Double Happiness (Shum, 1994)

Double Happiness (Mina Shum, 1994) was the first film screened in my Canadian Cinema course. It is the story of a Chinese-Canadian family, centered around the oldest daughter who aspires to be an actress. Interesting fact: Mina Shum is a UBC almuni.

After taking Can. Literature last semester, it is pretty clear to me that this is a common theme in Canada, especially in Vancouver. Quite a bit of Canadian literature deals with the notion of a hybrid or double identity, and especially with the children of theses families struggling with it. Shum does pretty well addressing this issue in Double Happiness. She also does it in a way that is enjoyable and accessible to all audiences. Although sometimes seeming over-the-top, the characters are believable and relateable.

As a Canadian film, one may expect a departure from conventional, Hollywood-style filmmaking. And Shum does provide this. From the opening shot, in which the main character Jade (Sandra Oh, now of Sideways and Grey's Anatomy fame) addresses the camera in an interview-style setting, to the next shot in which the camera circles the dinner table on a lazy susan, it is clear that this film is not your average film. These self-reflexive techniques work well with this picture. It is a film about self identity, so bringing to light the fact that it is a film helps reinforce the question of "who am I?".

Not just a Canadian film, this is Shum's first feature film. It is a beautifully done first film. She was not afraid to try things and break the norm. On great choice she makes is not being afraid of the dark. She uses shadow much to her advantage in this film. The colors are also strong, through costume and art direction as well as cinematography she paints a symbolic picture with the colors. Lastly camera movements (such as the lazy susan) are unconventional, yet work really well. It just goes to show that you do not need to copy what has been done before, and it pays to try new things to make a great film.

Double Happiness is by no means perfect, but it works. I am looking forward to diving deeper into the world of Canadian Cinema.