Following the success of The Wedding Banquet, Ang Lee created another exploration of the rituals that bring people together so that they may avoid admitting how far apart they really are. In the Chu family, even more than most, these rituals revolve around food. Mr. Chu, aging patriarch, is losing touch with his taste buds, which is a disaster as he is Taipei's number–one chef. He's also out of touch with his three grown daughters, each of whom has a will to break her father's heart, whether by leaving the nest or just by working at a fast–food restaurant. Food is the fifth family member here, as seductive and manipulative as any, in the hands of the chef/paterfamilias. Thus the many banquet dishes prepared before our eyes ironically find Chu's daughters squirming: steamed deer in a pumpkin pot–what is the meaning of this?