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The Home Song Stories

Play trailer Poster for The Home Song Stories 2007 1h 43m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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100% Tomatometer 5 Reviews 79% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
Rose Hong (Joan Chen) is a Hong Kong nightclub singer who emigrates to Australia with her sailor husband, Bill (Steven Vidler), and her two children, May (Irene Chen) and Tom (Joel Lok). The couple's relationship is doesn't last long, but they attempt to reconcile after several years, and Rose and the kids move into Bill's home outside Melbourne. The volatile and needy Rose has affairs and attempts suicide, and though her children stick around, they can't get back their innocence.

Critics Reviews

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Richard Kuipers Variety 08/25/2007
3.5/5
A finely chiseled drama about an unstable Chinese mother struggling to reconcile her desires with her children's needs in early '70s Australia, The Home Song Stories speaks bittersweet truths about life in the Chinese diaspora. Go to Full Review David Lamble Bay Area Reporter 06/02/2020
Joan Chen gives a harrowing performance... Go to Full Review Brian Chen Filmcritic.com 05/27/2008
4.5/5
Whether you walk out of the theater hating, loving, or sympathizing for the director's mother, Stories succeeds in enabling you to see through the eyes of an angry, confused little boy Go to Full Review ScreenAnarchy 09/15/2007
3.5/5
At its core, The Home Song Stories evokes painful memories, but also brings about the notion of forgiveness, remembering and honouring those memories. Go to Full Review Urban Cinefile Critics Urban Cinefile 08/20/2007
My favourite Australian film of the year so far ... a cathartic memoir, a love story and a tribute to his unfathomable butterfly mother. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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03/27/2014 A stunning and engrossing drama, occasionally slows down more than it should. Joan Chen's virtuoso performance in her own language shows western audiences the watered-down version they've been getting all tehse years. See more 01/08/2014 A finely chiseled drama about an unstable Chinese mother struggling to reconcile her desires with her children's needs in early '70s Australia, The Home Song Stories speaks bittersweet truths about life in the Chinese diaspora. See more 09/24/2013 A very fine work, well produced and acted, telling an important set of stories. See more 03/17/2013 Such a touching movie based on a real story! See more 02/06/2013 For me it's all about the story, if a film has a flimsy script it's only a matter of time before it begins to fall apart no matter how many amazing actors you have in it. That said, I fell in love with this screenplay. Yes it's depressing at times and the outcome is far from a fairytale ending but its raw, honest, heartbreaking and completely memorable. It's a haunting film in a way and a fresh approach to Australian film making. It's a confronting experience for the audience and takes you out of your comfort zone at times, but it is also a window into a completely different culture one that touched a nerve with me; having an immigrant background on one side of my family. The glimpse into mental illness is also an intriguing one and whilst it doesn't offer many answers it is in the final scene of the film in which the grown up Tom is writing as his mother's ghost approaches that it becomes clear we don't understand or appreciate everything our loved ones do but that we still love them unconditionally. It really is a beautiful movie and a stand apart for me in Australian film. See more 03/31/2012 A little too contrived at times but all in all, still watchable. Brilliant performances by Joan Chen, Qi Yuwu (aaahhhh <3) and her 'children'. See more Read all reviews
The Home Song Stories

My Rating

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Cast & Crew

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Tony Ayres

Director

Joan Chen

Actor

Joel Lok

Tom

Irene Chen

May

Yuwu Qi

Joe

Steven Vidler

Bill

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The Home Song Stories

The Home Song Stories (2007) The Home Song Stories (2007) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Rose Hong (Joan Chen) is a Hong Kong nightclub singer who emigrates to Australia with her sailor husband, Bill (Steven Vidler), and her two children, May (Irene Chen) and Tom (Joel Lok). The couple's relationship is doesn't last long, but they attempt to reconcile after several years, and Rose and the kids move into Bill's home outside Melbourne. The volatile and needy Rose has affairs and attempts suicide, and though her children stick around, they can't get back their innocence.
Director
Tony Ayres
Producer
Michael McMahon, Liz Watts
Screenwriter
Tony Ayres
Genre
Drama
Original Language
Chinese
Release Date (DVD)
Nov 24, 2009
Runtime
1h 43m
Sound Mix
Dolby Digital