For the matriarch, it’s a role not so different than that of Oscar-winning septuagenarian Youn Yuh-jung in “Minari.” But Goa Ah-Leh, 77, whose credits have included “Eat Drink Man Woman” and “The Wedding Banquet,” is also a seasoned, award-winning actress having won the Golden Horse Awards four times and the Golden Bell Awards twice. She can convey a lot in a quiet grimace or arched eyebrow and spends her days painting in a traditional Chinese style.
Mother-daughter rifts and unresolved issues are common in any culture. But the teens come with their own complications. The goth-like girl (Demi Ke) is exploited by a popular guy at school but takes a shine to an introverted and troubled next door neighbor who also happens to be blind. Her brother (Jiayu Wang) struggling with his sexuality amid trying to fit into an already strange land. Still, they adapt to Western culture and styles quickly despite the language barrier.
The husband (Travis Goodman) tries his best to be supportive among all this, but the mother considers him temporary and tries to find a nice Chinese partner for her writing daughter. For the elder, warming to the new country is difficult, even after meeting an old friend an exuberant extrovert with whom she can’t quite keep up (the splendid Ying Xie).
Well-shot and warmly paced, “Beneath the Banyan Tree” exhibits a deeper bond that leads to eventual understanding in a quiet family story that is satisfying on many levels and easily applicable to many cultures. It also points to a promising film future for Nano Li Yang’s career.
“Beneath the Banyan Tree,” subtitled, is available on streaming services that include Amazon, iTunes, Xbox and Google Play. The DVD is available via outlets such as Amazon.com and BestBuy.com.