Too bad the film seems resolutely uninterested in developing any of its supporting characters. Based on the Newbery-winning children's books, this animated film follows a young boy who runs away to an island to rescue and befriend a baby dragon. As one might expect, this is a bit of a dilemma for writer-director Alan Yang, here helming his first feature. [8] During post-production on the film, Cho's scenes were cut. Tigertail, his first feature film as director, explores the legacy of his family’s immigrant story, following Pin-Jui, a poor, young Taiwanese man who dreams of moving to America. Bubber Drumm is a Houston high school student. [9], The film was released on Netflix and in select theatres on April 10, 2020. [3][4][5] In September 2018, Joan Chen, Lee Hong-chi, Yo-Hsing Fang, Fiona Fu, Margot Bingham, Yang Kuei-mei, and James Saito were announced as the rest of the cast. While Tigertail takes place in Taiwan, … April 10 on Netflix! From the rice fields that are shown at the beginning of the film to the last scene where Grover and Angela take a trip down the memory lane are all shot over various locations in the city. Growing up, the father and his daughter have an estranged relationship. Zhenzhen stays at home and cleans. Netflix film Tigertail is Emmy Award winner Alan Yang’s tale of a Taiwanese man’s journey to the US. (1/7)", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tigertail_(film)&oldid=1019706846, Films about immigration to the United States, Short description is different from Wikidata, Wikipedia articles with plot summary needing attention from April 2020, All Wikipedia articles with plot summary needing attention, Articles containing potentially dated statements from July 2020, All articles containing potentially dated statements, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 24 April 2021, at 23:21. After moving to America, the couple move into a small apartment, and Pin-Jui gets a job working at a grocery store. She cries in the car on the way home, and Pin-Jui tells her crying will not solve anything. They talk about the past and missed opportunities and she says she is happily married, and he admits his difficulties in connecting with his daughter. Feeling lonely, she begins doing small loads of laundry to see other people. Tigertail is an upcoming American drama film written and directed by Alan Yang. While Zhenzhen is at dinner, Pin-Jui calls his mother and tells her she can come to America. The film is much more than that, but it is an absolutely wonderful look into this man’s life. She eventually meets Peijing, another Taiwanese woman, at the laundromat and they become friends. [7], Principal photography commenced on August 27, 2018, in New York and Taiwan. As of July 2020[update], 81% of the 74 reviews compiled on Rotten Tomatoes are positive, and have an average score of 6.98/10. To present the contrast in the places, which, in turn, brings out the conflict of emotions for the protagonist, New York and Huwei were chosen. She leaves the lunch abruptly in frustration. The camera runs behind him, showing us his point of view, as wisps of green tower above him. Directed by Alan Yang. Eventually, he is forced to make a choice, and he chooses his dream over his love. [6] In February 2019, Jessica Gomes announced on her Instagram as part of the cast. After the party, Pin-Jui stays to his daughter's surprise and opens up about his tragic past. In a flashback, Angela forgets part of the song she plays at a piano recital, to the embarrassment of her parents. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. During dinner, Pin-Jui and Zhenzhen make small talk but seem unable to connect. pic.twitter.com/dKsGEzMuFL, — Alan Yang 楊維榕 (@alanyang) November 19, 2018. In February 2019, Jessica Gomes announced on her Instagram as part of the cast. In May 2018, it was revealed that Alan Yang would write and direct Tigertail, for Netflix, making it his directorial debut. During this time, he works at the same factory as his mother, Minghua (Yang Kuei-mei), doing manual labor. Sceen it! She did not know he went to Taiwan and asks why he did not tell her about the funeral. From the rice fields that are shown at the beginning of the film to the last scene where Grover and Angela take a trip down the memory lane are all shot over various