Better Days (film)
Better Days (Chinese: 少年的你; In His Youth) is a 2019 Chinese romantic crime film directed by Derek Tsang and starring Zhou Dongyu and Jackson Yee.[2] The film is adapted from the popular Chinese YA novel In His Youth, In Her Beauty by author Jiu Yuexi. It tells a story of a bullied high school girl and a teenage street thug, how both of their lives were changed by each other.[3] The story also discussed their dreams and wishes related to their future and how they protect each other in their own way. The film was released on October 25, 2019, in China, and on November 8, 2019, in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada. The box office for this film is a total of 227.3 million[4] around the globe. It was selected as the Hong Kong entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 93rd Academy Awards.[5]
| Better Days | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Chinese | 少年的你 |
| Mandarin | Shàonián dě Nǐ |
| Directed by | Derek Tsang |
| Produced by | Xu Yuezhen |
| Written by | Lam Wing Sum Li Yuan Xu Yimeng |
| Based on | In His Youth, In Her Beauty by Jiu Yuexi |
| Starring | Zhou Dongyu Jackson Yee |
| Music by | Varqa Buehrer |
| Cinematography | Yu Jing-Pin |
| Edited by | Zhang Yibo |
Production company | Henan Film Group China Wit Media Tianijn Xiron Entertainment We Pictures Shooting Pictures |
| Distributed by | Lian Rui (Shanghai) Pictures Shanghai Taopiaopiao Film Culture Tianjin Maoyan Weying Media Huaxia Film Distribution Golden Village Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 135 minutes |
| Country | China |
| Language | Mandarin |
| Box office | $227.3 million[1] |
Plot
After her classmate, Hu Xiaodie, commits suicide because of school bullying, Chen Nian finds herself the new victim of vicious school bully Weilai and her friends. Chen Nian also sees a teenage boy, Liu Beishan, being beaten in the streets. She attempts to call the police but is seen and attacked as well. The attackers mock her trying to save Beishan and beat both of them until they finally get Chen Nian to kiss Beishan.
Meanwhile, Chen Nian’s bullies continue to grow fiercer, physically attacking Chen Nian and spreading rumors about her family. After one encounter, where Chen Nian tries to stand up to the bullies, she is brutally pushed down the stairs in front of many other students at school.
Police detectives investigate Hu Xiaodie’s death, and while interviewing Weilai, make it known that Chen Nian has reported being bullied by Weilai. Weilai and her friends are all suspended from school and have an even stronger vendetta against Chen Nian. Throughout this time, Chen Nian continues to go to school and prepare for the college entrance exam; however, she gets cornered on her way home from school by the 3 expelled bullies who chase her with box cutters and a cage of rats. Having nowhere else to go, Chen Nian goes to Liu Beishan’s house and asks him to protect her while she continues studying for and eventually takes the college entrance exam. He agrees and follows her to and from school each day. During this time, Chen Nian and Beishan spend lot of time together and become very close. Chen Nian starts to show concern for Beishan, and he opens up about his past.
Beishan is picked to be in a line up and gets stuck at the police station nearly all night. Without his protection, Chen Nian is caught by the bullies who cut her hair, beat and strip her, all the while filming her. When Beishan is finally allowed to leave the police station, he runs home to see a bleeding Chen Nian on the floor taping her assignments together with her clothes in tatters and her hair cut. He helps her shave her head and then shaves his too.
The exam draws near and Chen Nian returns to school. On the day of the exam there is heavy rain that causes a landslide. In clearing out the landslide, they discover a body. The body is later found to be Weilai. After the first day of the two-day college entrance exam, the police bring Chen Nian in for questioning as the main suspect for Weilai’s murder. The detectives ask her why she didn’t come to them after the video of her was filmed and she states that she didn’t want anything to affect her studying. She simply wanted to take the exam and move away to Beijing for college.
