A Great Wall | |
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Theatrical release poster
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Directed by | Peter Wang |
Written by |
Shirley Sun Peter Wang |
Starring | Peter Wang Kelvin Han Yee Sharon Iwai |
Music by |
Ge Ganru David Liang |
Cinematography |
Robert Primes Peter Stein |
Edited by | Grahame Weinbren |
Distributed by | Orion Classics |
Release date
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Running time
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97 min |
Country | United States |
Language |
English Mandarin |
A Great Wall is a 1986 comedy-drama film written, directed and starring Peter Wang. It was the first American feature film shot in the People's Republic of China and was Kelvin Han Yee's first film.
When a Silicon Valley Chinese American executive goes back to his homeland of China for the first time in 30 years, he and his family encounter many culture clashes between the lives that they lead in the United States and the lives of their relatives in China. The finale of the movie includes an exciting table tennis match involving the Chinese-American son played by Kelvin Han Yee.
The film was met with critical acclaim. The film has a score of 80% with a certified "Fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 5 reviews.
Acclaimed film critic Roger Ebert from the Chicago-Sun Times awarded the film with 3 out of 4 stars and wrote of the film saying "A Great Wall is a human comedy about a Chinese-American family that goes to visit relatives in Peking, and within that simple premise are so many inspirations that the movie is interesting even when it's just looking at things." and went on to say "The chief pleasure of "A Great Wall" is its observation of the different attitudes toward the daily process of living in China and the United States."