locations in the city. With Tzi Ma, Christine Ko, Hong-Chi Lee, Queenie Yu-Hsin Fang. The name of the film, ‘Tigertail’, refers to Huwei, a township in Taiwan, where his father spent his young years. Please share with anyone you’d like to know about the movie! Pin-Jui and Zhenzhen get into a car for the airport, and while riding, he sees a woman who looks like Yuan seeing him. We took the high-speed train down to the middle of the country, to a really rural part of the country, and he showed me where my grandma was laid to rest, which is in the movie. Zhenzhen tells him she was having dinner with Peijing and that she wants to become a teacher. Title: Tigertail (2020) Director: Alan Yang Writer: Alan Yang Reviewed by Mimi . His mother declines, however, saying she likes it in Taiwan and neither speaks English nor has friends in America. This understanding led him to write ‘Tigertail’, and because it was such an intimate experience, he decided to film it in the real places that his father had shown him. Tigertail movie reviews & Metacritic score: Pin-Jui (Hong-Chi Lee) is a free-spirited yet impoverished young Taiwanese factory worker, who makes … I just didn’t have any idea about his life. Pin-Jui asks to have lunch with his daughter, and they spend most of it in silence. Prior to the inception of the story, he took a trip to Taiwan with his father. The film is much more than that, but it is an absolutely wonderful look into this man’s life. In May 2018, it was revealed that Alan Yang would write and direct Tigertail, for Netflix,[1] making it his directorial debut. Tigertail (film) Share. This prompts Pin-Jui to marry Zhenzhen so that he can move to America and provide a better life for his mother. "[11] On Metacritic, the film holds a rating of 65 out of 100, based on 19 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Years later, after Pin-Jui and Yuan have grown into young adults (Hong Chi-Lee and Yo-Hsing Fang), they reconnect in Huwei and begin an intense romance. Reportedly, the crew was seen filming on 21st Avenue and 33rd Street in Astoria and in Tribeca, and 59th Street & 6th Avenue in Manhattan. Tigertail (film) is similar to these films: After Yang, Uncorked (upcoming film), Kajillionaire and more. Also, not to spoil too much of the movie, but it was an inspiration not only for the beginning of the movie but for the end of the movie, where two of the characters take a trip around Taiwan and ride the high-speed train and all that stuff. He expresses reservations about Eric, saying her fiance does not work as hard as Angela. The film stars Tzi Ma, Christine Ko, Hayden Szeto, Lee Hong-chi, Kunjue Li, Fiona Fu, Yang Kuei-mei, James Saito and Joan Chen. Afterwards, Pin-Jui shows Yuan his home. Clark This is the incredible story behind Sweden’s most notorious gangster, Clark Olofsson, whose infamous crimes gave rise to the term “Stockholm syndrome.” From the heartbreak of leaving behind a familiar life to the emotionally distant way in which Grover is brought up, there are a lot of things that ring true, not just with Asian households. The Taiwanese rice fields that open the film were so beautiful we ended up using them for our poster. Tigertail was released on April 10, 2020, by Netflix. Watch trailers & learn more. Visiting the places that had morphed his life and coming to know about several things about his father that he had never shared before changed Yang’s perspective. But Tigertail truly flatlines when it comes to the … [12], Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Casting call seeks Taiwanese actors for 'Tigertail, "Alan Yang's Directorial Debut 'Tigertail' Tells a Timely Immingrant Story", "John Cho, Alan Yang Team for Drama 'Tigertail' (Exclusive)", "Christine Ko To Play Lead, Kunjue Li Boards Netflix Feature 'Tigertail, "John Cho to star in Netflix's 'Tigertail' from Alan Yang", "Alan Yang Sets Supporting Cast for Netflix Original Film 'Tigertail' (Exclusive)", "Jessica Gomes Shares the Huge Fashion Trend She's Loving Right Now", "John Cho, Alan Yang Team on Drama 'Tigertail' for Netflix", "Alan Yang's Tigertail Is a 'Fever Dream' of His Father's Immigration Story", "Tigertail, my first feature film, comes out April 10 on Netflix and in select theaters. While hanging out, Zhenzhen confides in Peijing that she doesn't connect with Pin-Jui