The Joy Luck Club

Directed by Wayne Wang, 1993
R; 138 minutes

“This heartrending and transcendent adaptation of Amy Tan's bestseller about a quartet of Chinese American daughters and their immigrant mothers is the ultimate movie about almost everyone's first love: Mom.” – Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Inquirer

In San Francisco, a group of aging Chinese women (Kiều Chinh, Tsai Chin, France Nuyen, Lisa Lu) meet regularly to trade familial stories while playing Mahjong. In a series of sixteen vignettes that spans generations and continents, this adaptation of Amy Tan's bestselling novel explores cultural conflict and the often-turbulent relationships between four first-generation Chinese-American women (Ming-Na Wen, Tamlyn Tomita, Lauren Tom, Rosalind Chao) and their mothers.

The “My Favorite Films” series features tales of romance, humor, suspense, satire, and heroism with films since 1945. These films may hold special memories for you—no matter how many times you see them, they continue to draw you in once more. While many of these films are available through streaming, it's always more fun to see them in the theatre.

Lights, camera, adaptation! This May take a cinematic tour from page to screen with films that has leapt from pages of bestselling books straight onto the silver screen.

Make a day of it at the Modern and include extra time to visit the galleries. Enjoy lunch in Café Modern and then settle in for an afternoon screening, or plan for a coffee break afterwards with fellow film enthusiasts.

Screenings are at 2 pm most Wednesdays in the auditorium. Tickets are $5 (FREE for Modern members) and are available at the Museum’s admission desk or online. Click here to purchase tickets online.