Van (Vietnamese name Nau) is the eldest grandson and heir-apparent of the family. He had gone to the U.S. to study, stayed, and became a U.S. citizen. Nearing the anniversary of his grandfather's death, he is returning to complete funeral matters.
The family is surprised to find he has brought along a "friend", fellow Vietnamese-American Ian (An). Van is hoping to come out to his widowed mother, who appears to be the trustee / accountant of the family. Things get strange when grandma, somewhat of a senile amnesiac, takes Ian to be Nau, and insists he spend lots of time with her. Meanwhile, everyone is encouraging Van to get married and have children. Also, the family is hoping to get a share of the estate.
This is an excellent film, with various twists and turns. It appears true to life in modern Vietnam, where homosexuality is not illegal, but not socially approved either. The handsome leads are just close enough in looks for grandma to mistake Ian for Nau, relative to a years-ago photo..
This brings up a comparison with I am Samuel, another going-home and coming-out story. But since this is a written drama and not a documentary, the writer has better control over the arc of the story.
The family is surprised to find he has brought along a "friend", fellow Vietnamese-American Ian (An). Van is hoping to come out to his widowed mother, who appears to be the trustee / accountant of the family. Things get strange when grandma, somewhat of a senile amnesiac, takes Ian to be Nau, and insists he spend lots of time with her. Meanwhile, everyone is encouraging Van to get married and have children. Also, the family is hoping to get a share of the estate.
This is an excellent film, with various twists and turns. It appears true to life in modern Vietnam, where homosexuality is not illegal, but not socially approved either. The handsome leads are just close enough in looks for grandma to mistake Ian for Nau, relative to a years-ago photo..
This brings up a comparison with I am Samuel, another going-home and coming-out story. But since this is a written drama and not a documentary, the writer has better control over the arc of the story.