Pushing Hands

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Pushing Hands ★★½ 1992

Aging tai chi master Mr. Chu (Lung) leaves Beijing to live with his son Alex (Wang) and daughterinlaw Martha (Snyder) in suburban New York. Highstrung Martha doesn't understand her tranquilly stubborn fatherinlaw, nor does Chu find disposable American society much to his liking. Naturally, and slowly, some accomodations are made. The title is a tai chi reference to keeping your opponent offbalance while maintaining your own equilibrium. Director Lee's debut feature is also the first in his trilogy of family films—followed by the more accomplished “The Wedding Banquet” and “Eat Drink Man Woman.” English and Mandarin Chinese with subtitles. 100m/C VHS, DVD . Sihung Lung, Deb Snyder, Bo Z. Wang, Lai Wang; D: Ang Lee; W: Ang Lee; C: Jong Lin; M: XiaoSong Qu.