Institute History
Description
The title of this fiom comes from Richard Nixon’s remark when on a visit to China. He was asked by a journalist what he thought of the Great Wall, and answered “The Great Wall is a great wall.” This delightful film picks up where he left off.
The plot revolves around a return visit to Peking by the middle-aged Uncle Leo (Peter Wang), who left China as a teenager. He brings along his very Americanized wife and son, Paul, for the young man’s first visit to his father’s homeland.
In Peking they stay with Leo’s sister, her husband and daughter, Lili. The daughter is quite taken by her Americanized cousin who escorts her to mightspots normally off-limits to locals. The girl’s attraction to Western ways contrasts with Uncle Leo’s nostalgic search for the bits of traditional China he left behind. This collision of cultures makes for some hilarious fireworks as each family finds things different from their expectations.
This gentle comedy is full of insight about the perceptions and misperceptions of each culture’s view of one another. The first Chinese-American co-production marks Peter Wang’s auspicious debut as a dramatic feature film director.