So Young (film)

So Young
Directed by	Zhao Wei
Produced by	Stanley Kwan (executive producer)
Screenplay by	Li Qiang
Based on	To Our Youth that is Fading Away by Xin Yiwu
Starring	Mark Chao Han Geng Yang Zishan Jiang Shuying
Music by	Dou Peng
Cinematography	Li Ran
Edited by	Chan Chi-wai
Production company	Hua Shi Film Investment Co., Ltd China Film Group Co-production: Beijing Enlight Pictures Pulin Films Co., Ltd Beijing Ruyi Xinxin Film Investment Beijing Max Times Cultural Development Dook Publishing
Distributed by	China Film Group
Release dates	April 26, 2013 (2013-04-26)
Running time	132 minutes
Country	China
Language	Mandarin
Budget	30 million yuan (US$5 million)
Box office	718 million yuan (US$118 million)[1]

So Young (simplified Chinese: 致我们终将逝去的青春; traditional Chinese: 致我們終將逝去的青春) is a 2013 Chinese drama film directed by Zhao Wei. It is based on the best-selling novel of the same name To Our Youth that is Fading Away by Xin Yiwu. The film is Zhao's directorial debut.

The film's English-language title alludes to the song So Young by the British alternative rock band Suede from their self-titled debut album. In addition to the novel, the film was also based in part by Zhao's own personal college experience in the 1990s.^[2]

The film has become a major success at the Chinese box office, grossing over US$118 million with a US$5 million budget.^[1]

Plot

Zheng Wei started her college freshman year as a civil engineer major to be in the same city as her childhood playmate, Lin Jing, whom she determined she would marry one day. When Wei visited Jing at his college dormitory however, Jing's roommate told her Jing left for America. Unable to understand why Jing abruptly left without saying goodbye, Wei felt heartbroken.

Back in her college dormitory, Wei became close friends with her three roommates, Ruan Guan, the most beautiful and popular girl in the class; Li Weijuan, a practical and realistic girl who came from province but determined to marry well; and Zhu Xiaobei, a tomboy. The four girls talked about their goals in life, and all cheered to Ruan Guan's ambition—to have a youth that will never fade away.

Wei also befriended Lao Zhang and his roommate Xu Kaiyang, architecture majors, during the college clubs and activities fair. Kaiyang came from a well-to-do family and started his romantic pursuit for Wei, but Wei would only regard him as a friend. One evening Wei went to Lao Zhang and Kaiyang's dorm room to borrow their DVDs. Wei was amazed and disgusted by the messy condition of the male dormroom, except one bed and corner that was neat and clean. Lao Zhang said this spot belonged to their disciplined and hardworking roommate, Chen Xiaozheng. Laozhang went out of the room to find his DVDs, leaving Wei alone in the room. Wei saw a near finished building model on the table and started fumbling with the parts. At this moment Xiaozheng came back and angrily yelled out, "What are you doing there?" Startled and swinging around to see who was yelling at her, Wei knocked the model off the table. Xiaozheng managed to save his model by shoving Wei out of the way. Wei stumbled to the floor and was enraged at her humiliation. Wei angrily demanded an apology from Xiaozheng, but Xiaozheng coolly replied that he had nothing to apologize for and that it was her fault to touch his building model. From then on, Wei was determined to repeatedly humiliate Xiaozheng as a revenge to at least get his apology that she believed she deserves. Through her attempts Wei realized she in fact, liked Xiaozheng. From Lao Zhang and Weijuan, Wei learned that Xiaozheng came from a poor family and was raised by a strict mother, hence his aloof and disciplined personality. Wei declared her interest in Xiaozheng, then openly, relentlessly, and shamelessly stalked Xiaozheng to get his attention, much to his annoyance. Eventually, Xiaozheng was impressed by her enthusiasm and determination, and agreed to be her boyfriend.

During the rest of their college life and relationship, Xiaozheng and Wei found that they have starkly contrasting personalities. Although he appreciates Wei's fiery enthusiastic personality, Xiaozheng also reprimanded Wei at times for her laid-back and undisciplined attitude towards her coursework. Wei asked Xiaozheng why is he so serious all the time, Xiaozheng replied, "I don't know what your attitude towards your life, but my life is like a building that can only be built once, so I cannot afford any margin of error." Xiaozheng implied that due to his family's modest financial circumstances, he needed to do anything and everything he can to ensure the best possible professional future for himself.

Eventually graduation came upon Wei and Xiaozheng. At the on-campus recruitment and interview fair, Wei believed she and Xiaozheng would work at the same institute thus remain together. Unbeknownst to Wei, Xiaozheng has applied and obtained a graduate fellowship to study architecture in America. When Wei learned of his plan, she confronted Xiaozheng to ask why she was the last one to know. Xiaozheng difficultly explained he could not tell her because he was afraid of hurting her and reiterating that he could not make any mistake in his life, he then apologized that he had to make this choice of leaving her to make a better future for himself.