Chen Nian is escorted by the police to return and finish the exam the next day. On her way home, Beishan grabs her and they run. He explains that the only way for her to continue with her life and go to college is if he takes the blame for Weilai’s death by saying he assaulted her and accidentally killed her in the process. When Chen Nian reluctantly agrees, he acts like he is assaulting her and the police catch him.
There is a flash back to a scene of Weilai begging Chen Nian to not report the video event to the police. Weilai offers Chen Nian anything that she could ask for, so long as Chen Nian keeps quiet. Chen Nian tells her that if she never has to see Weilai again then she will stay quiet. Weilai continues to pester and follow Chen Nian until Chen Nian pushes her in anger. Weilai falls down several flights of stairs, hitting her head and dying. In the present, Chen Nian and BeiShan both interrogated but stick to the story that the only time they had met was when Beishan attacked Chen Nian.
After Chen Nian gets her score back for the college entrance exam, one of the detectives comes to her house and tells her that Beishan had lied about being a minor and had been sentenced to death. Distraught, Chen Nian admits to her part in the crime. The detective then reveals that he was lying to her to get her to admit to the crime because the sentence would be lighter for both of them. The detective then takes her to see Beishan and they agree to take the lighter sentences, and both go to jail.
A final scene taking place a few years later shows Chen Nian as a teacher who notices a child who looks distressed. Chen Nian approaches the girl and they walk home together, followed closely by Beishan. Before the credits roll there are a few screens explaining the policies that the PRC has enacted since the event to prevent bullying in schools and deal stricter punishment to school bullies. There is a final plea for everyone to be aware and take responsibility for children and their safety.
Cast
- Zhou Dongyu as Chen Nian
- Jackson Yee as Beishan (Liu Bei Shan)
- Yin Fang as Zheng Yi
- Huang Jue as Lao Yang
- Wu Yue as Mother of Chen Nian
- Zhou Ye as Wei Lai
- Zhang Xinyi as Xu Miao
- Liu Ran as Luo Ting
- Xie Xintong as Wang Li
- Zhang Yao as Li Xiang
- Zhang Yifan as Hu Xiaodie
- Zhao Runnan as Da Kang
- Gao Xuanming as Lai Zi
- Luo Junlin
- He Liao Lüyun
Soundtrack
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Singer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "We are Well (我们很好)" (Opening theme) | Ge Dawei | JJ Lin | JJ Lin | |
| 2. | "Thoughts (念想)" (Interlude) | Wang Zi | Wang Zi | Jackson Yee | |
| 3. | "Fly" (Ending theme) | Ellen Joyce Loo, Wu Tsing-fong | Ellen Joyce Loo | Yoyo Sham |
Production
Better Days is adapted from Jiu Yuexi's novel In His Youth, In Her Beauty (少年的你，如此美丽; the novel was also translated as Young and Beautiful by some sources).[6][7]
Production started in July 2018 and ended on September 10, 2018.[8] Most of the film was shot on location in Chongqing.[9]
Release
Better Days was released on October 25, 2019, in China. It was released by Well Go USA Entertainment in Mandarin with English subtitles in selected theaters in the United States and Canada.[10]
The film was pulled from the Berlin festival's Generation section.[11][12][13]
Critical reception
On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 100% based on reviews from 15 critics, with an average rating of 8.34/10.[14] The film also received a rating of 8.4/10 on Chinese film rating cite Douban.[15][16][17]
Cary Darling of the Houston Chronicle stated in 2019 that it was "one of the best films of the year" and that it "deserves a wide audience".[18]
Box office
Better Days collected more than 100 million yuan (about 14.237 million U.S. dollars) on its opening day. The film earned more than 1.29 billion yuan (about 184 million U.S. dollars) over the past 15 days in China, according to Maoyan.[10]
