Dim Sum: A Little Bit of Heart

Set in San Francisco’s Chinese community, this gentle little tale of generations, obligations and shifting traditions is a pleasure to watch. The central characters are Mrs. Tam (the widowed mother) and Geraldine (her 30 year old daughter). Their relationship shows the challenges that immigrant families face when they come here. The mother is tied to some old world values that prevent her from feeling any sense of peace. This uneasiness is further compounded after a visit to a fortune teller who predicts that she most likely will NOT see her next birthday.

Mrs. Tam believes that if Geraldine would just get married , then she could feel resolve about passing on. Geraldine is reluctant to wed. She is caught between her obligation to fulfill her mother’s wishes to move out and the guilt of leaving her mother alone.

Many colorful characters are intertwined in this tale: most notably a funny old uncle who dreams of the food that identifies his culture (duck wontons, shark fin soup, pork with shrimp sauce and dim sum).