Better Luck Tomorrow (2002)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Justin Lin

Writers:

Ernesto Foronda (written by) &
Justin Lin (written by) ...
(more)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Tagline:

Never underestimate an overachiever.

Plot:

A group of over-achieving Asian-American high school seniors enjoy a power trip when they dip into extra-curricular criminal activities.

Plot Keywords:

High School | Overachiever | Asian American | Shallow Grave | Prostitution

Awards:

1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Parry Shen	...	Ben Manibag
Jason Tobin	...	Virgil Hu
Shirley Anderson	...	Hot Dog Planet Customer
Nanette Matoba	...	Housewife
Kenji Matoba	...	Toddler
Sung Kang	...	Han
Ashley Arai	...	Cheerleader
Danielle Conner	...	Cheerleader
Karen DiTota	...	Cheerleader
Smita Satiani	...	Cheerleader
Kristen Stinson	...	Cheerleader
Jeff DeJohn	...	Ryan
Robert Zepeda	...	Jock
Collin Kahey	...	Jock
Christopher J. Francis	...	Jock
Jimmy Lin	...	Jock
Ryan Cadiz	...	Jesus Navarro
Karin Anna Cheung	...	Stephanie Vandergosh
Roger Fan	...	Daric Loo
Jerry Mathers	...	Biology Teacher
Jessie S. Marion	...	Gina Nabham
A.J. Green	...	Mr. Farmer
Jaime Serene Kelly	...	Nurse (as Jaime S. Kelly)
Esther Mercado	...	Hospital Patient (as Esther 'Tita' Mercado)
Octavia Osby	...	Doctor
Beverly Sotelo	...	Cashier
Scott McShane	...	Cashier
Brandon Bain	...	Basketball Player
Jesse Bustos	...	Basketball Player
Troy Cartwright	...	Basketball Player
Brandon Dennis	...	Basketball Player
Ronald Dross	...	Basketball Player
Christopher R. Edmonds	...	Basketball Player
Jon Paul Lourenco	...	Basketball Player
Anthony Moore	...	Basketball Player
Jason Reyes	...	Basketball Player
Dominique Ricks	...	Basketball Player
Khalil Semaan	...	Basketball Player
Jonathan Uyloan	...	Basketball Player
Terry White	...	Basketball Player
Chad Young	...	Basketball Player
Kenwood Jung	...	Basketball Coach
Jeff Russell	...	Assistant Basketball Coach
John Cho	...	Steve Choe
Aaron Takahashi	...	Takashi
Darian Weiss	...	Kenny Vandergosh
Alden Villaverde	...	Ulden
Emmie Hsu	...	Miriam
Lily Hu	...	Tina
Donna Tina Charles	...	Waitress
Crystal Keith	...	Karen
Laura Esposito	...	Camille
Juliet Wong	...	Mary
Justin Murphy	...	Adam / New Year's Party Band
James Isaac Barry	...	Porn Jock
Wayne Ford	...	Student Buying Cheat Stamp
Kevin Alfoldy	...	Steve's Decathlon Team Member
Daniel R. Bonneau	...	Steve's Decathlon Team Member
Lisa Grant	...	Steve's Decathlon Team Member
David Laurence	...	Steve's Decathlon Team Member
Nate Petre	...	Steve's Decathlon Team Member
Ramona T. Ramirez	...	Steve's Decathlon Team Member
Stephanie Noel Little	...	Steve's Barbie
Tom Chalmers	...	Liquor Store Clerk
Bryan Baluyot	...	Gangster
Mark Baluyot	...	Gangster
Joseph Jaldon	...	Gangster
Marc Montecillo	...	Gangster
Joe Hernandez-Kolski	...	Scared Student
Jay Green	...	Assistant Vice Principal
Denise Barnard	...	Assistant Vice Principal
Bruno Oliver	...	History Teacher
Fabian Marquez	...	Security Guard
Walter Butler	...	Peter
Christopher Monjoy	...	Student Buying Drugs
Ina Burke	...	Tracy
Jennifer Wu	...	Ben's Admirer (as Jennifer Avelyn Wu)
Pauline Kanako Kamiyama	...	Party Girl
Lela Lee	...	Slapper
Evan Leong	...	Slapper's Boyfriend
Suzanne Keilly	...	Salesgirl
Shane Kualapai	...	Casino Security Guard
Ariadne Shaffer	...	Rachel
Sean Alexander	...	New Year's Party Band
Joey Barro	...	New Year's Party Band
Ben Donaldson	...	New Year's Party Band
Walker Edmondson	...	New Year's Party Band
Chris Good	...	New Year's Party Band
Diana Bonilla	...	New Year's Party Flirt
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ronnie Gene Blevins	...	Skinhead (uncredited)
Rick Cortes	...	Extra (uncredited)
Louie Giangrande	...	Photographed Student (uncredited)
Justin Lin	...	Jock (uncredited)

