Hu Ling

An Irish funeral has what s called a wake. A Jewish funeral has what s called sitting shiva. A traditional Chinese Funeral is something else entirely… In a stately home, sixty-something Mrs. Xiao (Lisa Lu) lies in her bed, immobile, eyes shut. Her longtime housekeeper and, some might say, her only friend, Viola Gruber (Talia Shire), a force of nature who s been with the family since the kids were in diapers, must now call each of the four children to inform them their mother has passed away. Eldest daughter Elizabeth (Julia Nickson) lives in Maui and is stuck in a marriage that is falling apart. Son Alexander (Russell Wong) is in Manhattan. A successful dermatologist, he s married to a former Miss Taiwan (Kelly Hu) and cheating on her. Middle daughter Victoria (Francoise Yip) lives nearby. Victoria can t stop nibbling on chips and chocolates … and can t stop being angry with her mother. Youngest daughter Meimei (Steph Song) is the star of B-grade Hong Kong martial arts films. She s gorgeous, funny, and a bit of a princess. She s also in a lesbian relationship (Bai Ling) and looking to.have a baby. All the Xiao children had issues with their mother. She was domineering, manipulative, controlling, imperious, meddlesome, selfish, secretive, rigid, and a bitch. The kids have issues with each other as well. Mrs. Xiao had made them compete for her affections, pitting one against the other, and, so, they came to view one another as opponents. And they still do. Now, here they are, gathered in the mansion built by their late father … to bid farewell to their mother. Mrs. Xiao s dying wish, Viola says, was to have a traditional Chinese funeral. Coming together, albeit reluctantly, to carry out this traditional funeral, the four Xiao children discover each other all over again … and come to know their mother in ways they never fathomed, in this touching and funny look at family life.