and wants to become a teacher. The story jumps back and forth from Taiwan to America. A post shared by Christine Ko 葛曉潔 (@christine_ko). When she comes to New York from Maryland, they decide to meet at a Chinese restaurant. The film arrives at a difficult time: a rise in xenophobia amid the pandemic. Films similar to or like Tigertail (film) Upcoming American drama film written and directed by Alan Yang. One day, Pin-Jui looks up Yuan (Joan Chen) on Facebook and they begin messaging. Tigertail is a beautiful representation of what it means to follow the path best for you (at the time); even if it means leaving those you love behind. Pin-Jui says he did not know and Zhenzhen asks for him to connect with her more. Her mother, now a teacher, attends with a new partner, who clearly makes her happier than Pin-Jui did. She eventually says Eric left her, but feels Pin-Jui does not comfort her. Thank you to the cast and crew and especially to my family for inspiring and supporting me. © 2021 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. Tigertail is a welcome rebuttal to such an approach.The film makes the case for embracing one’s culture rather than denying it—and for understanding that immigrants are … Tigertail is Yang's first feature film and when he first started writing it in 2016 it was saved as a file called 'FAMILY MOVIE'. The site's critical consensus reads, "Uneven yet revealing, Tigertail offers a well-acted -- and ultimately valuable -- look at the immigrant experience in America. Tigertail is a beautiful representation of what it means to follow the path best for you (at the time); even if it means leaving those you love behind. The filming location of Home Again in Los Angeles (United States) at 300 N Tigertail Road (house) (credits: Black Bicycle Entertainment, Waverly Films) #sceenit #filming #location A man reflects on the lost love of his youth and his long-ago journey from Taiwan to America as he begins to reconnect with his estranged daughter. Taiwanese photography wrapped on Tigertail. Film tersebut menampilkan Tzi Ma, Christine Ko, Hayden Szeto, Lee Hong-chi, Kunjue Li, Fiona Fu, Yang Kuei-mei, James Saito dan Joan Chen. He eventually takes her to Taiwan — including his hometown — and begins to tell his life story. Film tersebut dirilis pada 10 April 2020, oleh Netflix. Tigertail (film) is so much more than being a mere immigration saga. After coming home from dinner with Peijing, Zhenzhen finds Pin-Jui at home, where he immediately asks where she has been. The name of the film, ‘Tigertail’, refers to Huwei, a township in Taiwan, where his father spent his young years. Tigertail is a 2020 American drama written and directed by Alan Yang. In the present day, we find parallels between Grover and his daughter’s story. The slow-nature of the storytelling will … After the children are grown up, Zhenzhen tells Pin-Jui she wants a divorce because she feels Pin-Jui treats her like a servant and seems to care only for himself. There, he meets a similarly aged girl, Yuan Lee, from a wealthy family. Pin-Jui lies that he was just at home and forgot the time. Later, Angela picks up her father from the airport, as he has returned from a trip to Taiwan to attend his mother's funeral. Pin-Jui is a young boy from a poor family living in Huwei ("tiger tail"). In August 2018, John Cho, Christine Ko, Tzi Ma, Kunjue Li, and Hayden Szeto joined the cast. He fares the difficult waters of his marriage and a distant relationship with his daughter in America. To capture this time in his life, the production turned towards New York. Tigertail is a well-made movie that could have used a more fleshed-out story to fully reach its potential. pic.twitter.com/5cZnDLN6DU, — Alan Yang 楊維榕 (@alanyang) March 31, 2020, In an interview with Vulture, he explained, “I heard him speak Taiwanese to cab drivers. Tigertail is the first of its kind in that it features Mandarin, English, and Taiwanese languages throughout the duration of the film in relatively equal amounts. In a story that paints such an emotional portrait of a man’s life, location becomes an integral part of the story. In this multi-generational drama, a Taiwanese factory worker leaves his homeland to seek opportunity in America, where he struggles to find connection while balancing family and newfound responsibilities. Tigertail