Better Days (2019 film)

Better Days
Theatrical release poster
Chinese少年的你
Literal meaningThe Youthful You
Hanyu Pinyinshàonián dě nǐ
Directed byDerek Tsang
Written by
  • Lam Wing Sum
  • Li Yuan
  • Xu Yimeng
Based onIn His Youth, In Her Beauty
by Jiu Yuexi
Produced byXu Yuezhen
Starring
CinematographyYu Jing-Pin
Edited byZhang Yibo
Music byVarqa Buehrer
Production
companies
  • Henan Film Group
  • China Wit Media
  • Tianijn Xiron Entertainment
  • We Pictures
  • Shooting Pictures
Distributed by
  • Lian Rui Pictures
  • Shanghai Taopiaopiao Film Culture
  • Tianjin Maoyan Weying Media
  • Huaxia Film Distribution
  • Golden Village Pictures
Release date
  • 25 October 2019 (2019-10-25)
Running time
135 minutes
Country
LanguageMandarin
Box officeUS$230.1 million[4]

Better Days (Chinese: 少年的你; Romanized as Shao nian de ni) is a 2019 Chinese drama film directed by Derek Tsang and written by Lam Wing Sum, Li Yuan and Xu Yimeng.[5] Based on the Chinese young adult novel In His Youth, In Her Beauty (少年的你，如此美丽; literally "The Youthful You, So Beautiful") by Jiu Yuexi, the film stars Zhou Dongyu (Chinese: 周冬雨) and Jackson Yee (Chinese: 易烊千玺), and follows a high school girl struggling with severe bullying and the pressure of upcoming college entrance exams, whose life becomes intertwined with that of a teenage street thug.[6]

Better Days was released on 25 October 2019 in China and on 8 November 2019 in the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada. One of the most highly anticipated Chinese films in 2019 due to its leads Zhou Dongyu and Jackson Yee's immense popularity, the film became a pop culture phenomenon in China as well as a box office hit, grossing a total of US$230.1 million.[7][8][9] A critical success, the film was chosen as the official entry for Hong Kong for Best International Feature Film at the 93rd Academy Awards; it became the third Hong Kong entry in history to achieve the nomination (27 years after Farewell My Concubine, the second), and was the first nominated entry directed by a Hong Kong native rather than by a Mainland Chinese director.[10][11]

  1. ^ "'Better Days': Film Review". Variety. December 2, 2019. Archived from the original on March 4, 2021. Retrieved March 26, 2021. Production: (China)
  2. ^ "'Better Days': Review". Screen International. 29 October 2019. Archived from the original on 22 June 2021. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
  3. ^ "LUMIERE : Film #84081 : Better Days". lumiere.obs.coe.int. European Audiovisual Observatory. Archived from the original on 2021-03-24. Retrieved 2021-03-27. Producing or Co-producing country: CN
  4. ^ "Better Days (2019)". The Numbers. Archived from the original on January 9, 2020. Retrieved December 5, 2019.
  5. ^ Kilian O’Donnell; David Paulk (24 October 2019). "Long-Delayed Film 'Better Days' Gets Surprise Release in China". sixthtone.com. Archived from the original on 17 November 2019. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
  6. ^ Rebecca Davis (28 October 2019). "China Box Office: 'Better Days' Steps Out as World's Top-Grossing Film". variety.com. Archived from the original on 5 November 2019. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
  7. ^ "累计票房已过1.3亿，《少年的你》锁定年度最佳"青春片"？_腾讯新闻".
  8. ^ "《少年的你》撤档，数百万易烊千玺粉丝包场票房怎么办？". 27 June 2019.
  9. ^ "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. Archived from the original on 2020-12-11. Retrieved 2020-02-02.
  10. ^ Frater, Patrick (27 November 2020). "Hong Kong Picks 'Better Days' as Oscars Contender". Variety. Archived from the original on 27 November 2020. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  11. ^ Davis, Clayton (9 February 2021). "Oscars Shortlists Announced in Nine Categories". Variety. Archived from the original on 9 February 2021. Retrieved 10 February 2021.