Chan Is Missing

Two cabbies search San Francisco's Chinatown for a mysterious character who has disappeared with their $4000. Their quest leads them on a humorous, if mundane, journey which illuminates the many problems experienced by Chinese-Americans trying to assimilate into contemporary American society.

It is widely recognized as the first Asian-American feature narrative film to gain both theatrical distribution and critical acclaim outside of the Asian American community. And come to think of it, this seems right -- where are all the "Asian" films? We have plenty of kung fu imports, but where are the home-grown efforts? Where is the Asian equivalent of a "blaxploitation" subgenre? Anyway, this is a fun film that blends mystery, comedy and social commentary. I haven't had the pleasure to go to San Francisco or its Chinatown, but films like this make it all the more appealing.

This is the best depiction of cultural contact I have seen on film. The title points to several layers of meaning, some of which are missed by many viewers. Most obviously, this is a film about real Asian Americans, not the ersatz and offensive characters of the Charlie Chan films. That Chan is missing but not missed. At the same time, the film is a spoof of Charlie Chan films, with Jo the bumbling detective and Steve the number one son, in an outrageously profane update. Finally, the character in the film, Chan Hung, is missing, and his disappearance is symbolic of a passing that is to be mourned much more than the deservedly-forgotten Charlie Chan movies. Chan Hung is the original immigrant, who struggled to survive in his new country but could never shake his love of his original one. His missing image floats through the film like a lost soul, and adds poignance that helps to counterpoint the ribald comedy. Jo is the bridge, feeling Chan's loss, but fully rooted in America: an "ABC"--American Born Chinese. Steve is the impatient third generation, angry that the plight of the immigrants may overshadow the struggles that U.S.-born Asian Americans continue to face. The conclusion of the mystery is as inevitable as it is sad, but the spirit of the characters who inhabit this film is truly inspirational. One of a handful of films that define an essential part of the American experience.

These comments come as a counterpoint to the user review left some years ago, an opinion with which I completely disagree.

I think this was a wonderful examination of the Chinese American character, at least in the eyes of a Mexican American (me). While the film addresses assimilation, as the previous reviewer expressed, that just scratches the surface of what it's telling you.

This film highlights the depth of cultural differences, the conflicts faced by immigrants or those of immigrant background. But these are not just grandiose, operatic conflicts; they are daily, constant, and felt in both the major and minor issues of life. They are confronted in matters of life and death or musical preferences.

This grand theme is presented in a lighthearted, often very funny, but subtly so, way. I found the storyline to be very interesting and exciting, not at all boring. It was a mystery, clues and leads leading to other leads or dead ends, interesting characters along the way. Yes, the search for Chan is secondary to the subtext, but it makes it no less entertaining.

Car crashes? No. Shootouts? No. Sex and violence? No. But the film gives the viewer an alternate view of what is real, and an alternate context for the evaluation. Is it real, or is it not unreal? To me, this is both extremely funny and a brain burner.

All this aside from the fact that this was a film made with seemingly real Chinese Americans, not big screen actors playing routine stereotypes. Look at Joe, and then listen to him speak, and see if it doesn't contradict some stereotypes burned into your head by Hollywood.

This is a very good film.

this is one of the most original stories to come along, and certainly the most important of Asian American films out there. produced with a low budget, this simple story of a missing person turns into an analysis of culture and stereotypes, not only of Asians, but all people. this is truly a must-see film for movie lovers.

Father and son (jo and steve) run around san francisco, looking for their friend chan. They haven't seen him in a while, and he owes them money from a business deal. In the meantime, we hear all about the politics, the issues of chinese people coming to the united states; chinese who want to assimilate into the american way of life, and some who don't. Some great conversations between families and friends. Different outlooks on issues of the different groups of immigrants. Some great insight to chinatown and the chinese way of life. Also great scenes of san francisco in the 1980s! It's black and white, with pretty good captions on kanopy. On the down side, there's a lot of chatter that just goes on and on. And a lot of the cast looks into the camera, or speaks in a stilted, un-natural voice. Many pictures of chinese people in photos, or chinese characters, without any explanation. Lots of pictures of jo, the dad, looking scared or surprised, without any explanation....that felt a bit gratuitous. Can they find their friend, or get back the money? It's an interesting story, but it was padded with a lot of filler. It really didn't need to be 75 minutes. I dug it just for the scenerey, as I had lived there in the 1990s. Directed by wayne wang. He was nominated for a Bafta for dimsum.