Catfish in Black Bean Sauce

2000 Comedy Drama

In Catfish In Black Bean Sauce, Paul Winfield and Mary Alice play an African-American couple who in the 1970's adopted two Vietnamese children, a brother and sister. 20 years on, the two kids have grown to adulthood; Dwayne (Chi Muoi Lo) has absorbed a great deal of black culture from his adopted parents and is engaged to an attractive African-American woman (Sanaa Lathan). His sister (Lauren Tom), however, feels more comfortable with Asian cultural paths and has married an older Asian man (Tzi Ma). The siblings have recently come in contact with their birth mother (Kieu Chinh), and are awaiting her first visit to the United States, which causes no small amount of personal, cultural and familial clashes. Catfish In Black Bean Sauce is the feature debut from writer/director Chi Muoi Lo, who also plays Dwane; it was a prize winner at the 1999 WorldFest/Houston Film Festival. more..

Director: Chi Muoi Lo

Starring: Paul Winfield, Mary Alice,Chi Muoi Lo, Lauren Tom, Kieu Chinh

Reviews

  • A comedy of interracial wariness and misunderstanding marked by a refreshing lack of sappiness.

    Bob Graham - The San Francisco Chronicle

    19 January 2013

  • As engaging as it is ungainly and scattered.

    Jay Carr - The Boston Globe

    19 January 2013

  • Lo's writing is generally solid, and he creates some genuinely funny and touching moments with his use of dream sequences and flashbacks. He may not have gotten his proportions perfect in this first try, but Catfish in Black Bean Sauce shows that Lo has sharp cinematic instincts.

    - The Chicago Tribune

    19 January 2013

  • Chock full of personality and irreverent detail.

    Ken Fox - TV Guide

    19 January 2013

  • Isn't quite as much fun as it could be.

    A.O. Scott - The New York Times

    19 January 2013

Awards

  • Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role (Film)

    First Americans in the Arts Awards (2001)

  • Best Narrative Feature

    Florida Film Festival (1999)

  • Exposé

    Political Film Society (2001)

     
  • Theatrical Feature Films - 004

    WorldFest Houston (1999)