opens with a shot of an Asian boy (Queenie Yu-Hsin Fang) carrying a tin pail, sprinting down a narrow dirt path surrounded by stretches of long grass. A Tiger's Tale is a 1987 American comedy-drama film starring Ann-Margret and C. Thomas Howell, written and directed by Peter Douglas, based on the novel Love and Other Natural Disasters by Allen Hannay III. Tigertail is a forthright character study about a man whose defining quality is his stubborn, stone-faced reticence. While Grover’s story starts in Taiwan, it is in the US that he spends most of his life. Tigertail on the outlook might seem like an immigration story meant for the Asian audience, that we have been privy to many times in the past.But it is not so. He showed me the factory that he used to work in with my grandmother, at the same factory we shot in the movie. They spend an idyllic few years together, but after he returns to Huwei, he loses touch with her. Alan Yang during production of “Tigertail.” The film is based on Yang’s own family story. In September 2018, Joan Chen, Lee Hong-chi, Yo-Hsing Fang, Fiona Fu, Margot Bingham, Yang Kuei-mei, and James Saito were announced as the rest of the cast. After Pin-Jui is dropped off at home, his ex-wife calls him to say Angela has been having a hard time at work. Grover’s heart is set on America, but Taiwan is his home. Tigertail adalah sebuah film drama Amerika Serikat tahun 2020 yang ditulis dan disutradarai oleh Alan Yang. Shooting there was a transformative experience in so many ways. Peijing tells her that they will begin to connect over time and encourages her to pursue a teaching career. Tigertail film review: engaging Netflix drama recalls immigrant experience of Taiwanese-American family Alan Yang, Emmy Award-winning writer and … Read More: Best Chinese Movies on Netflix Right Now. Directed by Alan Yang, ‘Tigertail’ portrays a story that touches the heart of the audience in a number of ways. [2] In August 2018, John Cho, Christine Ko, Tzi Ma, Kunjue Li, and Hayden Szeto joined the cast. Netflix’s ‘Tigertail’ follows the story of a man who makes a lot of sacrifices to achieve his dream, but then finds out that it might not have been worth it after all. “It was not a sort of cash-in on the Asian trade,” the filmmaker said, laughing ruefully. Pin-Jui feels they can never marry, however, because of the economic disparity of their families. Topic. Back then, a film like Tigertail seemed doomed to live only on Yang’s hard drive. The protagonist of the story is Grover, who falls in love with a girl. The boss tells Pin-Jui to meet his daughter Zhenzhen (Kunjue Li as young Zhenzhen). Plot. The boss of the factory tells Pin-Jui that he has heard that Pin-Jui wants to go to America, to which the teen replies it is his dream. It was very evocative of my own trip there.”. He tells her that she did not know her grandmother. One day at the factory, Minghua gets into an accident and hurts her hand. Proud to share it with you today. She suggests that he open up to Angela about his life. Pin-Jui discourages her from pursuing teaching, thinking she will have little time to take care of the children they will have. His father died when he was a year old, so his mother sent him to live with his grandparents who work in a rice field removed from Huwei. It has a universal approach to itself. In this poignant multi-generational drama, Pin-Jui (Hong-Chi Lee) is a free-spirited yet impoverished young Taiwanese factory worker, who makes the difficult decision to leave his homeland - and the woman he loves - behind in order to seek better opportunities in America. The filming for various scenes took place in the Queens and Manhattan area. Though she tells him that they do not have kids yet, she gets pregnant soon after, and they move out of their small apartment. Pin-Jui (Tzi Ma as the older Pin-Jui) and Zhenzhen (Fiona Fu as the older Zhenzhen) have a daughter, Angela (Christine Ko). Before this movie, I had only been to Taiwan twice in my life. [10], Tigertail received positive reviews from film critics. During the day, Pin-Jui works with his single mother in a sugar factory, while at night he frequents dance halls and croons Otis Redding from memory. Angela hosts a Chinese New Year party for family and friends. 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