As a Chinese-American woman who grew up here in the States, I can definitely relate to Falling for Grace’s protagonist Grace Tang in her struggle to belong and fit into American society. She’s raised in New York’s Chinatown by immigrant parents. They struggled to make ends meet in the hopes that their children will have better lives than they did.
Grace leads a relatively isolated childhood, spending more time on her studies than with friends. The awkward nerdling grows up into a power-charging investment banker working on Wall Street and living in New York’s Upper East Side. She’s a dutiful daughter to her parents who live in Chinatown, visits them once a week and ensures they have everything they need.
She seems to lead quite the charmed life but we come to realize that despite her success and wealth, Grace still doesn’t feel like she’s part of the elite crowd in Manhattan. That is, until she’s invited to an upper crust fundraising event where she is mistaken for a Hong Kong heiress and introduced to New York’s most eligible bachelor, Andrew Barrington (Gale Harold). They begin dating and Andrew starts Falling for Grace. But will he still love her when he finds out that she’s really Cinderella and not a princess?
Featuring a wonderful, talented cast including Ken Leung from “Lost” and comedienne Margaret Cho, Falling for Grace is the Chinese American version of Cinderella that has universal appeal. Asian Americans will certainly be able to identify with Grace’s desire to fit into mainstream society, and all of us, I’m sure, will be able to relate to wanting to be part of the “in” crowd.
Fay Ann Lee, Wharton grad and principal of Canal Street Pictures, produced, directed, and starred in her directorial debut. The film, which was filmed in 2004, won several film festival awards. However, no distributor was interested in taking on a film featuring an Asian American lead.
Taking it into her own hands, Fay spent the next 4 years raising independent funding for the film, which is now showing in select theaters around the world. I personally wish I had more Asian-American film stars to look up to when I was a child growing up as a minority in America and I applaud Fay’s heart, dedication and blood, sweat, and tears in not only co-writing the screenplay, but also directing and producing the film.
If only there could be more Asian American role models like her.
Falling for Grace is currently screening in New York and is also available on DVD.
[etRating value=“ 4”]
Grace leads a relatively isolated childhood, spending more time on her studies than with friends. The awkward nerdling grows up into a power-charging investment banker working on Wall Street and living in New York’s Upper East Side. She’s a dutiful daughter to her parents who live in Chinatown, visits them once a week and ensures they have everything they need.
She seems to lead quite the charmed life but we come to realize that despite her success and wealth, Grace still doesn’t feel like she’s part of the elite crowd in Manhattan. That is, until she’s invited to an upper crust fundraising event where she is mistaken for a Hong Kong heiress and introduced to New York’s most eligible bachelor, Andrew Barrington (Gale Harold). They begin dating and Andrew starts Falling for Grace. But will he still love her when he finds out that she’s really Cinderella and not a princess?
Featuring a wonderful, talented cast including Ken Leung from “Lost” and comedienne Margaret Cho, Falling for Grace is the Chinese American version of Cinderella that has universal appeal. Asian Americans will certainly be able to identify with Grace’s desire to fit into mainstream society, and all of us, I’m sure, will be able to relate to wanting to be part of the “in” crowd.
Fay Ann Lee, Wharton grad and principal of Canal Street Pictures, produced, directed, and starred in her directorial debut. The film, which was filmed in 2004, won several film festival awards. However, no distributor was interested in taking on a film featuring an Asian American lead.
Taking it into her own hands, Fay spent the next 4 years raising independent funding for the film, which is now showing in select theaters around the world. I personally wish I had more Asian-American film stars to look up to when I was a child growing up as a minority in America and I applaud Fay’s heart, dedication and blood, sweat, and tears in not only co-writing the screenplay, but also directing and producing the film.
If only there could be more Asian American role models like her.
Falling for Grace is currently screening in New York and is also available on DVD.
[etRating value=“ 4”]
