I do really love how when it comes to Ang Lee, there are no two films he's made that feel completely similar. He's up there with Spielberg when it comes to covering a wide variety of genres and tones, and maybe slightly more consistent, too. Pushing Hands was his debut, and while it reminded me a little of Eat Drink Man Woman in parts, it was still pretty different overall, in terms of its story and how it wasn't afraid to present a slightly heightened reality at times, too.
This does mean it's not as well balanced as Lee's 1994 film (and it doesn't hit as hard emotionally, either), but it does stand as a strong debut, and a film I mostly enjoyed quite a bit. It's a tiny bit rough around the edges, but only when you compare it to what Ang Lee was capable of doing just a few years later. Considering he was starting out here, it's a very confident and well-made debut.
Not all the humour hits, and some scenes end a bit abruptly. And as mentioned, the detours it almost takes into becoming a martial arts movie are unexpected (but will probably end up being one of the most memorable things about it). At its core though, it's a movie about family drama and the difficulties of growing old, and I think when it focuses on those things, it's quite effective. Lee's an empathetic filmmaker, and you always feel something for his main characters, and even in his debut, that's no exception.
While it's not one of his best films, I think it's still pretty easy to recommend and enjoy. I look forward to watching The Wedding Banquet soon, as I think that was his second film, and I've heard the general consensus is it's almost as good as the excellent Eat Drink Man Woman.
