Life on the Other Side

Children of Invention captivates at the Brattle Theatre.

By SANYEE YUAN

I like to cry during movies.

There’s something comforting about the cloak of anonymity that the darkness of the theatre affords, along with the group-therapy feeling that stems from hearing multiple other sniffles in front of, next to, and behind me.

This past weekend, I went to the Brattle Theatre for the first time and watched an independent movie that not only made me (and several other members of the audience) cry, but also captivated me with its honest and touching story.

Children of Invention, a Sundance feature and Independent Film Festival Boston Grand Jury Prize winner, began its Boston-area, one-week exclusive theatrical premiere at Harvard Square on Friday, February 26. Produced by Harvard alumna Mynette Louie (class of ’97) and directed and written by Randolph native Tze Chun, the movie follows the lives of an immigrant single mother in the United States struggling to raise her two young kids.

Prior to watching the movie, I had seen the trailer, which had portrayed bittersweet snapshots of the family’s difficult life: the mother, Elaine, carrying cardboard boxes out of the house during an eviction; the older brother, Raymond and his little sister, Tina, eating ramen noodles by themselves at the kitchen counter; and the two siblings arguing about whether or not their mother is gone, after Elaine does not return home one night.

The script, the actors, and the quick pacing of the film drive Children of Invention forward. Chun wastes no time jumping into the heart of the family’s hardships — right away, the audience sees the abrupt eviction and little Tina’s insistence on bringing the family couch (which she has quaintly named “Skirtsy”) with them as they move to an unfinished apartment building that is still undergoing construction. The phone lines do not work, there is no room for Skirtsy, the children have to constantly move quietly, and Elaine has to tape up the windows with dark paper so nobody suspects their squatting.

However, Elaine’s hard work and love keeps the small family together. During the week, she makes endless payphone calls, seeking new job opportunities and trying to sell homes for a realtor. On the weekends, she takes the kids out for their “family days” — allowing them to call the shots on how to spend their time. When she gets swept up into a pyramid scheme, attempting to scam people into paying “one-time checks” to the dubious GoldRep organization, she gets into trouble.

When Raymond and Tina wake up without Elaine’s presence, Raymond immediately takes charge of the situation. Knowing that they have no money and no food, he devises a creative plan to get both of these for him and his little sister. Here, the title begins to make sense. The two are, quite literally, children of invention. Dreaming up their own hopeful schemes to improve their prospects, they work together to survive without their mother. The two argue and annoy each other, like any pair of siblings, but just as Raymond exudes a protective big-brother air — finding affordable pizza to satisfy Tina’s pizza craving and indulging her request to walk past their old house — Tina looks up to him, believing and trusting in her brother’s ingenuity. Although their father and mother are both gone, the two of them are not alone. The audience gets the feeling that, as long as the two stay together, they will be able to fend for themselves and survive anything from the public transportations system to the dark streets of Boston at night.

On the movie’s premiere night at the Brattle Theatre, Chun, Louie, and members of the cast and crew came to answer questions at the end of the showing. When asked about the inspiration for the movie, Chun cited his own story and the multiple pyramid schemes in which his mother had participated while he was growing up. Interweaving other subtler details of his childhood into the movie, including passing off one of his former inventions as one of Raymond’s ideas, Chun’s use of his personal story is the factor that successfully connects the audience to Children of Invention.

I felt the crushing disappointments that Elaine felt as she dealt with the foreclosure, her deadbeat husband, and the failure of the pyramid scheme. I felt the fear and disbelief that Tina felt as she woke up without her mother and sought plausible explanations on the local news channel. I felt the frustration that Raymond felt as he got lost, attempting to bring his sister to the bank and withdraw his birthday money savings. Through it all, though, I also felt the steady strength of each of the characters — Elaine’s resilient strength in her struggle to find a job and make money for her kids, Raymond’s persistence in devising his plans to take care of his sister, and Tina’s maturation in realizing that people, not a house, make a home.

I have always gravitated towards big-budget studio films, drawn in by enticing two-minute teasers and famous star power. However, after watching Children of Invention, I realize the pull and power of the independent film. The strength of the movie came from the pure honesty of the story, and the actors’ basic portrayals, coupled with the real Boston locations where the movie was set, made the story believable.

I go to the movies hoping to experience a journey paved with humorous and heartfelt moments, one that resonates with me after I have left the theatre’s projector screen, popcorn, and plush seats. Children of Invention took me on the perfect journey — stirring up a mixture of emotions, reminding me of my own family, and most importantly, making me both laugh and cry.

Children of Invention will play at the Brattle Theatre in Harvard Square until March 4.

Sanyee Yuan ’12 (syuan@fas) has begun her journey into the world of indie films.

2 Responses to “Life on the Other Side”

1. Wen Yen Yuan says:

   March 6, 2010 at 4:21 pm

   Yee-Yee,

   Great Job! Your review made me cry too! I can’t wait to see the movie this summer. Your wirting skill is very outstanding. I belive you will be a very good productor and writer in the future…Keep it up and go for your “dream career”! I will share it with Sangin!

   Love Mom
2. Jewell Winebarger says:

   April 8, 2010 at 4:25 pm

   great post, I am really enjoying your site

Sex Issue Online!
Conversations We Never Had
Do experts know best? [WEB ONLY]
The Magic Is Gone
A Unique Mating Ritual