Seventeen Years (1999)
"Guo nian hui jia" (original title)

Tao Lan and Yu Xiaoqin are teenage stepsisters. They go to the same high school, sleep in the same bedroom, but couldn't be more different. The first is wild, a bit of a vagabond, while the... See full summary »

Director:

Yuan Zhang

Writers:

Dai Ning, Hua Yu,

Stars:

Lin Liu, Bingbing Li, Yeding Li

12 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview:
Lin Liu	...	Tao Lan
Bingbing Li	...	Chen Jie
Yeding Li	...	Tao Airong
Song Liang	...	Yu Zhenggao
Yun Li	...	Yu Xiaoqin
Su Wang	...	Policeman

Storyline

Tao Lan and Yu Xiaoqin are teenage stepsisters. They go to the same high school, sleep in the same bedroom, but couldn't be more different. The first is wild, a bit of a vagabond, while the other is diligent and studies hard. One day Yu Xiaoqin steals money from her father and puts the blame on Tao Lin, who accidentally kills her sister while attempting to prove her innocence, and is put in jail. 17 years later, a woman by now, she is allowed out and is escorted by a guard to find her home long demolished. The two go to the new address of the ageing parents, and the guard becomes an eyewitness to the difficult reunion and the girl's remorse, the anxiety and fear of the mother and the stepfather's silent struggle to rise above his pain and find forgiveness.

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Plot Keywords:

pain | forgiveness | jealousy | law | bicycle | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

Italy China

Language:

Mandarin

Release Date:

31 March 2000 (Italy)

Also Known As:

Seventeen Years

Filming Locations:

Tianjin, China

Company Credits

Production Co:

Fondazione MonteCinemaVerità Locarno, Fabrica, Keetman Limited

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min 90 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

User Reviews

truly moving and engaging.....

When enjoying a film outside of the Hollywood genre, I must avoid the trappings of comparison which will ultimately elevate my perception of the quality of the movie. Once I was immersed in Seventeen Years, it was impossible not to come to the conclusion that Hollywood is betraying the viewing public with mindless waste, poor actors and little or no texture to their films..... The concepts of family angst, betrayal and bittersweet redemption are revealed through a wonderfully talented cast, playing out their roles with beautiful subtlety and believability. The story is heart wrenching yet encouraging as the guard (Li Bingbing) and her charge (lin liu) travel on a leave from prison to the home of her mother and step father, the father of her step sister whom she accidentally killed. The interaction between the two women (li/lin) is thoroughly heartfelt and you are unable to resist lin's tragic character. This film should have been nominated for more individual recognitions but it was politically incorrect in it's homeland China so as we all know, Hollywood only rewards it's own and Seventeen Years is an incredible treasure that many are not aware of outside the international community. I highly recommend and adore the vision of Zhang Yuan and this work of cinematic art. Please see it and share this with those who love a quality movie.