Now Chinatown  (2000)

Theatrical Release Information:
Now Chinatown

A woman who emigrates from China to the United States discovers that life in the "land of the free" isn't all it's cracked up to be. Lee (Lianne X. Hu) came to Los Angeles when her mother fell ill, and her Aunt Jiang (Peggy Lu) arranged for Lee to take a job in a restaurant so she could help pay her mother's medical expenses. However, Aunt Jiang has essentially taken over Lee's life, refusing to allow Lee to go out on dates, visit friends, or have any sort of a conventional social life, and while Lee has been offered a job at a bank with a better future, Jiang insists that Lee keep her job at the Mekong BBQ, where her boss Mr. Fong (Benjamin Lum) treats her with contempt. Lee also bears the brunt of frequent verbal abuse from her co-worker Chiang (Michael Minh) and his girlfriend Wei Wu (Jo Chim). One day, while Lee is being tormented by Chiang and Mr. Fong, one of the Mekong's customers, Steve (Steven Dunning), intervenes to help her. A massive argument results, but Steve feels enough for Lee's plight that he keeps coming back, much to the annoyance of Chiang, who doesn't much care for the nosy American, even if he is a paying customer. Lee soon develops a bond with Steve, despite her wary shyness around customers in general and white people in particular. Now Chinatown was the first feature film from Steven Dunning, who wrote, directed, and produced the independent release in addition to playing Steve. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide