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Picture Bride

Play trailer Poster for Picture Bride PG-13 Released Apr 28, 1994 1h 38m Drama 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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Lisa Schwarzbaum Entertainment Weekly Rated: B+ Sep 7, 2011 Full Review Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times Picture Bride is one of several recent films about how we gathered from all over the globe to call ourselves Americans. Rated: 3/4 Jan 1, 2000 Full Review Alison Macor Austin Chronicle Rated: 4.5/5 Jan 1, 2000 Full Review Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com 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. Rated: B- Jun 12, 2007 Full Review Dan Lybarger Nitrate Online Has a nifty swan song by the great Toshiro Mifune, but the rest of the film is pretty, underwritten snooze. Rated: 2/5 Dec 29, 2003 Full Review Carol Cling Las Vegas Review-Journal Rated: 3/5 Nov 7, 2003 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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andy h 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. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member Japanese worker in suger plantation in Hawaii Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/22/23 Full Review Audience Member 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. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 01/31/23 Full Review Audience Member 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. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 01/21/23 Full Review Audience Member 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! Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/11/23 Full Review maria c Beautiful and moving film. Good direction! Good acting! Good Production! Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Picture Bride

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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

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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 Films, Miramax Home Entertainment [us]
Production Co
Miramax
Rating
PG-13
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Apr 28, 1994, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Apr 14, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$531.1K
Runtime
1h 38m
Sound Mix
Surround
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