Amy Tan: Unintended Memoir

2021

1h 41m

Documentary

Biography

List

93%

Tomatometer

14 Reviews

Literary titan Amy Tan analyzes her life, her work, and her family -- in the present and past tense -- in this longitudinal biopic directed by James Redford.

Ryan Lattanzio

indieWire

Seeing her come loose, smoking a cigarette onstage and rocking out, shows us a completely different side of this introspective author, and helps embolden the fact that she's been a rebel all along.

Rated: B+

May 4, 2021

Full Review

Jessica Kiang

Variety

Eventually works the same subtle spell that Tan long ago mastered in her fiction: the communication of a deeply personal history of pain and joy in a manner that is unassumingly and touchingly universal.

Mar 1, 2021

Full Review

Nick Allen

RogerEbert.com

A touching tribute to Tan's prolific career as author, and also a celebration of the personal relationship we have with what we create.

Feb 8, 2021

Full Review

Jane Freebury

Jane Freebury

Interesting if not searching, a documentary treatment of the life and times of the novelist and her family from China becomes repetitive when it could have revealed more

Rated: 3/5

Sep 5, 2021

Full Review

Zosha Millman

Thirty, Flirty + Film

An Unintended Memoir is always graceful, fluid in its approach. This is not a life story being vivisected for our entertainment. It's a life flowing to you, like good conversation or a peaceful river.

Aug 4, 2021

Full Review

Alexandra MacAaron

Women's Voices for Change

Tan shattered a glass ceiling for Asian-American, as well as other immigrant group storytellers; she helped Hollywood expand its depictions of Asian women beyond stereotypes and inspired filmmaker James Redford to produce this marvelous documentary.

Rated: 8/10

Jun 1, 2021

Full Review

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James Redford

Director

Isabel Allende

Self

Kevin Kwan

Self

Amy Tan

Self

John Behrens

Writer

Karen Pritzker

Producer

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Synopsis

Literary titan Amy Tan analyzes her life, her work, and her family -- in the present and past tense -- in this longitudinal biopic directed by James Redford.

Director: James Redford
Producer: Karen Pritzker, James Redford, Cassandra Jabola
Screenwriter: John Behrens
Production Co: KPJR Films
Genre: Documentary, Biography
Original Language: English
Runtime: 1h 41m

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