Saving Face

Play trailer

1:52

Saving Face

R

2005

1h 36m

Comedy

Drama

Romance

LGBTQ+

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

88%

Tomatometer

90 Reviews

88%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

Wil is a lesbian, but she does not dare tell her widowed mother, Hwei-lan, or her very traditional grandparents. She's shocked, however, to find out she's not the only one in her family with romantic secrets when she learns that her 48-year-old mother is pregnant. Unwilling to reveal who the father is, Hwei-lan is kicked out of her parents' home and must move in with Wil, which puts a strain on Wil's budding relationship with openly gay Vivian.

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Critics Consensus

A charming tale of a love affair that overcomes cultural taboos.

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Derek Smith

Slant Magazine

Sep 1

Saving Face is a coming-out story that elicits plenty of universal truths.

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Terry Nguyen

Vox

05/04/2022

Why do rom-coms always get happy endings, and not family dramas? With Saving Face, Wu dares to ask: Why not both?

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Alyx Vesey

Bitch Media

01/11/2021

Saving Face could get really preachy if it wanted to. But that it addresses multiple concerns with a light touch is one of its virtues.

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Rudie Obias

Battleship Pretension

Aug 29

Saving Face is charming and witty, while it has a lot to say about the relationship between mothers and their daughters — through the lens of an immigrant’s story.

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Dave Giannini

InSession Film

02/28/2024

The romantic comedy has long been maligned for being over the top and unrealistic. Saving Face never suffers from this. Wu’s characters feel real and true, and I am glad to have gotten to know them.

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Steven Lindsey

Texas Triangle/TXT

05/08/2023

3.5/4

There are moments that are laugh-out-loud, but more importantly, there are times you can't pry the smile off your face simply in anticipation of what comes next.

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Jamaliah m

@RT84199721 10/26/2024

i love this movie so much！！！

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STEPHANIE M

@RT27265773 06/05/2024

absulute heat it was fire

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06/14/2022

Incredible acting, dialogue, and story. Loved this universally relatable portrayal of a mother and daughter, as well as the complexity of love!

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05/30/2021

One of my favorite portrayals of sapphic romance!

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11/27/2020

Super cringy, but relatable...

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06/09/2020

Really beautiful story. Michelle Krusiec and Lynn Chen have great on screen chemistry.

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Alice Wu

Director

Michelle Krusiec

Wil

Joan Chen

Ma

Lynn Chen

Vivian

Jessica Hecht

Randi

Ato Essandoh

Jay

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Synopsis

Wil is a lesbian, but she does not dare tell her widowed mother, Hwei-lan, or her very traditional grandparents. She's shocked, however, to find out she's not the only one in her family with romantic secrets when she learns that her 48-year-old mother is pregnant. Unwilling to reveal who the father is, Hwei-lan is kicked out of her parents' home and must move in with Wil, which puts a strain on Wil's budding relationship with openly gay Vivian.

Director: Alice Wu
Producer: James Lassiter, Will Smith, Teddy Zee
Screenwriter: Alice Wu
Distributor: Sony Pictures Entertainment
Production Co: Forensic Films, Overbrook Entertainment, GreeneStreet Films Inc.
Rating: R (Some Sexuality|Language)
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance, LGBTQ+
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 27, 2005, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 16, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA): $1.2M
Runtime: 1h 36m