Chan Is Missing (1982)
87%RT Audience Score: 76%
Awards & Nominations: 2 wins & 1 nomination
An entertaining mystery that’s also rich in setting and character detail, Chan Is Missing suggests thrilling potential from director/co-writer Wayne Wang
Chan Is Missing is a film that proves you don’t need a big budget to make a big impact. Director Wayne Wang’s debut is a clever and funny take on the Asian American experience, with standout performances from Wood Moy and Marc Hayashi. It’s a film that will make you laugh, think, and maybe even question your own assumptions. Plus, who doesn’t love a good mystery? Chan may be missing, but this film is definitely not one to miss.
Production Company(ies)
Svensk Filmindustri
Distributor
New Yorker Films
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
Chinatown, San Francisco, California, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Not Rated
Year of Release
1982
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Color:Color
Black and White -
Sound mix:Dolby
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Aspect ratio:NA
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Runtime:1h 20m
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Language(s):English, Cantonese
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Jun 4, 1982 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 24, 2006
Genre(s)
Comedy
Keyword(s)
starring Wood Moy, Marc Hayashi, Laureen Chew, directed by Wayne Wang, written by Isaac Cronin, Wayne Wang, comedy, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Derek Smith, Gene Siskel, Bill Cosford, Michael Maza, Joe Pollack, Michael Blowen, Tom Sabulis, George Anderson, Robert W Butler, F.X Feeney, Robert A Masullo, MPAA rating, producer Wayne Wang, San Francisco’s Chinatown, amateur investigators, mysterious disappearance, humorous characters, culture clashes, Chinese Americans, ethnic stereotyping, documentary-like approach, meaty conversations, character detail, setting, potential, Wayne Wang’s debut
Worldwide gross: NA
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): NA
US/Canada gross: NA
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Marc Hayashi – Steve
Laureen Chew – Amy
Wayne Wang – Director, Producer, Writer
Isaac Cronin – Writer
Director(s)
Wayne Wang
Writer(s)
Isaac Cronin, Wayne Wang
Producer(s)
Wayne Wang
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
2 wins & 1 nomination
Academy Awards
All Critics (50) | Top Critics (22) | Fresh (48) | Rotten (2)
Wayne Wang’s playfully enigmatic debut was a watershed for Asian American filmmakers.
June 21, 2022
Derek Smith
Slant Magazine
TOP CRITIC
Wood Moy and Marc Hayashi serve notice that they are actors worthy of more films. But the lion’s share of the credit for Chan Is Missing must go to director Wang, who with this one tricky little film serves notice that he is a filmmaker to watch.
May 19, 2021 | Rating: 4/4
Gene Siskel
Chicago Tribune
TOP CRITIC
It is in black-and-white, it is quite funny, and it is a revelation.
May 19, 2021 | Rating: 3/4
Bill Cosford
Miami Herald
TOP CRITIC
Chan Is Missing is craftily iconoclastic; unlike so many big-budgeted Hollywood genre-splicings and sendups, it sledgehammers old forms, not just for the heck of it, but with an eye toward building something new.
May 19, 2021
Michael Maza
Arizona Republic
TOP CRITIC
Chan Is Missing tells a story, and tells it well, and young filmmaker Wayne Wang, who produced, wrote, directed and edited, shows a great deal of talent.
May 19, 2021
Joe Pollack
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
TOP CRITIC
Although the film’s inordinately low budget lets us see too many seams in both the cinematography and editing, it also reminds us that technical flaws can be overcome by a story and characters that vibrate with sincerity, warmth, compassion and humor.
May 19, 2021
Michael Blowen
Boston Globe
TOP CRITIC
Provocative and funny.
May 19, 2021 | Rating: 4/4
Tom Sabulis
Tampa Bay Times
Chan Is Missing is valuable for its fresh look at a world we’ve never really seen on screen before.
May 19, 2021
George Anderson
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Chan is no masterpiece but those interested in seeing an undeniable talent on his solo flight will be more than satisfied.
May 19, 2021 | Rating: 3/4
Robert W. Butler
Kansas City Star
Wayne Wang is definitely a young director to watch.
May 19, 2021
F.X. Feeney
L.A. Weekly
Chan Is Missing, but fortunately side-splitting humor that pokes not-so-gentle fun at ethnic stereotyping is not.
May 19, 2021
Robert A. Masullo
Sacramento Bee
It’s a marvelously humane work that stays in your mind.
May 19, 2021 | Rating: 4/4
John Stark
San Francisco Examiner…
Plot
In Chan Is Missing, a cab driver and his nephew become amateur investigators when the unreliable holder of their savings disappears in San Francisco’s Chinatown.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
No goofy or funny or odd comments were found in the Fresh Kernels database for Chan Is Missing.
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