Thousand Pieces of Gold

Based on Ruthanne Lum McCunn's 1981 biographical novel, this American Playhouse production is a nicely filmed, leisurely paced true story of a young Chinese woman's sale into prostitution in a Pacific Northwest mining town during the late 19th-century. Sold by her father, Lalu (Rosalind Chao, who delivers an excellent performance) is taken by boat across the ocean, and then by horseback from San Francisco to the mining camp by Jim (Dennis Dun), a Chinese worker who eventually falls in love with Lalu (a side plot that fizzles out about halfway through the film). When Lalu, quickly renamed Polly Bemis, realizes that her new owner wants her to be a prostitute she rebels, and gains the aid of Charlie (Chris Cooper), who ultimately wins her in a card game. As Polly struggles to learn the language and make a living for herself in a mostly male environment (she cooks and does laundry), she wins the respect and admiration of Charlie. While the love that gradually grows between Polly and Charlie is both predictable and predictably handled, director Nancy Kelly's Thousand Pieces of Gold is notable for its realistic portrayal of a woman coming to terms with a new and often hostile environment. The recipient of a slew of critical acclaim, the film owes more to a TV-movie sensibility than to the spirit of independent filmmaking. Still, with renewed interest in the book, this is likely to be a popular addition. Recommended. (R. Pitman)