Joy Luck Club, The MPAA Rating: R Entertainment: +3 Content: -2

THE JOY LUCK CLUB is an epic drama about the relationships between four Chinese mothers and their daughters. The lives of the eight women are told in modern times at their homes in San Francisco, with flashbacks to episodes in pre World War II China. Their individual stories cover disappointing marriages to abusive, domineering, or incompatible husbands, along with feelings of failure to fulfill their earlier hopes and dreams. Mothers are portrayed by Lisa Lu, Kieu Chinh, Tsai Chin and Frances Nuyen; daughters are Ming Na Wen, Tamlyn Tomita, Lauren Tom and Rosalind Chao. All the stories are filled with emotional intensity and pathos, and will appeal primarily to women. Over two hours long, THE JOY LUCK CLUB is well crafted and superbly acted.

Some of the flashback scenes in China are intense and sexually explicit. A young girl is forced to marry an obnoxious young boy, but refuses to become involved sexually with him. This engenders some sexually explicit dialogue and, in one bedroom scene, she shows him her breasts, but the audience sees no nudity. At times, the women's Chinese husbands treat them cruelly, even to the point of bodily harm. A handsome Chinese playboy becomes enamored with one of the women, and they are shown from a distance in a banquet room engaged in sex, but no nudity. The scenes in China contain a few obscenities and the young Chinese women in San Francisco indulge in several f- and s- words and some profanity. However, all of the daughters desire to earn the affection and approval of their mothers and to share something of value with them. In turn, each of the Chinese mothers loves her daughter and tries to break down the barriers which keep them from understanding each other. This quality film suffers from some offensive language and explicit sexual content which makes it particularly inappropriate for young persons.

Preview Reviewer: John Evans
Distributor: Buena Vista Distribution Co., 3900 W. Alameda Ave., Burbank, CA 91521