The Movie Plot TIGERTAIL - Movie Synopsis
The TIGERTAIL Movie Plot - TIGERTAIL
The present-day story of Pin-Jui is intercut with the flashbacks to his life.
In narration, present-day Pin-Jui (Tzi Ma) explains that his father died when he was a year old, and that his mother left him
with his grandparents to go work in rice fields to provide for him. In his loneliness, he explains he saw things because he
wanted to see them, as a young Pin-Jui runs towards an image of his parents and falls on his way. When he returns home, his
Grandmother hides him when soldiers arrive for an inspection searching for dissidents. His grandmother tells them only she
and her husband live there. She then admonishes Pin-Jui for claiming to see his parents in the field, and tells him to be strong
and never let anyone see him cry.
He makes friends with a young girl Yuan, and for the first time in a long time, he is happy. When he is able to move back in
with his mother, he fears he will never see her again. Years later, as young adults, they reconnect and begin a romance. He
knows her parents won’t let them be together because she is of an upper class, but he wants to enjoy his time anyway. He
takes her to a fancy restaurant, and when the staff is rude and judgemental, they joyously run out without paying for their meal.
Yuan wants to see his place, but he never lets her come over - he returns home to the small apartment he shares with his
mother, Minghua.
Young adult Pin-Jui works with Minghua in a factory. His boss, Li, tells Pin-Jui he knows he has an interest in going to
America but has no way of getting there. He mentions his daughter, Zhenzhen, and that they are looking for someone to
watch out for her, and sets them up on a date, where they have little to talk about and lack the passionate chemistry Pin-Jui
has with Yuan, who he deeply loves. His date with Zhenzhen makes him late to meet Yuan. The two have sex in a clearing. He
lies to her about where he’s been, though she is concerned. To avoid the topic, he finally brings her to see his apartment.
When Minghua injures herself at work, Pin-Jui tells her it’s too dangerous and she needs a new job, and that she’s miserable
there. She tells him there’s no point in dreaming of something else that won’t happen. He tells her he could make enough
money that she wouldn’t have to and could retire somewhere else. She laughs this idea off, but Pin-Jui goes to Li and agrees
to marry Zhenzhen for the opportunity to go move to America and lead a better life, providing for his mother. As his car leaves
for the airport, he thinks he sees Yuan out the window.
In America, they adjust to life uncomfortably. Pin-Jui works at a grocery, mopping floors day after day. Zhenzhen is very lonely,
and finally makes friends with other Taiwanese people she meets at the laundromat, who she tells about her uncomfortable
relationship with Pin-Jui - they have nothing in common and he’s always working, and when he’s not he never wants to go
out.
Pin-Jui, lonely himself, calls Minghua and asks her to come live with them in America, but she has no interest in moving to a
place where she knows no one and can’t speak the language. Zhenzhen tells him she wants to get a teaching credential to
work, but he is not supportive, getting angry that dinner isn’t ready when he gets home. Her friend Peijing supports her in
doing so anyway, but she soon discovers she is pregnant and abandons that.
Pin-Jui (now played by Ma) and Zhenzhen (Fiona Fu) grow older and have kids, including a daughter, Angela. When she
makes a mistake during a piano recital, she cries in the car while Pin-Jui admonishes her not to cry. When the kids are
grown, Zhenzhen tells him she’s leaving him and divorcing him. He doesn’t understand why, since he gave her a house and a
car, and she says she never cared about any of that, and that he treats her like a servant. He says he worked all day, and she
says she raised the kids all by herself. He tells her he never wanted to marry her, and she says she always hoped he would
learn to care about anyone besides himself, but she knows now he never will and that he’s broken inside. She tells him she
wishes she had never met him.
When Angela (now played by Christine Ko) gets engaged, he tells her he’s concerned that her fiance Eric (Hayden Szeto)
can’t support her. She tells him money isn’t the important thing in a relationship and that he makes her happy, but the two do
not agree and leave things in an uncomfortable place. Later, Angela picks him up from the airport after he returns from his
mother’s funeral, and she’s a little concerned that he didn’t tell her about the funeral. He says she never visited and didn’t
know her grandmother.
Angela tells Zhenzhen, who calls him to offer her condolences. She also tells him that Angela is having a hard time at work
and encourages him to talk to her more, but he says they live separate lives. She tells him is is very hard on Angela, and he
says he just wants what’s best for her. Meanwhile, Eric and Angela are having problems, and he moves out of their
apartment.
