Better Luck Tomorrow (2002)

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:

Overachiever | High School | Asian American | Cheating | Miniature Golf

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 Little	...	Steve's Barbie (as Stephanie Noel Little)
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)
Patrick Chavis	...	Student (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
Lorri Jakubuv	....	prop master

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 J. McDonald	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Michael McDonald)
John Sanacore	....	sound foley adr mixer
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)

Casting Department
Joel Juarez	....	casting associate

Editorial Department
Ben Boodman	....	assistant editor
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
Erin Heidenreich	....	sales agent
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
• Private Island Audio  post-production services
• 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:

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

Filming Locations:

Alhambra, California, USA

Company:

Cherry Sky Films

Trivia:

According to an April 2003 NPR radio interview with Elvis Mitchell, Justin Lin's production company was on the verge of folding unless he could secure a certain amount of funding. Lin had essentially resigned himself to failure; but on a whim called a celebrity he had met once in Las Vegas. Lin got a call the day before the deadline from the celeb saying that he had read the script and wanted to provide some backing. Two hours later, the new investor had wired Lin the money and saved the production. The celebrity: MC Hammer.

Goofs:

Continuity: Right after Daric pistol whips the jock at the party, he raises his right arm and points the gun at the others. When the camera cuts to Virgil kicking the jock on the floor, you see Daric point the gun again; this time with his left hand.

Quotes:

Steve Choe:Everyone needs a wake-up call.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Slanted Screen (2006)

Soundtrack:

Retrace

A superbly crafted, very mature insight into teenage culture

I saw this film at the Toronto film festival, and was completely absorbed in it. It is both an intelligent observation of teenage culture and a great achievement in style and cinematography Follows in the footsteps of masterpieces like "Goodfellas" and "Menace to Society". Like them, this film plunges us into the lifestyle of its characters, and unrelentingly attempts to relate us to them. One wouldn't think that it is possible to be so consumed by a world occupied by those quiet over-achievers we overlooked in high school, but this film offers a darker, edgier vantage point that is so involving we cannot look away.

What I enjoyed so much about this film is that its characters are intelligent, but their intelligence is constantly overwhelmed by hormones and social pressures typical of the American teenager. It begins as a story of four Asian-American high school students, all with promising futures and crystal clean records, who decide to enter a life of crime and violence. Their crimes are easy because their reputations as do-gooders make them inconspicuous. The film follows Ben, whose richly observant narration offers a voyeur type insight into their declining souls. We watch, with unblinking eyes as harmless vices transform into drugs and murder. Soon enough the lives of these characters collapse, rendering one a surviver of a botched suicide attempt, and another a paranoid killer. The brilliance of these characters is not simply an excuse for their crimes, but an added weight on their shoulders. Their intelligence breeds conflict; they are smart enough to know that their lives are being jeopardized, but logical enough to see that when the extra pennies are so easy to attain, the crime is to lose the opportunity.

The crown jewel of this film is Stephanie, strongly portrayed by beautiful Karin Anna Cheug, possibly the hottest new thing to hit Hollywood in years. Her character is strong, on par with the boys in terms of intellect and achievement, but her heart is gold. Mark my words, after the release of this film, this girl is going to be on the cover of every magazine in this country. Wonderful girl, Wonderful film.