AllMovie

A family faces the unexpected consequences of chasing the American dream in this independent drama. Elaine Cheng (Cindy Cheung) is an Asian-American single mother who has recently moved to Boston with her two kids, ten-year-old Raymond (Michael Chen) and eight-year-old Tina (Crystal Chiu). Elaine's financial situation is precarious, and when she loses her job, the family is evicted from their home and begin squatting in a flat in an unfinished apartment building. As Elaine struggles to maintain a stable home life for her children, she takes a job related to a questionable pyramid scheme; Raymond and Tina are left to their own devices most of the day, and he passes the time creating makeshift inventions he dreams will someday make him rich. When Elaine is arrested as the police shut down the pyramid scheme, Raymond becomes the head of the household and must use his wits and resourcefulness to care for himself and his sister. Children of Invention was the first feature film from writer and director Tze Chun; it was adapted from his 2007 short film Windowbreaker and was an official selection at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival.