Saving Face (2004 Film) - Plot

Plot

Saving Face follows Wilhelmina ("Wil"), a young Chinese American surgeon, as she deals with her unwed mother's pregnancy, and the obligations of her dancer girlfriend Vivian. Wil struggles with allocating time between her mother (Gao) who is shunned by the Chinese American community of Flushing for being pregnant and unwed and thus has come to live with Wil.

Wil first meets Vivian at a party in a restaurant called Planet China, in which many chinese friends gather. Gao convinces her to attend in the hopes of setting Wil up with the son of her friend. Wil however, is immediately attracted to Vivian instead. Wil meets Vivian again at the hospital in which Wil worked.

Meanwhile, Gao decides to move in with Wil after learning of her own pregnancy. Gao is shunned by her family due to the fact that she is unmarried with child. She was told to only come back home once she marries. Despite many questions, She refuses to reveal the father's identity.

Vivian invites Wil to one of her dance shows with a letter left on the vending machine. After the show, the two hang out. Vivian reveals the fact that they had met once before when they were 8 and 9 years old; Vivian kissed Wil on the nose after Wil rescues her from her buillies, and that Wil ran away afterwards. Vivian and Wil later goes to Vivian's house, and the two share a kiss on the floor.

The couple then goes on several dates. Wil is afraid of kissing Vivian in public. Vivian's birthday however, Wil gets held late due to a number of surgeries and attempts to redeem herself by spending the night at Vivian's house. Vivian reveals that she had informed her own mother of the relationship between them.

Meanwhile, Gao goes on several dates in order to find a man to father her child. She is uninterested in all the men she meets. She is debating on whether or not to accept the affections of Cho, one of the men whom had liked her for 15 years and is willing to father the child as his own.

Upon Vivian's wishes, Wil presents Vivian to her mother as a friend so that they can meet. The three share an awkward dinner. It is revealed that her mother knows of her homosexuality, but is in denial of it.

Later, Vivian reveals to Wil that she was accepted into a ballet program in Paris and is debating about whether or not to accept the offer. Unable to admit her feelings and be selfish, Wil congratulates Vivian and gives her encouragement to accept the offer. While Vivian still debates on the offer, Vivian's father speaks to Wil and talks her into convincing Vivian to accept the offer. Wil then ignores Vivian for the next couple of days and then breaks up with her, knowing taking the offer is best for Vivian's career.

Gao finally decides to accept the marriage proposal from Cho. At the wedding, Wil interrupts with a love note from the father of the child saying how much he loves her and want to marry her despite their large age gap. It is revealed that Wil's mother refuses to admit his identity due to the fact that he is the son of one of Wil's mother's friends, and is a generation younger than her.

After realizing that love dominates over societal expectations, Wil immediately rushes to the airport to Vivian. Wil apologizes, and Vivian challenges Wil to kiss her to prove her sincerity, despite there being other people around. Wil is still afraid and Vivian leaves and gets on the plane for Paris.

Three months after, Wil goes to another party at Planet China. Wil's mother once again does this as an attempt to set her up, but this time, the person she sets her up with is Vivian. Wil finally finds courage and kisses Vivian in front of her family friends at the centre of the dance floor.