Pin-Jui asks Angela to lunch, but barely says a word the entire time. When she pushes him to, he finally asks her about
herself, and she cries and tells him about Eric. He barely says anything, and Angela becomes more upset, wondering why he
can’t just say anything nice. She tells him her whole life she never felt like he cared about her and has no idea how to talk to
him. She suggests it might be easier to just stop trying, and leaves.
Pin-Jui finds Yuan (Joan Chen) on Facebook and messages her. The two converse, and when Yuan comes to New York, the
two arrange to meet for dinner. He asks her if he really saw her out the window the day he left, and she admits it was her, but
she couldn’t bear seeing him go. She asks him why he didn’t tell her he was leaving - he says he didn’t feel like it would have
changed anything, and she says they’ll never know. She tells him that her husband just retired, and he tells her about Angela
and how she works too much and is having a hard time. When he says he can’t get Angela to open up, she points out how
similar they are, and says maybe he needs to open up first.
Angela has a party for Chinese New Year and invites her parents. Zhenzhen is now a teacher and is remarried to Hank
(James Saito), and they are very happy together. Pin-Jui stays after and helps Angela clean everything up. Angela confesses
how hard it is to host the party without Eric. Pin-Jui finally opens up to her about Yuan. She asks him what he did after
Zhenzhen left him, and he tells her he went home.
The two take a trip together to Taiwan, and he takes her to the house that he lived in with his grandparents, the factory he
worked in with his mother, and to his mother’s burial site, finally telling her the stories from his life as the narration becomes
clear. He ends with his house and points out the bar he used to go to with Yuan. Angela asks what the woman’s name was,
tells her and begins to cry, and Angela puts a hand on his shoulder.
Related Movies:
I'M THINKING
THE OF ENDING HILLBILLY THE SYLVIE'S
SOUVENIR THINGS ELEGY PHOTOGRAPH LOVE
Flashbacks intercut with the present-day life of Pin-Jui (Tzi Ma), telling the story of how he came to America from Taiwan. He
was in love with a woman named Yuan, but marries Zhenzhen, who he doesn’t love, so that her father pays to move them to
America so he can provide a better life for his own mother, Minghua, who slaves away day after day in a factory.
He has a daughter Angela (Christine To), who is very hard on and not close with. His marriage with Zhenzhen deteriorates
through his own carelessness and she divorces him. He reconnects with Yuan who tells him and Angela are similar, and he
finally opens up to her and takes her to Taiwan to tell her his life story.
Search … Search
Thank's For Reading TIGERTAIL Movie Plot
The present-day story of Pin-Jui is intercut with the flashbacks to his life.
In narration, present-day Pin-Jui (Tzi Ma) explains that his father died when he was a year old, and that his mother left him
with his grandparents to go work in rice fields to provide for him. In his loneliness, he explains he saw things because he
wanted to see them, as a young Pin-Jui runs towards an image of his parents and falls on his way. When he returns home, his
Grandmother hides him when soldiers arrive for an inspection searching for dissidents. His grandmother tells them only she
and her husband live there. She then admonishes Pin-Jui for claiming to see his parents in the field, and tells him to be strong
and never let anyone see him cry.
He makes friends with a young girl Yuan, and for the first time in a long time, he is happy. When he is able to move back in
with his mother, he fears he will never see her again. Years later, as young adults, they reconnect and begin a romance. He
knows her parents won’t let them be together because she is of an upper class, but he wants to enjoy his time anyway. He
takes her to a fancy restaurant, and when the staff is rude and judgemental, they joyously run out without paying for their meal.
Yuan wants to see his place, but he never lets her come over - he returns home to the small apartment he shares with his
mother, Minghua.
Young adult Pin-Jui works with Minghua in a factory. His boss, Li, tells Pin-Jui he knows he has an interest in going to
America but has no way of getting there. He mentions his daughter, Zhenzhen, and that they are looking for someone to
watch out for her, and sets them up on a date, where they have little to talk about and lack the passionate chemistry Pin-Jui
has with Yuan, who he deeply loves. His date with Zhenzhen makes him late to meet Yuan. The two have sex in a clearing. He
lies to her about where he’s been, though she is concerned. To avoid the topic, he finally brings her to see his apartment.
When Minghua injures herself at work, Pin-Jui tells her it’s too dangerous and she needs a new job, and that she’s miserable
there. She tells him there’s no point in dreaming of something else that won’t happen. He tells her he could make enough
money that she wouldn’t have to and could retire somewhere else. She laughs this idea off, but Pin-Jui goes to Li and agrees
to marry Zhenzhen for the opportunity to go move to America and lead a better life, providing for his mother. As his car leaves
for the airport, he thinks he sees Yuan out the window.
In America, they adjust to life uncomfortably. Pin-Jui works at a grocery, mopping floors day after day. Zhenzhen is very lonely,
and finally makes friends with other Taiwanese people she meets at the laundromat, who she tells about her uncomfortable
relationship with Pin-Jui - they have nothing in common and he’s always working, and when he’s not he never wants to go
out.
Pin-Jui, lonely himself, calls Minghua and asks her to come live with them in America, but she has no interest in moving to a
place where she knows no one and can’t speak the language. Zhenzhen tells him she wants to get a teaching credential to
work, but he is not supportive, getting angry that dinner isn’t ready when he gets home. Her friend Peijing supports her in
doing so anyway, but she soon discovers she is pregnant and abandons that.
Pin-Jui (now played by Ma) and Zhenzhen (Fiona Fu) grow older and have kids, including a daughter, Angela. When she
makes a mistake during a piano recital, she cries in the car while Pin-Jui admonishes her not to cry. When the kids are
grown, Zhenzhen tells him she’s leaving him and divorcing him. He doesn’t understand why, since he gave her a house and a
car, and she says she never cared about any of that, and that he treats her like a servant. He says he worked all day, and she
says she raised the kids all by herself. He tells her he never wanted to marry her, and she says she always hoped he would
learn to care about anyone besides himself, but she knows now he never will and that he’s broken inside. She tells him she
wishes she had never met him.
When Angela (now played by Christine Ko) gets engaged, he tells her he’s concerned that her fiance Eric (Hayden Szeto)
can’t support her. She tells him money isn’t the important thing in a relationship and that he makes her happy, but the two do
not agree and leave things in an uncomfortable place. Later, Angela picks him up from the airport after he returns from his
mother’s funeral, and she’s a little concerned that he didn’t tell her about the funeral. He says she never visited and didn’t
know her grandmother.
Angela tells Zhenzhen, who calls him to offer her condolences. She also tells him that Angela is having a hard time at work
and encourages him to talk to her more, but he says they live separate lives. She tells him is is very hard on Angela, and he
says he just wants what’s best for her. Meanwhile, Eric and Angela are having problems, and he moves out of their
apartment.
Pin-Jui asks Angela to lunch, but barely says a word the entire time. When she pushes him to, he finally asks her about
herself, and she cries and tells him about Eric. He barely says anything, and Angela becomes more upset, wondering why he
can’t just say anything nice. She tells him her whole life she never felt like he cared about her and has no idea how to talk to
him. She suggests it might be easier to just stop trying, and leaves.
Pin-Jui finds Yuan (Joan Chen) on Facebook and messages her. The two converse, and when Yuan comes to New York, the
two arrange to meet for dinner. He asks her if he really saw her out the window the day he left, and she admits it was her, but
she couldn’t bear seeing him go. She asks him why he didn’t tell her he was leaving - he says he didn’t feel like it would have
changed anything, and she says they’ll never know. She tells him that her husband just retired, and he tells her about Angela
and how she works too much and is having a hard time. When he says he can’t get Angela to open up, she points out how
similar they are, and says maybe he needs to open up first.
Angela has a party for Chinese New Year and invites her parents. Zhenzhen is now a teacher and is remarried to Hank
(James Saito), and they are very happy together. Pin-Jui stays after and helps Angela clean everything up. Angela confesses
how hard it is to host the party without Eric. Pin-Jui finally opens up to her about Yuan. She asks him what he did after
Zhenzhen left him, and he tells her he went home.
The two take a trip together to Taiwan, and he takes her to the house that he lived in with his grandparents, the factory he
worked in with his mother, and to his mother’s burial site, finally telling her the stories from his life as the narration becomes
clear. He ends with his house and points out the bar he used to go to with Yuan. Angela asks what the woman’s name was,
tells her and begins to cry, and Angela puts a hand on his shoulder.
Related Movies:
I'M THINKING
THE OF ENDING HILLBILLY THE SYLVIE'S
SOUVENIR THINGS ELEGY PHOTOGRAPH LOVE
Flashbacks intercut with the present-day life of Pin-Jui (Tzi Ma), telling the story of how he came to America from Taiwan. He
was in love with a woman named Yuan, but marries Zhenzhen, who he doesn’t love, so that her father pays to move them to
America so he can provide a better life for his own mother, Minghua, who slaves away day after day in a factory.
He has a daughter Angela (Christine To), who is very hard on and not close with. His marriage with Zhenzhen deteriorates
through his own carelessness and she divorces him. He reconnects with Yuan who tells him and Angela are similar, and he
finally opens up to her and takes her to Taiwan to tell her his life story.
Search … Search
Thank's For Reading TIGERTAIL Movie Plot
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