‘The Joy Luck Club’ Movie Review

Movie Poster via Pinterest

I was really excited to finish this book and immediately start on the movie. It was a book I read over a few weeks and seeing all that time culminate in two hours was really rewarding. I always try to watch the movie right away. Though I often fail. Oh well.

Things I Thought Were Awesome

Visualizing the characters. I had a lot of trouble connecting the characters when I read. I would forget who had which childhood and who’s mother was who. Seeing the characters and the actors made it a lot easier for me. I could connect Lindo and Waverly, An-Mihn and Rose. I could remember the childhood one mother had and see why she felt a certain way about her daughter’s decisions. It helped to connect the stories for me.

Auntie Lindo. She was great! I loved the actress and all the enthusiasm she had for her role and the emotion she poured into it. I would watch an entire movie of just Auntie Lindo’s stories.

Changes That Didn’t Really Bother Me

June’s father not coming to China. It seemed a bit incongruous to me when I read the book. The whole thing to that point had been about mothers and daughters and how they’re connected across generations and cultures. By having her father along, the relationship she develops with her half-sisters is a bit off and the meeting with her Aunt in the book is much less personal. I wish the book had followed this.

Time in China. The time with her aunt in the book seemed like filler to me. It didn’t build anticipation or develop the characters so I felt it could have been cut. June also makes a few comments about communist China which seemed tacked on to me. I liked it better in the movie where those things were left out.

Cover image via Goodreads

Things That Were Taken Out and I’m Still Wondering Why

Rose and Lena’s childhoods. Did I miss something? We got the story of June playing the piano and Waverly playing chess, but what about Lena and Rose? I don’t remember the exact stories they had in the book, so maybe there’s nothing missing. It just seems off for there to be nothing about those two.

Things That Changed Too Much

June speaking Chinese. She makes a point earlier of telling her Aunties that she can’t understand Chinese. Then at the end, she has a conversation with her half-sisters in Chinese and understands the questions they ask her. How long was the time in between that she could learn another language? Not long enough!

The ending. I was angry with the end. I couldn’t believe that no one would tell the twins their mother was dead before June arrived! That was so much to place on June and ask her to communicate to women she was meeting for the first time. It was building up the twins’ hope as well. Of course, they’re excited to meet their half-sister, but it’s not the same excitement you’d feel when meeting your mother.

This was a really great movie and I’m glad I was able to watch it so soon after reading the book. They compliment each other well. Reader, have you seen the Joy Luck Club movie? What did you think?

Until next time, write on.

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