All About Dad

written & directed by Mark Tran

Mark Tran’s poignant feature debut “All About Dad” begins with a deceptively simple image-that of a Vietnamese father trying to straighten a leaning tree on his immaculate front lawn with his bare hands, but with no success. Instead of giving up and allowing the tree to bend naturally, the father becomes more stubborn and frustrated as he repeatedly tries to fight and undo nature.

And so we are introduced to Mr. Do, the patriarch of the Do family. There is no doubt that Mr. Do loves his wife and four children-Ty, Xuan, Binh, and Linh. It is also painfully apparent that his love constitutes strict roles, responsibilities, and expectations of what each child should act, think, and feel. In Mr. Do’s eyes, the only correct path to success and happiness in life is complete devotion to the Catholic faith, higher education, and the goal of having a stable job. Any digression from these three tenants is a recipe for compromise and failure in the world.

Much to his dismay and disappointment, Mr. Do quickly realizes that every one of his children may not subscribe to his philosophy. Ty, the youngest of the Do clan, is on the verge of dropping his Biology major to devote full-time to being a filmmaker; Xuan, fresh from passing her medical board exam, is most at peace playing her guitar and singing; Binh, the straight A student, is completely enraptured by his secret girlfriend; Linh, already engaged, is afraid to tell her father that her fiancée is not Catholic. These potentially explosive revelations do not stay in the dark for long…And as a result, hilarity, poignancy, and redemption ensue when light is finally shed on them.

Much like a painter working with a vast canvas but still giving each color and shade its due, director Tran gives each character equal screen time, their struggles and triumphs conveyed through small yet poetic moments-a heartbreaking look in a mother’s eyes; an eye-opening reconciliation between two stubborn neighbors; a rooftop connection between sister and brother, aided by a song and the shimmering lights of the city at dusk.  All these moments blend seamlessly into a broad portrayal of a very modern Vietnamese American family. Tran’s deft and original handling of a seemingly familiar theme of old world (immigrant parents) vs. new world (kids born and raised in America) is what gives “All About Dad” a healthy and humanistic dose of poignancy and pathos.

By the time of its closing credits, director Tran comes full circle with that seemingly simple opening image of Mr. Do trying to physically straighten that ever-bending tree; it is an image that belies its multi-layered nuances and meanings. To give away any more of “All About Dad” would surely spoil this truly tender and unforgettable tale of getting out of the way and letting “nature” takes its course.

-Alex Luu