By: debbie lynn elias
When I was first handed the screener of this film, it was in the form of a blind request. With no descriptive information as to even a premise, let alone a storyline, my initial reaction was “I don’t think so.” But, within 10 minutes of popping the disk in the DVD, I was enchanted. In a word, BIG DREAMS LITTLE TOKYO is charming.
Boyd is everybody’s All American-well, almost. Born and bred in the good old U.S. of A, he loves apple pie, ice cream and baseball, er, make that Sumo wrestling, and for whatever reason, Buddha smiled upon him and endowed him with the ability to speak Japanese fluently. A fish out of water with Americans, Boyd’s dream is to become a successful Japanese businessman. (Geeky to the core, his briefcase toting bookish appearance reminds me of a younger James Spader in “Mannequin”, only without the sleazy tactics.) Unfortunately, Boyd is viewed as an outsider to his target and only audience and has more than a little trouble breaking in with the Japanese consumer. Discouraged but not deterred, Boyd pushes onward with single minded determination, thanks in large part to his very large roommate Sakebono, er, make that, Jerome.
Jerome is a Japanese-American who has yet to find his niche in the world. Self-perceived to be too American to be Japanese as well as too Japanese to be American, Jerome is a fish out of water, a fish that dreams of being a Sumo wrestler. Sadly, he too, faces obstacles. A tad on the small side, he needs to pack on the pounds before even coming close to Sumo status, but he also has to consider other medical issues like high blood pressure that put him in the ER every time he gains some weight. And of course, let’s not forget his almost total lack of athletic ability.
An odd couple to say the least, Boyd and Jerome are not only the definition of “culture clash” but shining examples of heart and soul. Using the gimmick of teaching English to Japanese as well as hawking the best English instructional manual in the business, Boyd’s sticktuitiveness is commendable and infectious okay, and it’s not a bad system for picking up a pretty little nurse named Mai, either! Meanwhile, continually clad in his mawashi (aka Sumo diaper), Jerome keeps on pushing like the Little Engine that Could, not only to pursue his Sumo dream, but to find a sense of self and “like kind”, some kindred spirits. At the very heart, what Boyd and Jerome both long for is to just fit in, “be somebody” and fulfill their dreams.
Who better to fill the title role of Boyd than writer/director David Boyle. Drawing from his own experiences as a Mormon missionary in Sydney, Australia for two years, Boyle ministered to the Japanese culture after becoming fluent in their language. But perhaps more telling than his work as a missionary was his immersion into the Japanese culture and customs, set against the backdrop of modern day Sydney. It is from experience that not only does he embody Boyd, but from which this charming film was born. With a believable sincerity, Boyle pulls on the heart strings taping into not just culture clash, but the commonality we all share dreams and the journey to discovery who we are and where we each belong in the grand scheme. And the geeky wardrobe just adds to his charm! I find it difficult to believe this is his first acting role, not to mention first outing as a screenwriter and director. He fills all three shoes beautifully.
Meshing nicely with Boyd’s Boyle is newcomer Jayson Watabe. Suiting up as Jerome, he does so with an apparent joy. His inexperience, however, does show, but given the nature of the film and the foibles of self-exploration, big dreams and the modern world, it works to his advantage for the most part. And Rachel Morihiro lends a sweetness to Nurse Mai, the object of Boyle’s affection.
Boyle is a natural storyteller and given his life experiences, has many stories to tell. Here, the script’s strength comes from this experiences which he melds together by interweaving characters and cultures. At the tender age of 23, Boyle has definitely made his mark in the film community. A former student at Brigham Young University, Boyle has no real formal training in filmmaking, but he does have an innate ability to take life’s lessons and examples, translate them into words, and show them in the spirit for what they are. Knowing that this film is character and story driven, as a director Boyle keeps his eye on the ball and keeps his direction clean and simple; nothing technically impressive or out of the ordinary to detract. And while this story could be told against a backdrop of any two or three cultures with a similar result, Boyle’s experience with the dichotomous “East meets West” is enchanting.
Some of the funniest scenes in the film are totally character and situation driven, revolving around reminiscent situations legendary to us all, such as of door-to-door salesmen or used car salesmen and customer response. Be it American, Japanese, Hispanic or any other culture, who can’t relate to hiding your face or not answering the door, hoping the sales person will go away and leave you alone. We’ve all been there and we can all relate. And what about misconceptions of nomenclatures! I can’t tell you how many times I have heard attorneys I know try to speak muddled Spanish to a potential client only because their name is Garcia or Gomez. Boyle locks onto that melting pot issue as well when Boyd tries to solicit a customer just because the last name is Japanese and Boyd assumes he therefore is and speaks Japanese. You can’t help but chuckle.
A large part of the humor and charm of this film comes from character interaction and response to situations and particularly, Boyd’s business efforts. Complete with the requisite bow and honoring his perception of the Japanese culture, you can’t help but giggle (yes, I said giggle), at the responsive facial expressions from the “Japanese” characters. Priceless. A picture truly is worth a thousand words. It is with these laced vignettes and personal experiences that Boyle connects with each of us.
We all have dreams. Be they big or little. But that is the key – we all have them. So, for the dreamer in each of us, why not dream big with BIG DREAMS LITTLE TOKYO. A charmer through and through.
David Boyle: Boyd Jayson Watabe: Jerome Rachel Morihiro: Mai
