Yi Yi (2000)
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A middle-class Taiwanese family navigates the complexities of personal growth and generational shifts in Taipei.
The story
The Jians are a middle-class family living in Taipei, led by an engineer named NJ. The family's stability is shaken when Min-Min's mother suffers a stroke, leaving her comatose and on life support. As the family deals with this medical crisis, NJ struggles with his career and personal life, including a past relationship with a woman named Sherry. Meanwhile, the children, Ting-Ting and Yang-Yang, navigate their own adolescent challenges and emotional shifts. The film explores the internal and external pressures facing each family member as they attempt to maintain their connections in a changing world.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
The Jians, a middle-class family in Taipei, face a series of personal crises. After Min-Min's mother falls into a coma, the family is thrown into turmoil. NJ, the father, is dissatisfied with his work and reconnects with his ex-girlfriend, Sherry, who lives in Chicago. They eventually meet in Tokyo, where NJ ultimately decides not to start a new life with her. Min-Min, depressed by her mother's condition, seeks solace in a Buddhist retreat before returning home for the funeral. The children face their own trials: Ting-Ting deals with the guilt of her grandmother's collapse and a complicated relationship with a neighbor's friend, Fatty, who is eventually arrested for murder. Yang-Yang, feeling isolated, begins taking photographs and teaches himself to swim to impress a girl who torments him. A-Di, the uncle, faces a failed investment and a volatile relationship with his wife. The film concludes with Yang-Yang delivering a poignant monologue at his grandmother's shrine, expressing his desire to see and tell people what they cannot see.
- First release year
- 2000
- Runtime (minutes)
- 173
- Production countries
- Taiwan; Japan
- Original languages
- Mandarin; Taiwanese Hokkien; Japanese; English
- Directors
- Edward Yang
- Writers
- Edward Yang · writer
- Cast and characters
- Wu Nien-jen · NJ; Elaine Jin · Min-Min; Kelly Lee · Ting-Ting; Jonathan Chang · Yang-Yang; Issey Ogata · Mr. Ota; Chen Hsi-Sheng · A-Di; Su-Yun Ko · Sherry; Chang Yu Pang · Fatty
- Genres
- drama; independent
- Themes
- generational gap; family dynamics; everyday life; grief; personal growth
- Tone and mood
- delicate; nuanced; humorous; melodrama
- Premise and plot tags
- family drama; coming-of-age; romance
- Reception
- The film received significant critical acclaim, being regarded as one of the greatest films of the 21st century. It was praised for its nuanced depiction of family life and its ability to balance humor and grief. It holds high scores on Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic.
- Awards and nominations
- Netpac Award · Karlovy Vary International Film Festival · 2000 · Win; Panorama Jury Award · Sarajevo Film Festival · 2000 · Tie; Best Foreign Film · French Syndicate of Cinema Critics · 2001 · Win; Grand Prix · Belgian Syndicate of Cinema Critics · 2000 · Nomination; Best Film – China/Taiwan · Chinese Film Media Awards · 2002 · Win; Best Director · Chinese Film Media Awards · 2002 · Win; Best Film · Chinese Film Media Awards · 2001 · Win; 2nd place for Best Director · Boston Society of Film Critics Awards · 2000 · Win; 2nd place for Best Film · Boston Society of Film Critics Awards · 2000 · Win; 2nd place for Best Foreign Language Film · Boston Society of Film Critics Awards · 2000 · Win; Best Foreign Language Film · Awards Circuit Community Awards · 2000 · Nomination
- Production trivia
- The film's title 'Yi Yi' means 'one by one' or 'one after another'.; When written in vertical alignment, the two strokes of the title resemble the character for 'two'.; The piano pieces in the soundtrack are mostly performed by Peng Kai-Li, Yang's wife.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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