The Gua Sha Treatment (2001) 刮痧
Director: Zheng Xiaolong
Screenwriter: Mark Byers / Wang Xiaoping / Huo Bingquan / Xue Jiahua
Starring: Tony Leung Ka Fai / Jiang Wenli / Zhu Xu / Hollis Houston / Tamara Turnt / Stephanie Vogt / Joe Erke / Carter Dawson / Anthony Mullin / Marshall Fehr / Susan Fry / Mike Ketcher / Joe May / Sonny Wu / Dave Schutz
Genre: Drama / Family
Country/Region of Production: Mainland China
Language: English/Mandarin Chinese
Date: 2001-05 (Cannes Film Festival)
Duration: 100 minutes
Also known as: Gua Sha
IMDb: tt0297928
Adaptation: Inspiration
Summary:
Grandfather Xu (Zhu Xu) comes from China to visit the family of his son, Datong Xu (Tony Leung), a video game designer, in St. Louis. Datong has lived in the U.S. for eight years, and while receiving an award for work, remarks that he loves the United States and fulfilling his American Dream. Meanwhile, Grandfather notices his grandson has a slight fever and being unable to read English labels of medicine, gives him, Dennis Xu (Dennis Zhu), a Gua Sha treatment instead. Social workers, however, mistake the traditional Chinese medical treatment for child abuse due to the obvious marks left on Dennis’ back. The life of the family is sent into turmoil when Dennis is taken away by the child protection agency. In court, the prosecution includes Datong’s inclusion of a Chinese legendary character Sun Wukong (Chinese traditional: 孫悟空; simplified: 孙悟空) in his design of a violent video game. The prosecution implies that since Datong includes violence in his game, he values it.
A furious Datong insists that the prosecution does not understand the cultural value of Sun Wukong and that the icon’s inclusion does not mean he abuses his son. He insists that what he does in his job does not relate to how he runs his home. Meanwhile, Grandfather Xu leaves America because he finds that the living environment is really not suitable for him, as he does not want to live in a place where a simple, harmless treatment like Gua Sha, which is so common in China, is treated as child abuse. Furthermore, he cannot converse in English. Datong’s friend and lawyer, John Quinlan (Hollis Houston), tries Gua Sha and proves that the treatment leaves painful-looking marks that are not actually painful or harmful at all. Finally, Datong is able to return home and the family is reunited. This movie’s story is meant to demonstrate the difference between western and Chinese culture.
