A Movie Review of "Dear You" (給阿嬤的情書)
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
by Fr. Xavier, SJ
Dear You—A Heartfelt Portrayal of Family, Migration, and Love
給阿嬤的情書Dear You (literally translated Love Letters to My Grandmother) emerged as a remarkable dark horse in China’s 2026 film market. It opened with 3.77 million RMB in box office receipts and held the top spot for five consecutive weeks, resonating strongly across Malaysia, Singapore, and other markets, where it set new records for Chinese-language cinema.
Directed by Lan Hongchun(藍鴻春), this Teochew-dialect family drama is the third installment of his acclaimed Teochew Trilogy, weaving nostalgia, migration, and kinship into a quietly powerful narrative that triumphed through authentic word of mouth.
At its core, the film centers on Southeast Asian Chinese immigrants and the enduring bonds of family. For those who leave home to build a life abroad, love for family remains an unshakable anchor and spiritual strength to endure hardship—and this love is mutual. The fidelity, loyalty, and quiet devotion between separated loved ones strike a deeply human chord. Letters carrying news of life overseas, paired with hard-earned remittances that sustain families and villages, become tangible expressions of hometown affection, duty, and solidarity.
Beyond blood ties, the film also honors the fraternal friendship forged in shared toil. To find a kindred spirit in a foreign land, especially amid struggle, is a grace; over time, integrity, humility, and genuine virtue draw hearts together, nurturing steadfast friendship that ripples outward to embrace a wider community. Here, respect, admiration, and selfless love transcend fleeting impulse, completing one another in life’s journey. It is a different kind of love, yet the same love; a different family, yet the same family of care. Love need not be named or proclaimed; it is lived, felt, and bound in truth.
From a Catholic perspective, these themes echo our Church’s timeless social teaching: to welcome the stranger, honor the family, and live in love and solidarity. The Bible reminds us, “I was a stranger and you welcomed me” (Matthew 25:35), calling us to see Christ in every migrant and displaced person. The film’s portrayal of cross-border sacrifice, faithful remembrance, and quiet charity aligns with the virtue of caritas—love of God and neighbor—that animates Christian life.
The story begins with a quest for inheritance, yet gently evolves into a search for truth, a testimony to love, and ultimately a journey toward meaning. In this process—rooted in time and animated by love—characters are transformed: from selfishness to generosity, from prejudice to understanding, from greed and cowardice to courage and fidelity. They are changed by encountering selflessness, loyalty, and kindness in others, reflecting the grace of conversion that Christ offers to all. Nostalgia in the film is embodied not in rhetoric, but in quiet acts of charity, faithful friendship, and reverent teacher-student bonds. Life is shown to be simple, yet ablaze with love that transcends boundaries of gender, age, distance, culture, and even division, touching the deepest core of the human heart.
Widely screened around the world, Dear You will premiere in North America as the closing film of the 25th New York Asian Film Festival on July 26. Well Go USA will co-distribute the film, with a theatrical release across North America this September.
For Catholic viewers and families, this film is more than a moving family story: it is a witness to the dignity of the migrant, the sanctity of the family, and the power of self-sacrificial love. It invites us to cherish our loved ones, welcome those far from home, and live out the truth that love—rooted in fidelity, mercy, and grace—transcends all borders and lasts forever.
----------------------
The USCCA is a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization. Your donations are tax-deductible to the maximum extent allowed by law. The success of our work depends upon the generosity of people like you.
