'White Frog' limp look at Asian American boy with Asperger's

 There are so many things one wants to say, but cultural norms dictate we don't. With Asian Americans, as both a minority and the "victims" of cultures that value humility, we seem to have even more things that we cannot say...except, perhaps, if one has Asperger's Syndrome. Our main character in "White Frog" is Asian American with Asperger's. He goes from being a double A to a triple A, but that doesn't mean this movie deserves an A plus.

Yes, it is wonderful that the movie shows Asian Americans as an average family dealing with average issues, and it's nice to see Asian Americans playing Asian Americans, but there are just too many issues to deal with. Besides Asberger's, there's how three family members deal with death, community involvement (save the community center), in the closet gay youths and faith against tolerance. I don't mean to say that those who are truly faithful aren't tolerant or that people without religious faith are necessarily intolerant.

Fans of BD Wong and Harry Shum Jr. will be disappointed. We don't see either of those men nearly enough. Shum plays the "perfect" son Chaz of Oliver (Wong) and Irene Young (Joan Chen). Nick is the kid with Asperger's. His parents do all the right things. They provide him with therapy (Amy Hill as Dr. King).

Written by mother and daughter duo Fabienne and Ellie Wen, you wonder if there are just too many cooks in the kitchen and not enough critical conversations. One doesn't for a moment doubt that all involved have the best intentions, but with so many different issues, none of them receive enough attention to give this movie direction. Quentin Lee directs.