Better Days (film)
Better Days (Chinese: 少年的你; In His Youth) is a 2019 Chinese romantic crime coming of age 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 about 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.
| 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] |
Cast
- Zhou Dongyu as Chen Nian
- Jackson Yee as Bei (Zhang 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).[5][6]
Production started in July 2018 and ended on September 10, 2018.[7] Most of the film was shot on location in Chongqing.[8]
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.[9]
The film was pulled from the Berlin festival's Generation section.[10][11][12]
Critical reception
Rotten Tomatoes reported that 100% of critics have given the film a positive review based on 8 reviews, with an average rating of 8.33/10. Audience Score is 97% from 131 ratings.[13]
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".[14]
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.[9]
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 |
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.
- "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 December 2019.
- 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)