An older Chinese man is seen arriving at an airport in an unspecified American city. His daughter, Yilan, is there to meet him. They have not seen each other in years. Their encounter is not exactly a warm one. It is clear the two have grown apart. Yilan has been living in American for some time. She has made a somewhat nice life for herself in her adopted country. Yilan lives in one of those sterile condominium complexes where everything looks cold.
Mr. Shi, as the father is known, speaks some English; he jots down new words he sees, but he lapses into his own language, when he cannot find the right words to express himself. He does not appreciate the way his daughter is living. Going through her things, he discovers she has fondness for Russian things, like the Matryoshka dolls she keeps on top of her dresser. Mr. Yi feels his daughter is not eating properly, so he begins to cook meals that are hardly touched by Yilan.
The old man goes out to a nearby park just to get out of the apartment. He happens to meet a lovely Iranian lady who is also living a similar experience as Mr. Shi. Even though they cannot speak fluent English, they manage to talk about many things. The lady is of a certain age, she is proud of having come to America, leaving the chaotic world of her native country behind. She is also grateful to be living with her doctor son in a nice environment. One day she stops coming to the park, so one of her friends stop by the bench to inform Mr. Shi the Iranian lady is now living in a Seniors' home, something that surprises the old man.
Yilan is not too happy with the new addition in her life. She has been secretly avoiding her father to stay away from the apartment. Coming home late one evening the truth emerges. Yilan has been seeing a Russian colleague who happens to be married. He has a family back home; it is obvious the affair is over. When Mr. Shi questions her about what he learned, she becomes defensive. She goes on to accuse her old man to have lived a lie all his life. What's more, Yilan knows he had cheated her mother with a mistress. Years of bitterness surfaced between father and daughter. Finally, Mr. Shi decides to explore whatever he can from the country he is visiting riding trains to get to his destinations.
A lovely story based on stories by Yiyun Li is explored by director Wayne Yang, whose films have delighted movie going audiences for the way this creator views complex situations, mainly involving Chinese characters and culture. The film is basically a study about two generations that have grown apart. The older father, has stayed in his native country, China, where he felt his work was needed, in spite of his troubled past within that society. Yilan, in contrast, adapted well to her new country, viewing the situation with her family with different eyes. She has a new set of values, but keeping some of her native culture alive. The arrival of the father puts a strain in Yilan's life. Suddenly, her world begins to crumble right in front of her eyes; she begins to resent the intrusion in her home of a man she does not even relate to, anymore.
Beautifully acted by Henry O as Mr. Shi, and Feihong Yu, who is seen as Yilan. The generation and culture gap are clearly the focal point in their relationship. Vida Ghahremani makes a good contribution as the only friend Mr. Shi finds in his new surroundings.
