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The Search for General Tso

Play trailer Poster for The Search for General Tso Released Jan 2, 2015 1h 12m Documentary Play Trailer Watchlist
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90% Tomatometer 21 Reviews 75% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
Filmmaker Ian Cheney explores the origin of a spicy-sweet chicken dish that is a popular item in many of America's Chinese restaurants.

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The Search for General Tso

The Search for General Tso

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Critics Consensus

The Search for General Tso digs into the history of a beloved dish and uncovers a heaping helping of powerfully nourishing history along the way.

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Critics Reviews

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Ty Burr Boston Globe Keeps digging and digging until it has not only solved the enigma of this particular dish but cast a light on an entire secret chronology of food, immigrant culture, and the way the two amplify each other. Rated: 3.5/4 Mar 5, 2015 Full Review John Hartl Seattle Times Cheney (who worked on the unforgettable "King Corn"), obviously had a good time collecting their testimony, though he tends to side with the idea that the only authenticity is deliciousness. Rated: 3/4 Jan 20, 2015 Full Review Michael O'Sullivan Washington Post At just over an hour, it's a surprisingly satisfying and tasty dish for anyone looking for something a bit less bland than the typical history documentary. Rated: 3/4 Jan 15, 2015 Full Review Nicholas Bell IONCINEMA.com A crash course in the culinary evolution of Chinese American food is really what Cheney charts, though with such heady elements, one would have hoped there was more to savor. Rated: 2.5/5 Jul 17, 2019 Full Review Stephen Saito Moveable Fest Not only has Cheney made something that tantalizes the tastebuds, but it's good for you too. Nov 20, 2018 Full Review Sherilyn Connelly SF Weekly The Search for General Tso is also a history of the Chinese immigrant experience in America, as the way into the hearts of xenophobic white Americans was through their stomachs. Aug 24, 2017 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Charles C A fun, informative search into the origins of not just General Tso's chicken, but American Chinese food as we know it today. Quite well produced. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 12/23/23 Full Review Audience Member I thought that almost all of the documentary was great. I would have liked a little more description of what actually was in the original version, more than just it doesn't have sweetener, broccoli, and scallions. But I thought that they did the "search" well. However, am I the only person that was horrified by some of the imaging used? Did they seriously use something that looked like the Japanese rising sun flag when showing the Chinese immigrants spreading from the San Francisco Bay area to other parts of the US? They also used this cartoon-like imagery a few more times later in the film. I was horrified and I'm not even of Asian decent. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/24/23 Full Review Audience Member I found this a fascinating documentary on a food I eat once a month. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/05/23 Full Review Audience Member So the dish was inventor is in Taiwan ;D Felt so weird that there were so many foreigners in the movie talking about Chinese history .. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/30/23 Full Review Audience Member "Chickity China, the Chinese chicken!" Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/14/23 Full Review Audience Member Pretty boring for most of its short length, taking 45 minutes to really get into the title's promise. Seem alike a short film would've been better for this story. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 01/28/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Search for General Tso

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Cast & Crew

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Ian Cheney

Director

Ian Cheney

Screenwriter

Jennifer 8 Lee

Producer

Amanda Murray

Producer

Lily Spottiswoode

Producer

Taylor Gentry

Cinematographer

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The Search for General Tso

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Movie Info

Synopsis Filmmaker Ian Cheney explores the origin of a spicy-sweet chicken dish that is a popular item in many of America's Chinese restaurants.
Director
Ian Cheney
Producer
Jennifer 8 Lee, Amanda Murray, Lily Spottiswoode
Screenwriter
Ian Cheney
Distributor
Sundance Selects
Genre
Documentary
Original Language
Chinese
Release Date (Theaters)
Jan 2, 2015, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 5, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA)
$9.3K
Runtime
1h 12m
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