Eat Drink Man Woman
Directed by	Ang Lee
Produced by	Hsu Li Kong Hsu Kong
Written by	Ang Lee James Schamus Wang Hui-Ling
Starring	Sihung Lung (credited as Lang Hsiung) Ah Lei Gua Sylvia Chang Chien-lien Wu Kuei-mei Yang Yu-wen Wang
Music by	Mader
Cinematography	Lin Jong
Release date(s)	August 3, 1994 (USA)
Running time	123 min.
Country	Taiwan, Republic of China
Language	Mandarin

Eat Drink Man Woman (simplified Chinese: 饮食男女; traditional Chinese: 飲食男女; pinyin: yǐn shí nán nǚ) is a Taiwanese film directed by Ang Lee and starring Sihung Lung, Yu-wen Wang, Chien-lien Wu, Kuei-mei Yang. Many of the cast had starred in Ang Lee's previous film, The Wedding Banquet with Sihung Lung and Ah Lei Gua once more playing central elderly figures, and Winston Chao. The film was released in 1994.

The film was a critical success. The 2001 movie Tortilla Soup is a re-make.

[edit] Plot summary

This film tells the story of a semi-retired and widowed Chinese master chef Chu (Sihung Lung) and his family living in modern day Taipei, Taiwan. At the start of the film, he lives with his three attractive daughters, all of whom are unattached. The three daughters are:

• Jia-Jen, the oldest one (Kuei-Mei Yang), a school teacher with a broken heart
• Jia-Chien, the middle one (Chien-lien Wu), a career woman
• Jia-Ning, the youngest one (Yu-Wen Wang), a twenty year old

As the film progresses, each daughter encounters new men. When these new relationships blossom, their roles are broken and the living situation within the family changes.

[edit] Themes

This section may contain original research or unverified claims. Please improve the article by adding references. See the talk page for details. (October 2007)

A major theme of the movie is that romantic relationships give life meaning and are necessities of life (such as eating and drinking).

The film features numerous scenes displaying the technique and artistry of gourmet Chinese cooking. Since the family members have difficulty expressing their love for one another, the intricate preparation of banquet quality dishes for their Sunday dinners serves as a surrogate for the spoken expression of their familial feelings.

Another theme is the burden of aging. Chef Chu is depicted as having lost his "one true love" (his wife), losing another (his ability to taste) and about to lose all three daughters to marriage, not to mention the usual spectre of old age.

[edit] Notes

• The title is an old expression elaborating two main desires in human nature - "to eat and drink and to have sex", contemplated upon by Chu with his long-time friend while both were inebriated.
• This was the first film Ang Lee made in Taiwan

[edit] External links

• Eat Drink Man Woman at the Internet Movie Database

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