Americanese
| Americanese | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Eric Byler |
| Produced by | Lisa Onodera |
| Written by |
Eric Byler Based on the novel "American Knees" by Shawn Wong |
| Starring |
Chris Tashima Allison Sie Kelly Hu Ben Shenkman Autumn Reeser Joan Chen |
| Music by | Michael Brook |
| Cinematography |
Rob Humphreys Stacy Toyama |
| Edited by | Kenn Kashima |
| Distributed by | IFC First Take |
|
Running time
|
110 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Americanese is a 2006 film by Eric Byler based on the novel American Knees by Shawn Wong, concerning the relationships of a man and woman of Asian descent in the United States.
The film was written and directed by Eric Byler, adapted from the novel, "American Knees," by Shawn Wong. It was produced by Lisa Onodera, who optioned the book when it was first published in 1995. The film had its world premiere at the South by Southwest Film Festival (SXSW) in 2006, where it won the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature and a Special Jury Prize for Outstanding Ensemble Cast. In October 2006, IFC Films acquired the film for distribution, under their IFC First Take distribution arm, which will release the film on a "day-and-date" platform, which will include a limited theatrical release accompanied simultaneously with a video on demand (VOD) broadcast premiere on Comcast cable.
Raymond Ding, a middle-aged Chinese American college professor, and Aurora Crane, his younger Hapa (half-Asian) girlfriend, have just split, but continue to drift in and out of each other's lives. Unable to fully let go, Raymond visits the apartment they once shared, during the day while Aurora is away. Aurora is haunted by flashbacks of moments from their relationship.
Encouraged by their best friends to move on, Raymond and Aurora each begin new relationships. Aurora dates Steve, a Caucasian man closer to her age (and also her best friend's ex). Raymond dates Betty, a Vietnamese American colleague, who he soon discovers is haunted by her own past. Race and identity issues begin to surface as Raymond and Aurora try to start new lives, but remain drawn to their past.
Americanese was met with generally positive reviews. The film has a score of 67% with a certified "Fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 9 reviews.
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