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Romantic drama

Eat a Bowl of Tea (1989): Cast & Plot

Eat a Bowl of Tea (1989) movie poster

Eat a Bowl of Tea is a 1989 romantic drama directed by Wayne Wang, starring Jessica Harper as American Prostitute (uncredited), Russell Wong and Cora Miao. It runs 1 hour 42 minutes.

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Eat a Bowl of Tea (1989) movie poster
Released
Runtime
1h 42m (102 min)
Director
Wayne Wang
Genres
Drama , Romance
Original language
English
After the credits
No No extra scene
The story

What Is Eat a Bowl of Tea About?

The premise of Eat a Bowl of Tea without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.

A taste of life in America follows an American‑Chinese husband who brings his wife from China to the United States. As they struggle to earn a living and adjust to a new culture, the constant advances of a gambler and mounting financial pressures threaten the stability of their marriage.

Eat a Bowl of Tea Themes & Keywords

· 50 tags
  • voice over narration
  • begins with narration
  • united states china relationship
  • husband wife relationship
  • mother son relationship
  • brother sister relationship
  • reference to world war two
  • gambling
  • gambling club
  • new york city
  • father son relationship
  • friend
+38 more
  • friendship
  • best friend
  • marriage
  • love at first sight
  • meat axe
  • axe attack
  • pregnancy
  • doctor
  • vacation
  • chinese restaurant
  • wedding present
  • family honor
  • tea
  • live action
  • china
  • chinese american
  • united states of america
  • wedding
  • immigrant experience
  • unfaithful wife
  • murder
  • impotence
  • immigration
  • grandfather
  • gossip
  • first son
  • family tradition
  • cuckold
  • chinese culture
  • chinatown manhattan new york city
  • marital problem
  • wok
  • washington d.c.
  • waffle iron
  • television
  • matchmaking
  • mailbox
  • lincoln memorial
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Cast & crew

Eat a Bowl of Tea Cast & Characters

Jessica Harper leads the cast as American Prostitute (uncredited), with Russell Wong as Ben Loy and Cora Miao as Mei Oi. Directed by Wayne Wang; 14 actors are credited in all.

Also Starring in Eat a Bowl of Tea

· 10 more
From the director

More from Wayne Wang

More films directed by Wayne Wang, best-rated first: The Joy Luck Club, Chan Is Missing, Coming Home Again and Smoke.

Full filmography
Plot

Eat a Bowl of Tea Plot Summary

What happens in Eat a Bowl of Tea from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 12 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

Against the backdrop of a community scarred by the Chinese Exclusion Act, the film traces the long shadows cast by a generation of Chinese-American men who were unable to bring their wives and families to the United States. For decades, these men lived with the ache of separation, their loved ones back in China, while they built lives in a new land. S. Army after World War II. Through the provisions of the War Brides Act, he is allowed to bring a bride from China, a path that leads him to Mei Oi through an arranged marriage. S. before she was born.

Full summary

The whole story of Eat a Bowl of Tea, scene by scene

Read the full summary
Quiz

How Well Do You Know Eat a Bowl of Tea?

10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.

Question 1 of 10

  1. Question 1: not answered
  2. Question 2: not answered
  3. Question 3: not answered
  4. Question 4: not answered
  5. Question 5: not answered
  6. Question 6: not answered
  7. Question 7: not answered
  8. Question 8: not answered
  9. Question 9: not answered
  10. Question 10: not answered

In which city's Chinatown does the story primarily take place?

Details

Eat a Bowl of Tea Also Known As

6 alternative titles, including “Cómete una taza de té” and “Eine Tasse Tee für die Liebe”.

Also known as
  • Cómete una taza de té
  • Eine Tasse Tee für die Liebe
  • 뜨거운 차 한잔
  • 吃一碗茶
  • Um Amor em Chinatown
  • Menja’t una tassa de te

Seen Eat a Bowl of Tea?

FAQ

Eat a Bowl of Tea FAQ: Cast, Runtime & Release Date

Runtime, release date, director, cast and post-credit scenes of Eat a Bowl of Tea, each answered in a sentence.

How long is Eat a Bowl of Tea?

Eat a Bowl of Tea runs 1 hour 42 minutes (102 minutes).

When was Eat a Bowl of Tea released?

Eat a Bowl of Tea was released on July 21, 1989.

Who directed Eat a Bowl of Tea?

Eat a Bowl of Tea was directed by Wayne Wang.

More films by Wayne Wang

Who is in the cast of Eat a Bowl of Tea?

Eat a Bowl of Tea stars Jessica Harper as American Prostitute (uncredited), Russell Wong as Ben Loy and Cora Miao as Mei Oi, among 14 credited actors.

Does Eat a Bowl of Tea have a post-credit scene?

No. Eat a Bowl of Tea has no extra scene during or after the credits.

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