| Overview: | MY FAMILY centers around a week in the life of the Ng family, with its shrewd, gynecologist patriarch (Richard Ng), the kind, bumbling lawyer and matriarch (Fung Bo Bo), and their children (Lui Fong as their son, and May Lo and Pauline Kwan as their daughters). The son has a crush on "Macdonna," a Madonna-like (circa lucky Star period) who favors style over substance, the eldest daughter pines for Stephen," the family friend schooled overseas, and the youngest daughter appears to be the most level-headed of the lot. Rather than settle into the plot, the film starts off with a series of sight gags. The Ngs go on a weekend picnic, Dad can't beat his son at basketball, the picnic lunch was urinated on by the family dog (ala Harold Ramis' VACATION), and the family car's top wont' come down when it pours. If anything, the first half hour establishes just how odd the Ng family really is.
When the plot settles in the dilemmas begin. Mrs. Ng wins a role in the local civic center drama, as well as its director's heart. Ng Jr. wants to impress Macdonna, big sister really wants to win Stephen's heart, and while celebrating Pop's birthday little sister mistakenly hears mom rehearsing lines over the phone, thinking she's going to leave dad. The family sets into action revenge, torturing the poor, lovelorn director (Billy Lau Nam Kwong) with snake, rat, and cockroach wines. As with most Hong Kong family comedies - love overcomes misunderstanding, and in this case it all goes down when Mother Ng's opening night performance brings out the beast in everyone.
On paper, the plot isn't much. But somehow, the cast's energy coupled with some sight gags, makes it work. Richard Ng Yil Hon is in solid form. Fung Bo Bo proves she hadn't lost the spriteful enthusiasm she had in countless Shaw Bros. productions, lending an air of naivete to Mrs. Ng. Liu Fong, adds a surreal edge, with Pauline Kwan milking laughs from her reaction to the grown-ups.
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