History Film / SavingFace

* TwoferTokenMinority: Wil and Vivian, her girlfriend, are Chinese-American lesbians.

* PlayingGertrude: Joan Chen, who played Gao, was only thirteen years older than Michelle Krusciec, playing Gao's daughter Wil. However, Gao was supposed to be just nineteen when she had Wil and so it's {{downplayed}}.

* RacistGrandma: Wil's mom displays some typical racism against black people. She purposely uses paper plates for [[TokenBlackFriend Jay]] because she thinks he's dirty.

* SecretRelationship: Wil hides her relationship with Vivian from her family and refuses to engage in PDA. Wil's mother refuses to reveal the father of her child.

* LipstickLesbian: Lovers Vivian and Wil have long hair. Wil likes to wear masculine clothing, but still isn't butch. Vivian wears feminine clothes and makeup.

* ForbiddenLove: Wil and Vivian can't be out about having a relationship due to homophobia prevalent in the community.

* PlayingGertrude: Joan Chen, who played Gao, was only thirteen years older than Michelle Krusciec, playing Gao's daughter Wil.

''Saving Face'' revolves around the 29 year old Chinese-American surgeon Wilhelmina. Wil's life is shaken up when her mother (Creator/JoanChen) moves in with her and it is also revealed that Wil's mother is pregnant by an unknown father. Wil also gets a new love in her life with another Chinese-American girl Vivian. To complicate things, Wil is trying to keep the [[SecretRelationship relationship secret]]. The question is how can Wil handle and balance these new factors in her life?

* TomboyishName: Wilhelmina Peng goes by "Wil". She's a bit of a tomboy, and also gay.

This film is a [[LesbianRomance lesbian]] RomanticComedy released in 2004. Directed and written by Alice Wu, the work is a lighthearted take on family and relationships as well as how people present themselves to others.

* BilingualDialogue: Around 40% of the film is in Mandarin.

* ComingOutStory: Wil comes out to her mother. While her mom already [[ParentsWalkInAtTheWorstTime caught her with another woman]] a few years ago, they never acknowledged or discussed it.

* LesbianRomance: The primary plot has to do with family drama, changing attitudes in the Chinese community of Flushing, and coping with family pressures with regard to one's ForbiddenRomance. One of the stories deals with Wil trying to conceal her relationship from her mother ... while her mother is living with her.

* LipstickLesbian: Both girls have long hair, and Vivian wears feminine clothes and makeup.

** Wil's mother disapproves of her lesbianism, and is in denial about it because she thinks it reflects badly on her parenting. (She eventually comes around.)

* RacistGrandma: Wil's mom displays some typical racism against black people. She purposely uses paper plates for [[BlackBestFriend Jay]] because she thinks he's dirty.

* DoggedNiceGuy: Cho has pined for Wil's mom for 15 years. He's willing to accept the baby as his own, no questions asked. But her heart belongs to another.

%% * AnguishedDeclarationOfLove: [[spoiler: Wil, at the end, although Vivian is too far away to hear her.]]

%% * BlackBestFriend: Jay, the next door neighbor, though he's not a particularly important character.

%% * {{Gayngst}}: A little bit of it; goes hand in hand with the fact of Wil's traditional family.

%% * RaceForYourLove: [[{{Deconstruction}} Deconstructed]], turns out that grand gestures of love does not solve underlying problems.

%% * SmokingHotSex: Vivian, though Wil does smoke on her roof. [[FridgeLogic Despite being a surgeon]].

%% * {{Ballet}}: Vivian has been pushed by her [[StageMom dad]] though she prefers modern dancing.

%% * ComingOutStory: Wil's. Vivian is already out. Its a little more complicated since her mom did catch her with another woman a few years ago but refuses to acknowledge or talk about it.

%% * GossipyHens: Pretty much Wil's entire immediate and extended family - women and men alike.

%%* LawOfInverseFertility

%% * LipstickLesbian: Both girls though Wil tends not to dress quite as feminine, a fact that her mother brings up [[RunningGag a lot]]
%% * LookingForLoveInAllTheWrongPlaces: Wil's mom's dating montage.

%% * RunawayBride: [[spoiler: Wil's mom, at the very end, sprints out of her wedding to Cho after Little Yu makes a public confession.]]
%% * SecretRelationship: Wil and Vivian, though that's only to Wil's family. Vivian's seems to be more understanding. [[spoiler: Wil's mom and Little Yu before the events of the film]].

* AnguishedDeclarationOfLove: [[spoiler: Wil, at the end, although Vivian is too far away to hear her.]]

