Saving Face

Play trailer

1:52

Saving Face

R

2005

1h 36m

Comedy

Drama

Romance

LGBTQ+

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

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.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

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

Read Critics Reviews

Derek Smith

Slant Magazine

Sep 1

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

Go to Full Review

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?

Go to Full Review

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.

Go to Full Review

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.

Go to Full Review

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.

Go to Full Review

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.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Jamaliah m

@RT84199721 10/26/2024

i love this movie so much！！！

See more

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!

See more

05/30/2021

One of my favorite portrayals of sapphic romance!

See more

11/27/2020

Super cringy, but relatable...

See more

06/09/2020

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

See more

05/29/2020

A sweet love story. Following the trace from past traditional values, is it right? Maybe not always? Should people put extra effort to be who they aren't just to sustain the "face" that they saved? Just "follow your heart", respectfully and gracefully ditching the "face".

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

Alice Wu

Director

Michelle Krusiec

Wil

Joan Chen

Ma

Lynn Chen

Vivian

Jessica Hecht

Randi

Ato Essandoh

Jay

Latter Days

44%

78%

Latter Days

Watchlist

I Love You Phillip Morris

71%

61%

I Love You Phillip Morris

Watchlist

TRAILER

for I Love You Phillip Morris

Tru Loved

39%

39%

Tru Loved

Watchlist

Three of Hearts

53%

34%

Three of Hearts

Watchlist

Transamerica

77%

83%

Transamerica

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

10 Asian Women Filmmakers Who Paved the Way for Other Asian Film Talent

Awkwafina’s Five Favorite Films

Greatest Asian-American Milestones - Part 2

25:32

Saving Face: Trailer 1

1:52

View more videos

View more photos

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