Quick RiceDaddies Plug: "The Motel"

Friday night, my wife and I went to see "The Motel," Mike Kang's film about an Asian-American boy who lives and works in a dingy motel operated by his mother. The film touchingly captures the despair of puberty and early adolescence.

Though the film features a mostly Asian-American cast, it's really a universal coming of age story that anyone can relate to. In fact, I've sent several non-Asian friends to see it and they enjoyed it immensely. However, I think those of you who are of Asian descent will really empathize with the film's main charater. How often did many of us feel "different" when growing up? How frequently did we feel a certain "otherness" that may have alienated us from our peers and made puberty all the more difficult at times? Looking at the various people who replied to the APA Parenting Meme, it seems that this was more often the norm rather than the exception.

Anyway, if you have the opportunity to see "The Motel," please do so and be sure to get the word out. The film has yet to be picked up for wide theatrical release so its early success at the box office is necessary to ensure major distribution. As most of you know, the market for Asian-American films is limited and we need to support our brothers and sisters in the industry. However, it truly is a great film and deserves the right to stand on its own merits.

And ladies, if you need more of a reason to see the film, just know that it stars current heart throb Sung Kang (who can also be seen later this year in my buddy Chris Lee's film, "Undoing," which I'll be plugging at a later date.)