Opening Weekend USA: $989,536 10 November 2019
Gross USA: $1,921,657
Cumulative Worldwide Gross: $225,320,294 IMDb
Accolades
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 4th International Film Festival & Awards, Macao | Best Actress | Zhou Dongyu | Won | |
| 2020 | 26th Hong Kong Film Critics Society Award | Best Film | Better Days | Nominated | |
| Recommended Film Award | Won | ||||
| Best Screenplay | Lam Wing Sum, Li Yuan, Xu Yimeng | Nominated | |||
| Best Actor | Jackson Yee | Nominated | |||
| Best Actress | Zhou Dongyu | Nominated | |||
| Best Director | Derek Tsang | Won | |||
| 39th Hong Kong Film Awards | Best Director | Won | |||
| Best Film | Better Days | Won | |||
| Best Actor | Jackson Yee | Nominated | |||
| Best New Performer | Won | ||||
| Best Actress | Zhou Dongyu | Won | |||
| Best Cinematography | Yu Jing-Pin | Won | |||
| Best Editing | Zhang Yibo | Nominated | |||
| Best Art Direction | Liang Honghu | Nominated | |||
| Best Costume Make Up Design | Dora Ng | Won | |||
| Best Original Film Song | "Fly" | Won | |||
| Best Original Film Score | Varqa Buehrer | Nominated | |||
| Best Screenplay | Lam Wing Sum, Li Yuan, Xu Yimeng | Won | |||
| Hong Kong Screenwriters' Guild | Recommended Screenplay of the Year | Pending | |||
| Film Role of the Year | Zhou Dongyu | Pending | |||
| Far East Film Festival | Golden Mulberry | Better Days | Won | ||
| Black Mulberry | Won |
See also
References
- "Better Days (2019)". The Numbers. Retrieved December 5, 2019.
- Kilian O’Donnell; David Paulk (24 October 2019). "Long-Delayed Film 'Better Days' Gets Surprise Release in China". sixthtone.com. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
- Rebecca Davis (28 October 2019). "China Box Office: 'Better Days' Steps Out as World's Top-Grossing Film". variety.com. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
- "周冬雨《少年的你》密钥延期至12月8日 票房已破15亿元 2019票房榜国产片第八名 – Mtime时光网". news.mtime.com. Retrieved 2020-02-02.
- Frater, Patrick (27 November 2020). "Hong Kong Picks 'Better Days' as Oscars Contender". Variety. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
- "Movie helps raise awareness of school bullying in China".
- Yan Shanshan (严珊珊) (5 November 2019). 《少年的你》原著作者玖月晞否认抄袭融梗：或许有共通的思考. guancha.cn (in Chinese). Retrieved 19 November 2019.
- vivicky li (10 September 2018). 一线 《少年的你》杀青 易烊千玺称“少年无惧”. qq.com (in Chinese). Retrieved 19 November 2019.
- 《少年的你》陈念家成网红景点 外地游客前往打卡. sina (in Chinese). 3 November 2019. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
- "Chinese youth drama film "Better Days" hits big screen in North America". xinhuanet. 9 November 2019. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
- Patrick Frater (4 February 2019). "Chinese Pic 'Better Days' is Yanked From Berlin Film Festival". variety.com. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
- Cary Darling (5 November 2019). "Review: 'Better Days' escaped Chinese censorship to become one of year's best films". sfchronicle.com. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
- "Film Set in China's Cultural Revolution Is Pulled From the Berlin festival's Generation section". nytimes.com. 3 February 2019. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
- "Better Days (2019)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved 11 September 2020.
- 顾馨. "Better Days expected to soar to blockbuster status". www.chinadaily.com.cn. Retrieved 2020-11-16.
- "少年的你 (豆瓣)". movie.douban.com. Retrieved 2020-11-16.
- "【开腔】关于《少年的你》，易烊千玺说最难拍的是……-中新网". www.chinanews.com. Retrieved 2020-11-16.
- Darling, Cary (2019-11-06). "The Chinese government didn't want you to see 'Better Days.' Here's why you should". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 2020-08-15.
External links
- Better Days on IMDb
- Better Days at Douban (in Chinese)
- Better Days (film) at the Mtime.com (in Chinese)