. The plan of maintaining community is still much a component of the new standards of family principles. It appears that Wei-tong could have been at an advantage by only telling his parents the reality. Wei-Tung discovers that it is much simpler to tackle challenges than to attempt and play around them. As he was living his made-up life, his family and friends were not contented. It was merely after he said the certainty or after the reality was recognizable, that the persons in the movie were at pleasure with themselves. Lee calls people to reflect on their individual lives in this matter to ensure they are contented. Wei-Tung’s guardians fight for customary Chinese morals, if not the country and Chinese society itself. Their mania with looking for a woman for their son is not devoid of self-centered reason. Wedding is envoy of the fleeting down, and thus the conservation of customs from one age bracket to another. In the countenance of upgrading, as China gets more and more contemporary, the customs tradition is under the danger of vanishing, and Wei-Tungs gay affair with Simon symbolizes this danger. A gay affair does not give kids, and thus no descendant. With no descendant, the Wei-Tung’s dad lineage cannot be there. The film of the nuptial feast shows upgrading and western sway as a danger to the Chinese state character. The film executive Lee suggests a resolution for the homosexuality issue in the film. Most scenes of the film turn around the counterfeit heterosexual wedding of Wei-Tung and his woman. The wedding creates several disagreements, and forces each personality to consider their real identity. In the peak of the time on the bridal night, Wei-Tung’s woman arouses Wei-Tung to high point mentioning to him that she is freeing him from his homosexuality. The obligating of ones personality on another is a general theme in the film. The parents of Wei-Tung attempt to oblige their personality on to their young man also, in the movie. Eventually, Wei-Tung makes a hard decision and explains to his mum that he is a gay. Albeit the mum does not trust that Wei-Tung could be a gay at first, she is obliged to admit her young man for who he is. Finally, all the dissimilar personalities make harmony with each other, and the biggest symbol of this is the moment Wei-Tung’s dad admits Simon as his own son. Lots of this is the consequence of Wei-Tung’s woman becoming expectant, and the emergence of a kid is a symbol of proliferation of this new-fangled personality created by the amalgamation of extremely dissimilar personalities. It is extremely obvious that by means of his film, Ang Lee, who is the executive film director intends to inform the Chinese community concerning homosexuality as well as heterosexuality that is on rise following the global upgrading and westernization. He calls for them to be in the state of affairs of Wei-Tung and have an experience of what it feels like to be a gay person in a customary Chinese society. At the same time as there are inappropriateness between the gay community and the Chinese custom, there could as well be a simple and at the same time strong harmony only when cautious consideration is applicable to the challenge. The movie is very entertaining. It is a significant modern means for promoting understanding in the worldwide spectators that come to comprehend that they themselves, just as the homosexual couples in the film, have similar or at least common gender and sexual capabilities. Additionally, it confirms that sex or gender is not a permanent situation by temperament, as the majority of people trust, when they blame homosexuals of committing a sin by breaching the ordinary law. Works Cited Berry, Chris, and Mary A. Farquhar. China on Screen: Cinema and Nation. New York: Columbia Univ. Press, 2006. Print. Lim, Song H. Celluloid Comrades: Representations of Male Homosexuality in Contemporary Chinese Cinemas. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 2006. Print. Yang, Che-ming. "The Paradox of Transgressing Sexual Identities: Mapping the." Asian Culture and history 2010: 41-47. Retrieved from ccsenet.org/journal/index.php/ach/article/download/4814/4057 web Read More
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