Robin Wang | Graduation / 2020

revelations

by Douglas Messerli

 

Robin Wang (screenwriter and director) Graduation / 2020 [6 minutes]

 

Wizz (Dylan J. Locke) has just graduated from the University of Southern California, and with his mother Mingyi (Crystal J. Huang) is enjoying a celebratory dinner at the Chen house, with consists of Xudong and his son Caleb (Todd Lien). Mingyi suggests that her son must have been a bother coming so often to their house while in was attending school, Mingyi, from Shanghai, plans to take her son back home now that he’s graduated.

 

    Xudong suggests it’s too bad Wizz’s father had not been able to travel to attend his son’s graduation ceremony, but Mingyi reports that he hardly leaves his Shanghai office. She feels that Xudong is so lucky that Mr. Chen has raised his son himself, now turned into such a handsome gentleman, but Xudong says there is still much he worries about. He wishes he might learn more from Wizz, her son.

      But neither boy looks entirely happy, both suffering under their parent’s worries and expectations, particularly when, as one might expect on such an occasion, Mingyi expresses her desire now that he soon finds some one and marries. Mr. Chen advises Wizz that when he return home he take care of his mother.

     All that occurs even before the title in this short but miraculously funny and complex 6-minute film by Robin Wang, born in China but making this movie while he himself is an MFA candidate in Film & Television at USC.

     The boys take off for a movie, Chen reminding them not to be too late since Wizz and his mother a flight the next morning. The older couple sit by the pool, enjoying a class of wine. The two boys are in a car kissing, worried about Wizz’s leaving. The plan is for Caleb to graduate in a year and come to Shanghai.

      By the next frame we see Xudong and Mingyi in bed, enjoying his company again after obviously was a previous affair. The boys are more than a little late and find themselves suddenly waking up in the back of the car in daylight.

 

     Mingyi and Chen also remain in bed, he snoring. But suddenly he hears of their return, the two adults suddenly getting up, too late it appears as the boys enter Xudong’s bedroom to find Wizz’s mother there as well.

      Breakfast is eaten in silence. But perhaps the very fact that they are having breakfast suggests the early flight is no longer in their plans.

      Now that both have been found in what is a scandalous situation in Chinese culture, perhaps Mingyi will have no choice but stay in the US with the man she loves, allowing the boys to remain together.

 

Los Angeles, November 29, 2023

Reprinted from My Queer Cinema blog (November 2023).