Directed by
Justin Lin

Writing credits
Ernesto Foronda		(written by) &
Justin Lin		(written by) &
Fabian Marquez		(written by)

Produced by
Julie Asato	....	producer
Michael Cole	....	executive producer
Troy Craig Poon	....	executive producer
Ernesto Foronda	....	producer
Steve Herr	....	associate producer
Joan Huang	....	co-producer
Sung Kang	....	associate producer
Justin Lin	....	producer
Michael Manshel	....	executive producer
Gustavo Spoliansky	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Michael Gonzales
Tobin Mori

Cinematography by
Patrice Lucien Cochet

Film Editing by
Justin Lin

Casting by
Donna Tina Charles

Production Design by
Yoo Jung Han

Art Direction by
Yoo Jung Han

Costume Design by
Sandi Lieu

Makeup Department
Robin Felix	....	hair stylist: Ms. Cheung
Jaime Serene Kelly	....	key makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Josh Diamond	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Joseph Fedo	....	lead man

Sound Department
Tim Bindel	....	adr supervisor
Tim Bindel	....	sound supervisor
Curtis Choy	....	sound
Paul Davidson	....	foley artist
Aleksandr Gruzdev	....	sound re-recording mixer
Cindy Jo Hinkleman	....	dialog editor
James P. Lay	....	sound re-recording mixer
James P. Lay	....	supervising sound editor
Michael McDonald	....	sound re-recording mixer
John Sanacore	....	sound recordist
Scott M. Silvey	....	sound
William Tabanou	....	sound effects editor
Kelly Vandever	....	sound re-recording mixer

Camera and Electrical Department
Patrice Lucien Cochet	....	camera operator
Bryan Hayes	....	electrician
Bryan Hayes	....	grip
Guy Livneh	....	chief lighting technician
Paul Maletich	....	first assistant camera: second camera
BJ McDonnell	....	dolly grip
BJ McDonnell	....	key grip
Bill Otto	....	second assistant camera
Michael Tiratira	....	best boy grip
Remi Tournois	....	first assistant camera
Bryan Hayes	....	dolly grip (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Greg Le Duc	....	avid post-production system supervisor
Mato	....	color timer
Fred Raskin	....	additional editor
Steve Barnett	....	post-production consultant (uncredited)

Music Department
Sheri Ozeki	....	composer: additional music
Tamala Poljak	....	composer: additional music

Other crew
Keith E. Cooper	....	legal services
Winston Emano	....	publicist
David Magdael	....	publicist
Annalee Paulo	....	publicist
Damon Isiah Turner	....	assistant: Mr. Poon

Thanks
Kayo Hatta	....	special thanks
Dawn Suggs	....	thanks
Billy Woodberry	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Cherry Sky Films
• Day O Productions
• Hudson River Entertainment
• MTV Films
• Trailing Johnson Productions

Distributors

• MTV Films
• Paramount Pictures

Other Companies

• Aaron & Le Duc  AVID editing systems
• Dolby Laboratories  sound post-production
• TC:DM & Associates  publicity

MPAA:

Rated R for violence, drug use, language and sexuality.

