Earlier this year, a movie with ‘family’ in its title intrigued us.

Its characters were not related by blood, but fate (and cheap rent) brought them together in the small city of Wuhan. The movie is a rollercoaster of laughter, chaos, and touching surprises; everything one can expect in family.

Meet the characters (left to right):

Su Xiaoyue (Zhang Jianing), bubbly and a hardworking idealist

Jin Zhengu (Li Ping), nosy but warm aunty

Ren Jiqing (Jackie Chan), the elderly landlord with Alzheimer’s

Zhong Bufan (Peng Yuchang), youth in search of quick cash

Jia Ye (Pan Binlong), middle-aged “slash” housing agent

A depiction of Alzheimer’s

Through a series of tense and heart-wrenching scenes, we find out that Ren Jiqing (Jackie Chan) has Alzheimer’s, a type of dementia that affects memory, thinking and behavior.

His symptoms grew severe, interfering with daily life – he even threw his tenants out, thinking they were strangers.

It’s in these high-stake moments that we saw the caregiving side to this rag-tag bunch; exemplifying patience and making detailed plans to care for the elderly.

Found vs biological family

One theme stares us in the face throughout the film:

Is found family a better solution than one’s biological family?

After all, the elderly Ren Jiqing did not have biological family around him anymore, and he could only rely on his friends.

Unexpected Family showed us that the importance we should place on family is not how perfect it is, but how well we each play our part for the betterment of our family.

The answer to this question lies quietly in the roles these characters take up in looking out for the elderly:

Family can be a strong source of emotional and practical support.

This Chinese New Year when most spend time with loved ones, Unexpected Family prompts our hearts to reflect on how far we would go to care for those around us.

Here’s wishing you a Happy Chinese New Year with and enjoyable time of family time and reunions!

新年快乐，阖家欢乐！