After watching a couple of dozen of Ann Hui‘s movies, one thing that becomes apparent is that her Mainland (or about the Mainland) productions are on a lower level than the ones from Hong Kong (or about Hong Kong). “My American Grandson” is not an exception, with the film boasting an entertaining if somewhat cliched main theme, which is implemented, though, in a way that can only be described as propagandistic. Let us take things from the beginning though.
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Retired widower, former musician and school teacher Mr Gu, is living a meager but calm life in Shanghai, despite his frequent squabbles with a neighbor who appears to have some plans about him and considers him as someone wasting his life. The daughter of his best friend, Jiao Li, whose mother also happened to be the love of his life as a young man, takes care of him, with Gu enjoying the fact that she looks just like her mother.
His son and daughter-in-law were transferred to the US for work about ten years ago with their young son, and they frequently send him money, but Gu hasn’t seen his grandson since then. However, when the two of them have to leave the US for Germany for work training over the summer, they send their son back to Shanghai for his grandfather to take care of him. A culture clash is unavoidable as the selfish and self-assured, skateboarding/ Walkman-listening/ KFC-eating/Cola-drinking Ming can’t get used to his life in Shanghai. Expectedly, the tension mounts and a clash is inevitable.
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I will start with the positive aspects, which begin with the usual, observational documentary-like style that is one of Ann Hui’s trademarks. The lives of ordinary, if somewhat poor people in greater Shanghai in 1991, when China had not yet risen, is quite realistic. People barely had indoor plumbing, water heaters were non-existent, telephones were scarce, technology nowhere to be found, and the educational system was underdeveloped. However, elderly people had already started doing square dancing, bicycles were the main mode of transportation on the streets, and the intense immigration towards the West was already prevalent.
At the same time, the difference between the West (USA) and the East (China) is quite evident, through the differences between the two protagonists, and essentially Ming and everyone else. That the boy wants to take proper showers, have his own room, not being particularly bothered, and eat and drink Western food is indicative of this element. At the same time, it is also implemented in order to generate drama in the movie, as Gu tries to indulge his grandson by taking him to hotels and treating him to fast food, which he cannot actually afford. That Ming has no clue and does not seem to care about his grandfather’s struggle adds to this element, but can also be perceived as comment on the aforementioned differences (Chinese are willing to sacrifice themselves for their family, Americans only care about themselves). That Ming gets bullied in school, despite the fact that the faculty consider him an important guest, cements both aspects.
And although the faltering/propaganda elements are already hinted at through these comments, the movie goes completely overboard when Ming decides to go by himself to the country. That the kind hearted/genuine people outside the urban centers are the ones that teach him humility and how to appreciate Chinese culture and way of living emerges as a manifesto about the value of the poor land workers, and also seems quite forced in the narrative, including the way the kid decides to travel. At the same time, the transformation he undergoes does not make much sense either, while as soon as he reconciles with his grandfather, the movie turns into a road trip on how great the Chinese way of living is, while a number of scenes can only be described as cheesy.
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The acting is also a mixed bag, with Huang Kun-Hsuan being occasionally unconvincing, and the farmers, as in the case of Caigen Xu, being somewhat unrealistic in their performances. On the other hand, Wu Ma as Gu is excellent throughout, with the transformations he undergoes in his relationship with his grandson all being well portrayed. Carina Lau as Jiao Li is also good, although in a small part, with the same applying to the neighbors, Peng Sun as Dong and Lai Wang, who plays his mother. The various supernumeraries, however, are quite well used in the movie by Ann Hui, adding to its realistic aspect.
Mark Lee Ping Bing’s cinematography is great as usual, with the presentation of the various settings being as intricate as it is realistic. Liao Ching-Sung’s editing results in a pace that is quite fast, as is usual the case with Hui’s films of the time, in a style that definitely adds to the entertainment the movie offers.
In the end, “My American Grandson” emerges as a mixed bag, as its realism is countered by the forced propagandistic comments, in a film that could have been great if it stuck to the former approach.
