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Picture Bride

Play trailer Poster for Picture Bride PG-13 1994 1h 34m Drama Romance Play Trailer Watchlist
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82% Tomatometer 11 Reviews 79% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
After the father of Riyo (Yûki Kudô) dies, she becomes the arranged wife of Matsuji (Akira Takayama), a migrant worker in Hawaii. Riyo travels from Japan to the United States, but finds it difficult adapting to the hard life working on a sugar plantation and living with Matsuji. Riyo becomes friends with another woman, Kana (Tamlyn Tomita), who came over as a bride as well. Riyo begins saving money to return to Japan, but tragic events make her evaluate where she belongs.
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Picture Bride

Critics Reviews

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Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times 01/01/2000
3/4
Picture Bride is one of several recent films about how we gathered from all over the globe to call ourselves Americans. Go to Full Review Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com 06/12/2007
B-
The film is poorly directed, but it deals with a rare issue, picture brides circa 1918, and is made by an insider, an Asian-American, which is a plus. Go to Full Review Dan Lybarger Nitrate Online 12/29/2003
2/5
Has a nifty swan song by the great Toshiro Mifune, but the rest of the film is pretty, underwritten snooze. Go to Full Review Carol Cling Las Vegas Review-Journal 11/07/2003
3/5
Leonard Schwarz Palo Alto Weekly 05/20/2003
2/4
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat Spirituality & Practice 08/30/2002
Sturdy story about the resilience of immigrants. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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andy h 05/20/2021 It's a rather simple telling of a controversial subculture within time, but it's still enjoyable for the chemistry between the female leads and the Hawaiian scenery. See more 10/30/2016 Japanese worker in suger plantation in Hawaii See more 01/20/2014 This foreign film was cute for the initial 15 minutes, then boring to the point of falling asleep several times for the remainder of the movie. What I needed to learn about the Japanese picture brides pursuing the American dream just to become victims of a transaction full of lies, trapped in an almost slaving farm job, depressed and unable to cope with marital deception, quiet rebelling against fate and ultimately accepting destiny was so brief and superficial that watching the trailer would have accomplished the task. See more 04/14/2013 The film is poorly directed, but it deals with a rare issue, picture brides circa 1918, and is made by an insider, an Asian-American, which is a plus. See more 10/20/2012 On Thursday night the Lahaina Restoration Foundation played this movie outside under the smokestack at the Plantation Days Festival. For a moving, authentic, and gripping depiction of the plantation era 100 years ago weaved into a love story, this Japanese film earns top marks. See it! See more maria c 10/18/2012 Beautiful and moving film. Good direction! Good acting! Good Production! See more Read all reviews
Picture Bride

My Rating

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Cast & Crew

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Kayo Hatta

Director

Yûki Kudô

Riyo

Akira Takayama

Matsuji

Tamlyn Tomita

Kana

Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa

Kanzaki

Toshiro Mifune

The Benshi

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Picture Bride

Picture Bride (1994) Picture Bride (1994) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis After the father of Riyo (Yûki Kudô) dies, she becomes the arranged wife of Matsuji (Akira Takayama), a migrant worker in Hawaii. Riyo travels from Japan to the United States, but finds it difficult adapting to the hard life working on a sugar plantation and living with Matsuji. Riyo becomes friends with another woman, Kana (Tamlyn Tomita), who came over as a bride as well. Riyo begins saving money to return to Japan, but tragic events make her evaluate where she belongs.
Director
Kayo Hatta
Producer
Diane Mei Lin Mark, Lisa Onodera
Screenwriter
Kayo Hatta, Mari Hatta
Distributor
Miramax Home Entertainment [us], Miramax Films
Production Co
Miramax
Rating
PG-13
Genre
Drama, Romance
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Apr 28, 1994, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Apr 14, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$531.1K
Runtime
1h 34m
Sound Mix
Surround
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