Fast forward a few years; Wei had now become a mature professional great at her work, much different from her bygone youthful days. One day she suddenly encountered Lin Jing. Jing explained he left abruptly because he learned that his father was having an affair with Wei's mother, so he could not face Wei, he never went to America, but avoided contact with her except for once when he went to look for her but found her with Xiaozheng. He wanted to come back and rekindle their friendship and, possibly, romance.At this time, Xiaozheng also returned from America, now as a renowned and accomplished architect. While he now had everything professionally that he was determined to get, Xiaozheng regretted letting go of Wei and also wanted to rekindle their relationship. Wei on first meeting refused Xiaocheng. During this time, Ruan Guan is killed in a car accident trying to meet her university boyfriend for one last time before she got married. Wei in grief asks Lin Jing to get married. However, she later calls it off when Lin Jing tells about another girl that loved him during their time apart. Afterwards, Xiaocheng and Wei meet once more at the aquarium to reminisce. It is during this final scene when Xiaozheng asks Wei, "Can I love you again?" to which Wei replies, "Xiaozheng, we spent our youth together...youth is to be commemorated."

Cast

• Yang Zishan as Zheng Wei
• Mark Chao as Chen Xiaozheng
• Han Geng as Lin Jing
• Jiang Shuying as Ruan Guan
• Bao Bei'er as Zhang
• Zheng Kai as Xu Kaiyang
• Zhang Yao as Li Weijuan
• Tong Liya as Shi Jie
• Liu Yase as Zhu Xiaobei
• Wang Jiajia as Zeng Shu
• Huang Ming as Zhao Shiyong
• Pan Hong as Chen's mother
• Yang Lan as Yang Lan
• Han Hong as DJ Zi Juan
• Wang Sen as Wang Yaming

Casting

Xin Yiwu, author of the novel, has mentioned that Zhao Wei was actually her choice to play the lead character of "Zheng Wei". However, Zhao declined the offer, and opted to direct the film.^[3]

Besides Mark Chao and Han Geng, a majority of the cast are newcomers, including Yang Zishan, who played the story's protagonist Zheng Wei.^[4] Zhao stated, "They're very green and new. Sometimes they even lack common sense. But I like working with them because they're down-to-earth...What they lack in experience, they replace with enthusiasm."^[5]

Production

For this film, Zhao Wei intended to take the story in a panorama view to the life of college students in the 1990s, "not just a love triangle", "I'd like to devote this film to everyone out there who had a similar youth... It’s a memory shared by those who were born on the Chinese Mainland between the 1970s and early 80s."^[6] Zhao also bought the rights to Suede's song for the film.^[7]

Production on the film started from March 3 and ended on June 22, 2012.^[8][9]

Soundtrack

• Theme song: "To Youth" (致青春)^[10]
  • Composer: Dou Peng
  • Lyricist: Li Qiang
  • Performer: Faye Wong

Reception

Critical response

After the premiere of the film in Beijing, it has gained favorable reviews from critics and audience, and has been dubbed a "mature directorial debut".^[11]

It has also gained positive reviews from English-language critics. Dereke Elley of Film Business Asia gave the film a 7 out of 10, describes the film as "an impressive directorial debut" and praised the film's "powerhouse first 90 minutes" as "that draw an involving portrait of love, friendship, ambition and broken dreams among a group of university students..." However, Elley criticized the last portion of the film, and states "as the film abruptly flashes forward several years to pick up the characters in the big city, all the dramatic credit accumulated to that point is squandered by a final 40 minutes that seem rushed and fabricated, with none of the earlier dramatic traction." Elley summoned up "As a two-part movie running some three hours, So Young could have been a truly epic portrait of youthful emotional errors and their later consequences. As it stands, it's a remarkable directorial debut by Zhao that's well acted by its ensemble cast but is more of an ambitious, great-looking torso than a single movie." Elley also sates "One can only hope that one day an extended Director's Cut of the film will eventually emerge on ancillary."^[12]

Maggie Lee of Variety described the film as an "accomplished directing debut" and "a lyrical ode to youth at its most fearless and foolhardy."^[13] Elizabeth Kerr of The Hollywood Reporter wrote "Anchored by an engaging performance by Yang Zishan in her first lead role, Zhao's film proves the actress turned director adept with images and actors." "The film’s first 90 minutes make for a complete enough film that the bloated, soapy final 40 become a distraction from Zhao and Li’s careful character construction earlier on. It’s been rumored that Zhao’s original cut clocked in at three hours, and so in that light the rushed, half-baked feel of the last act becomes clear. But even with more time the “adult” segment of the film feels out of place, tonally and stylistically. Thankfully Zhao makes the most of her cast, who carry the film farther than it has a right to go."^[14] Tay Huizhen of MovieXclusive (Singapore) gave the film a rating of 4.5/5.^[15]

Top Ten Lists

• 10th - Lie Fu, Asia Weekly^[16]
• 10th - Popular Cinema Magazine^[17]
• 10th - Mainland/Taiwan/Hong Kong Film Poll (Orgnized by Taiwan Film Board and China Film Critics Society)^[18]
• 10th - Hong Kong Film Critics Association
• 8th - Taiwan Film Critics Society
• Mainland Film of the Year - Southern Weekly^[19]

Box Office

In mainland China, the film grossed 45 million yuan in the opening-day, and broke the opening-day box office record for a non-3D Chinese language film.^[20] The film also surpassed Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons in advanced sales according to online box office tabulation.^[21] The film went on to gross 141 million yuan in its opening weekend, and Zhao became the first Chinese female director to have a first feature film to gross over the 100 million yuan mark.^[22] Through May 5, its cume was $76.72M. In an interview, Zhao Wei said "I’m given box office figures every other day. I feel OK. I am very satisfied with what we’ve taken. You can’t be too greedy."^[23]

Accolades

References

External links

• Official Micro-blog
• So Young at the Internet Movie Database