Though he drew many of his influences from Asian cinema, director Ang Lee transcended his Taiwanese heritage to make films in such diverse settings as 19th century England and early-1970s Connecticut to hit upon the universal differences when culture, society and sexual mores collide among the generations. After earning his master’s degree in film from New York University and playing househusband for several years while his microbiologist wife forged her career, Lee emerged onto the international film scene with “The Wedding Banquet” (1993), his second feature and first to earn an Academy