Runtime:

101 min | USA:98 min (2003 version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R | New Zealand:R16 | Australia:MA | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Alhambra, California, USA

Company:

Cherry Sky Films

Trivia:

The film was financed with credit cards and with money raised independently by the filmmakers. The actors deferred their salaries.

Goofs:

Continuity: When the picture for Virgil's candy bar drive is first shown, the words "Runners Up" do not appear. In the close-up, "Runners Up" appears.

Quotes:

Han: [to Ben] People like you and me, we don't have to play by the rules, we can make our own.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle (2004)

Soundtrack:

Wannabe (Night Version)

Teens Behaving Badly

As a theme, Kids Who Kill has been a staple of movies ever since that cherubic little blond girl attempted to do in her very own mommy in 1956's `The Bad Seed.' Now, almost 50 years later, we have `Better Luck Tomorrow,' a film inspired by the true-life activities of a `Chinese Mafia' made up of a bunch of Asian high school honor students in Orange County, California.

What makes Justin Lin's film even more depressing than the average `disgruntled teen' flick is that the protagonists here represent `the Best and the Brightest' modern America has to offer. Like their far less brainy counterparts in `Rebel Without a Cause,' these suburban malcontents hail from comfortable upper middle class homes and have just about everything they could wish for in terms of material possessions. Yet, unlike the rebels in that earlier film, these are smart, highly motivated achievers who can ace any entrance exam and choose virtually any college they want, and STILL they feel the need to push the envelope of legality and morality - with ultimately fatal results. These are children for whom the good things in life come too easily - yet, like the kids who have nothing, they too need that challenge, that risk, that `rush' that tells them they're alive and in control of their own destiny and not just pawns in a game whose rules for success were prescribed long before they arrived on the scene.

Lin, along with co-writers Ernesto M. Foronda and Fabian Marquez, has fashioned a chilling portrait of suburban life, pinpointing just how ethically rudderless so many of today's young people seem to be. It's particularly disturbing in that these are the very people who seem to have it all together on the surface and can therefore get away with illegality and murder since no one in his right mind would think to suspect them - and, more to the point, these are the people who hold the future of our civilization in their hands. Yet despite the grimness of the subject matter, the film contains an amazing amount of humor, as Lin and his writers take an almost lighthearted, satirical approach to the material, skewering the values of an emptily materialistic society with razor-sharp precision.

If I have a complaint against the film, it is that the writers have made a conscious decision to exclude virtually all adults from their cast of characters. I understand that they are trying to draw us into the world of these teens, but by draining that world of all adult presence and influence, the filmmakers remove a crucially important element from the equation. We want to know what kind of parents these boys come from in order to better understand how these offspring got to where they are today, though, I guess, the point might be that, because these appear to be `problem free' kids who get good grades, the parents treat them with a sort of benign neglect that allows this amoral behavior to flourish. Still, this total removal of the parents as characters makes the film feel less totally honest and realistic than it otherwise might. This insistence on a hermetically sealed, teen-only world also results in a strain on the film's credibility, as when the boys go off to Las Vegas for an Academic Decathlon competition without a single chaperone in attendance. While there, the youngsters end up procuring the services of a hooker and one of the boys even brandishes a gun around the motel room - both events extremely unlikely given the highly litigious nature of our society and the subsequent stringent rules governing such school-sponsored activities.

The acting by a cast of virtual unknowns is outstanding, with Parry Shen, in particular, distinguishing himself as Ben, the likable, too-smart-for-his-own-good model student who functions as the film's voiceover narrator and who finds he has a dark side buried deep within him that he never really knew existed. Jason Tobin, Sung Kang, Roger Fan, John Cho and Karin Anna Cheung, natural-born actors all, offer superb support.

It is the incongruity between the familiarly shiny surface of its suburban setting and the malfeasance at its core that makes `Better Luck Tomorrow' such an unsettling and disorienting social document. We're thrown off balance because these kids seem to embody everything we envision when we speak about the ideal, goal-oriented, forward-looking teen. With its bravely inconclusive and nonjudgmental ending, the film takes us to a world we may not want to visit but which we ignore at our own peril.