* {{Ballet}}: Vivian has been pushed by her [[StageMom dad]] though she prefers modern dancing.
* BlackBestFriend: Jay, the next door neighbor, though he's not a particularly important character.
* ComingOutStory: Wil's. Vivian is already out. Its a little more complicated since her mom did catch her with another woman a few years ago but refuses to acknowledge or talk about it.

* {{Gayngst}}: A little bit of it; goes hand in hand with the fact of Wil's traditional family.
* GossipyHens: Pretty much Wil's entire immediate and extended family - women and men alike.
* HappyEnding/LastMinuteHookup: Although it's sort of tacked on, [[spoiler: three months after their breakup Wil and Vivian get back together]].

* LesbianRomance: The primary plot has to do with family drama, [[GenerationGap changing attitudes]] in the Chinese community of Flushing, and coping with family pressures with regard to one's ForbiddenRomance. One of the stories deals with Wil trying to conceal her relationship from her mother ... while her mother is living with her.

* LipstickLesbian: Both girls though Wil tends not to dress quite as feminine, a fact that her mother brings up [[RunningGag a lot]]
* LookingForLoveInAllTheWrongPlaces: Wil's mom's dating montage.

* RaceForYourLove: [[{{Deconstruction}} Deconstructed]], turns out that grand gestures of love does not solve underlying problems.

* RunawayBride: [[spoiler: Wil's mom, at the very end, sprints out of her wedding to Cho after Little Yu makes a public confession.]]
* SecretRelationship: Wil and Vivian, though that's only to Wil's family. Vivian's seems to be more understanding. [[spoiler: Wil's mom and Little Yu before the events of the film]].
* SmokingHotSex: Vivian, though Wil does smoke on her roof. [[FridgeLogic Despite being a surgeon]].

%% ZeroContextExample entries are not allowed on wiki pages. All such entries have been commented out. Add context to the entries before uncommenting them.

%%* BlackBestFriend: Jay.
* ComingOutStory: Wil's. Vivian is already out. Its a little more complicated since her mom did catch her with another women a few years ago but refuses to acknowledge or talk about it.

%%* HappyEnding
%%* LastMinuteHookup

%%* LesbianRomance: Mixed with [[TheGenerationGap family drama ]]
%%* LikesOlderWomen: [[spoiler: Little Yu.]]

%%* MayDecemberRomance: Though not the way you think.

%%* RomanticComedy
%%* RunawayBride: [[spoiler: Wil's mom, at the very end]]

* BlackBestFriend: Jay.

* HappyEnding
* LastMinuteHookup
* LawOfInverseFertility
* LesbianRomance: Mixed with [[TheGenerationGap family drama ]]
* LikesOlderWomen: [[spoiler: Little Yu.]]

* MayDecemberRomance: Though not the way you think.
* PrecisionFStrike

* RomanticComedy
* RunawayBride: [[spoiler: Wil's mom, at the very end]]

* ActorAllusion: When Wil's mom browses Chinese films, the first video she comes across is TheLastEmperor.

''Saving Face'' revolves around the 29 year old Chinese-American surgeon Wilhelmina. Wil's life is shaken up when her mother (Creator/JoanChen) moves in with her and it is also revealed that Wil's mother is pregnant by an unknown father. Wil also gets a new love in her life with another Chinese-American girl Vivian. To complicate things, Wil is trying to keep the [[SecretRelationship relationship secret]]. The question is how can Wil handle and balance these new factors in her life? [[spoiler:The answer is, not at all. She screws up everything, especially her own relationship with Vivian.]]

* Ballet: Vivian has been pushed by her [[StageMom dad]] though she prefers modern dancing.

* MayDecemberRomance

* SmokingHotSex: Vivian, though Wil does smoke on her roof. Despite being a doctor.

* LesbianRomance: Both girls though Wil tends not to dress quite as feminine, a fact that her mother brings up [[RunningGag a lot]]

* LipstickLesbian

* ComingOutStory

* LesbianRomance

* SecretRelationship

''Saving Face'' revolves around the 29 year old Chinese-American surgeon Wilhelmina. Wil's life is shaken up when her mother (JoanChen) moves in with her and it is also revealed that Wil's mother is pregnant by an unknown father. Wil also gets a new love in her life with another Chinese-American girl Vivian. To complicate things, Wil is trying to keep the [[SecretRelationship relationship secret]]. The question is how can Wil handle and balance these new factors in her life? [[spoiler:The answer is, not at all. She screws up everything, especially her own relationship with Vivian.]]

* RaceForYourLove