Watching TV with the Red Chinese

Watching TV with the Red Chinese is a 2012 American comedy-drama film directed by Shimon Dotan, based on the 1992 novel of the same name by Luke Whisnant. The film follows a trio of Chinese exchange students who arrive in New York City in 1980, eager for what America has to offer. They make friends including a literature teacher named Dexter and his girlfriend Suzanne. As they try to adjust to the New York city atmosphere, they become disillusioned with America, eventually buying a firearm for self-defense.^[2]

Watching TV with the Red Chinese
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Shimon Dotan
Screenplay by	Netaya Anbar Shimon Dotan
Based on	Watching TV with the Red Chinese by Luke Whisnant
Produced by	Shimon Dotan Netaya Anbar Sameer Butt[1]
Starring	Ryan O'Nan Gillian Jacobs Leonardo Nam James Chen Keong Sim Michael Esper Peter Scanavino
Cinematography	Mike Rossetti
Edited by	Netaya Anbar
Music by	Nat Osborn
Production company	Moonstone Entertainment
Distributed by	Roam Films[1]
Release dates	January 20, 2012 (2012-01-20) (United States; limited)
Running time	105 minutes[1]
Country	United States
Languages	English Chinese

Cast

• James Chen as Tzu
• Keong Sim as Wa
• Leonardo Nam as Chen
• Gillian Jacobs as Suzanne
• Ryan O'Nan as Dexter Mitchell
• Michael Esper as Billy
• Peter Scanavino as Czapinczyk
• Idara Victor as Antigone

Reception

The film received positive reviews, with critics mostly praising the leads' performances and including minor critiques of the script. Variety, for example, called the acting "solid, particularly by O'Nan, Nam and Jacobs. But the conversations feel artificial, overly concerned with re-creating period detail."^[1] Daniel Gold of The New York Times adds that the film "nicely captures the grad-student vibe: beer-fueled bull sessions ... fragile, self-absorbed egos preening even as confidence wavers."^[2] Paste Magazine states that "overall, the film rises above the usual trappings of low-budget productions and succeeds with a smart script and able performances from the cast of (mostly) unknowns, whether you're looking for sociopolitical commentary or just a small tale well told."^[3]