Catfish in Black Bean Sauce is a 2000 comedy-drama film directed by Chi Muoi Lo in his directorial debut about a Vietnamese brother and sister raised by an African American couple. The film stars Chi Muoi Lo, Paul Winfield, Sanaa Lathan, and Mary Alice.
| Catfish in Black Bean Sauce | |
|---|---|
 DVD cover art | |
| Directed by | Chi Muoi Lo |
| Written by | Chi Muoi Lo |
| Produced by | Chi Muoi Lo |
| Starring | Chi Muoi Lo Paul Winfield Sanaa Lathan Mary Alice |
| Cinematography | Rudy M. Fenenga, Jr. Dean Lent |
| Edited by | Dawn Hoggatt |
| Music by | Stanley A. Smith |
| Distributed by | Black Hawk Entertainment |
Release date |
|
Running time | 119 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Cast
edit- Chi Muoi Lo as Dwayne Williams/Sap
- Sanaa Lathan as Nina
- Paul Winfield as Harold Williams
- Mary Alice as Dolores Williams
- Lauren Tom as Mai
- Kieu Chinh as Thanh
- Tyler Christopher as Michael
- Tzi Ma as Vinh
- George Wallace as James
- Wing Chen as Samantha
- Amy Tran as Young Mai
- Kevin Lo as Young Dwayne/Sap
- Kevin D’Arcy as Guard 1
- Andre Rosey Brown: Guard 2
- Ron Galbraith as Doctor
- Calvin Nguyen as Teacher
- Richard F. Whiten as Motorcycle Cop
- Lalanya Master as Bank Teller
- Mark Daniel Cade as Assistant Bank Manager
- Jedda Jones as Agnes
- Roxanne Reese as Nadine
- Saachiko Magwili as Mother
- William Thomas as Douglas
- April Tran as Interpreter
- Thomas Ryan as Lt. Davis
- Carol Kiernan as Nurse
- Thu Hong: Opera Singer
- Ho Lo as Man at Airport
- Vien Hong as Transvestite
Reviews
editThe film has received mixed reviews. A Los Angeles Times review noted that as the film's writer/director/actor Chi Muoi Lo "spread himself too thin, resulting in an uneven picture but one that has plenty of substance and emotion".[1] Roger Ebert wrote that the film was "a first draft for a movie that could have been extraordinary".[2] The San Francisco Chronicle noted that the film was "a comedy of interracial wariness and misunderstanding marked by a refreshing lack of sappiness".[3]
Awards and nominations
edit| Year | Award | Result | Category | Recipient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | First Americans in the Arts Awards | Won | Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role (Film) | Tyler Christopher |
| 2001 | Political Film Society | Nominated | Exposé | -
|
| 1999 | Florida Film Festival
New Port Beach Film Festival |
Won
Won Won |
Best Narrative Feature | Chi Muoi Lo |
| Best Narrative Feature
Best Screen Play |
Chi Muoi Lo
Chi Muoi Lo | |||
| 1999 | WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival[4] | Won | Theatrical Feature Films - 004 | Chi Muoi Lo |
References
edit- ^ "Catfish in Black Bean Sauce". fandango.com. Retrieved 2009-06-24.
- ^ Ebert, Roger (2000-07-28). "Catfish In Black Bean Sauce". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved 2023-11-01.
- ^ Catfish in Black Bean Sauce at metacritic
- ^ Leydon, Joe (June 15, 1999). "Catfish In Black Bean Sauce". Variety. Archived from the original on January 4, 2024. Retrieved January 4, 2024.