“It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.” 

— E.E. Cummings

Golden Delicious, written by Gorrman Lee and directed by Jason Karman, is a quintessential coming-of-age film. It comments on the dichotomy of finding who you truly are, and who the world around you wants you to be. The film follows 17-year-old Chinese-Canadian Jake Wong (Cardi Wong) as he journeys through his last year of high school. Jake’s story explores the nuances of being a teenager in the age of social media, and the constants surrounding growing up and discovering who you truly are.

The narrative frame of the film surrounds the game of basketball, with Karman continuously panning back to an old, beat-up net in the Wong’s back alleyway. There’s rust all over it and it seems to be on the brink of falling apart, yet it still does the job. We see George (Ryan Mah), Jake’s dad, playing with his son on this very net in the opening of the film, aggressively pushing him past what feels like Jake’s capacity for the sport. Jake comments on the stability of the net, and George comments on the net staying like that for over 20 years. It won’t fall apart now.

While playing, George ends up slamming the ball out of Jake’s hands, severely bruising them in the process. When told to “suck it up”, Jake walks back into the house, slamming on the door. This sets up the tone of their relationship for the majority of the film, with George seeming to be holding on to some piece of who he once was, an elite basketball player himself in high school, and Jake trying to do anything to make his father proud at the expense of his own desires.

This motif also explains other members of the Wong family: Andrea, the mother (Leeah Wong), and Janet, the older sister (Claudia Kai) also seem to be continuously working towards balancing their passions with necessities. The old phrase, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” appears to be the mantra of the Wongs as each member seems unwilling (or unable) to change their lives although demonstrate feelings of deep unhappiness with the choices they have made.

George and Andrea are running what seems to be a successful, yet exhausting Chinese family restaurant named Golden Delicious, and are continuously at one another’s throats on what needs to be the priority or focus of the business. Janet is working on her first year of culinary school, with the dream of perfecting her grandma’s noodles, and is constantly berated by her parents on her choice of career.

Meanwhile, Jake works towards playing on the school basketball team, a dream that seems to be more of his fathers’ than his own. Additionally, he tries to balance his social life with his long-term girlfriend, Valerie (Parmiss Sehat). His true passion however lies in photography, as he has managed to be the basketball team’s social media manager since the 10th grade. Jake is often seen taking photos with his camera of the going-ons of high school life. This contrasts with other high school students, seen taking selfies, posting stories, and constantly viewing their social media. 

This reflects greatly on our understanding of Jake, as while other students his age are taking photos of themselves, he is desperately trying to be on the other side of the camera. What this suggests is that when Jake sees himself, he sees what other people see him as, and this is deeply upsetting to him. Jake is so ashamed of his inadequacies, that it becomes easier to be on the other side of the camera witnessing the world instead of being an active participant in it. 

However, Jake’s inactiveness fades when a new neighbor moves across the alley, peaking his interest and attention. Aleks (Chris Carson), an openly gay extrovert from Eastern Canada, finds comfort in making a friendship with Jake, helping him work on his basketball skills in the alleyway. The stark difference between Jake’s game with Aleks and his dad shows the difference in Jake’s relationships – he plays basketball with his dad to stay engaged in their relationship, but with Aleks, it’s for the joy of spending time together.

Golden Delicious also explores sexuality and the power of teenage sexual experiences, as Valerie pushes Jake to lose their virginities together. Jake seems uncomfortable with the idea but wants nothing more than to make her happy. This is a common trend in the film, as Jake seems to be doing anything he can to validate the people around him, spending very little time focusing on his own needs and wants.

As the film progresses, this experience seems to hold weight on Jake, pushing him both further away and closer to Valerie as he tries his best to continue being a great boyfriend to her while stifling his underlying interest in Aleks. Yet, he continuously pushes to spend time with Aleks, making it on the basketball team together, and pushing through as other players on the team question their relationship. There is a sense of comfort with Aleks that lacks in his relationship with Valerie as if the focus on relationship status should actually be switched between the two. 

What comes next is an exploration of the theme in its entirety. Jake battles with homophobic slurs from teammates, questioning from friends and Valerie, and engages in new and unexplored experiences with Aleks. He does this all while watching his family dynamic slowly crumble around him. I’m a queer individual that didn’t come to full acceptance of my own sexuality until my early twenties. Thus, I can understand the deep-rooted anger and uncertainty that plagues Jake as he balances supporting his family’s dreams, loving his partner and best friend, but also being true to himself. Karman and Lee have created a story that will speak to many within the LGBTQIA+ community. This is especially true for those that also have to balance the expectations of immigrant families and cultures. 

While I think the film overall is a cute and quirky piece of literacy, I often found myself nodding off as the storyline comes in waves of peaking interest. I will say that the panoramic shots of the city are done beautifully, and the balance of sound with imagery really does pull the film together. Overall, I think this film is definitely one that speaks to many in their late teens and early to mid-twenties and should be on your watchlist if you enjoy queer films that explore the power of authenticity within one’s self.