Long Life, Happiness & Prosperity (2002)

Director:

Mina Shum

Writers:

Dennis Foon (written by)
Mina Shum (written by)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Family | Fantasy | Romance

Plot:

Twelve-year-old Mindy Ho inexpertly tries Taoist magic to fix her single mother's financial situation and seemingly hopeless romantic prospects.

Plot Keywords:

Magic | Charm | Spell | Lottery | Butcher

Awards:

1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Sandra Oh	...	Kin Ho Lum
Valerie Tian	...	Mindy Lum
Ric Young	...	Bing Lai
Tseng Chang	...	Shuck Wong
Russell Yuen	...	Alvin Ng
Donald Fong	...	Nelson Zong
Christina Ma	...	Ada Lai
Alannah Ong	...	Tam
Tsai Chin	...	Hun Ping Wong
Colin Foo	...	Lee-Tai-Tai / Yeu Wong
Kevin Yee	...	Raymond
Kameron Louangxay	...	Peter Lai
Benjamin Ratner	...	Ernie the Manager
So Yee Shum	...	Lee-Tai-Tai's Customer
Rick Tae	...	Cute Delivery Guy
Mario Carotenuto	...	Lottery Customer
Jasmin Dring	...	The Matrons
Diana Ha	...	The Matrons

Directed by
Mina Shum

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Dennis Foon		written by
Mina Shum		written by

Produced by
Scott Garvie	....	producer
Bryan Gliserman	....	executive producer
Laura Harbin	....	co-producer
Christina Jennings	....	producer
Raymond Massey	....	producer
Marguerite Pigott	....	executive producer
Mina Shum	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Andrew Lockington

Cinematography by
Peter Wunstorf

Film Editing by
Alison Grace

Casting by
Heike Brandstatter
Coreen Mayrs

Production Design by
Michael Bjornson

Art Direction by
Carol Lavallee

Set Decoration by
Dina Holmes

Costume Design by
Katia Stano

Makeup Department
Lisa Aharon	....	swing hair stylist
Lisa Aharon	....	swing makeup artist
Melanie Burke	....	hair stylist
Kathryn Calder	....	assistant makeup artist (as Kathryn Murphy)
Cleo Gagner	....	assistant hair stylist (as Cleo Ganger)
Alyssia Roberts	....	swing hair stylist
Alyssia Roberts	....	swing makeup artist
Carey Williams	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Barbara Ann Schoemaker	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Josy Capkun	....	second assistant director
Robyn Gelka	....	third assistant director
Collin Leadlay	....	first assistant director (as Colin Leadlay)
Jennifer Zimmer	....	trainee assistant director

Art Department
Darren Allan	....	scenic artist
Sarah Bjornson	....	draftsperson
Adam Catt	....	on-set dresser
Sally Cook	....	assistant set decorator
Jason Dampier	....	carpenter
Rob Dampier	....	lead carpenter
Jay Erickson	....	carpenter
Les Ford	....	graphic artist
Mai Gulbrandsen	....	lead scenic artist
Eric 'Rico' Hargreaves	....	carpenter (as Eric Haregreaves)
Tim Higgins	....	lead dresser
Brad Jansen	....	scenic artist
Jesse Joslin	....	construction coordinator
Jean Leslie	....	graffiti artist
Randy MacKenzie	....	scenic artist
Errin MacNeal	....	set dresser
Roy McGregor	....	scenic artist
Dawn Oldershaw	....	carpenter
Noni Peck	....	property master
Cristina Peori	....	scenic artist
Clif Prowse	....	set dresser (as Cliff Prowse)
Dave Righton	....	lead props
Glenna Robb	....	set dresser
Steve Schoemaker	....	props assistant (as Steven Schoemaker)
Dan Snelgrove	....	scenic artist
Anthony Ulc	....	carpenter
Shayne Wanless	....	set dresser
John Wilcox	....	key scenic artist (as John E. Wilcox)
Niki Charalambopoulos	....	scenic painter (uncredited)

Sound Department
Rick Bal	....	sound mixer
Keith Elliott	....	sound re-recording mixer
Mark Gingras	....	sound designer
Mark Gingras	....	supervising effects editor
Thomas Kodros	....	stereo sound consultant: Dolby
John Laing	....	supervising dialogue editor
Mishann Lau	....	adr editor
Diep Le	....	assistant sound editor
Anna Malkin	....	assistant foley artist
Jason Perreira	....	sound re-recording assistant
Peter Persaud	....	foley recordist
Maria Quanfun	....	cable puller
John Sievert	....	foley artist
Brad Thornton	....	sound re-recording mixer
Matt Willoughby-Price	....	boom operator
Mark Zsifkovits	....	sound re-recording mixer

Special Effects by
Terence J. Cox	....	special effects
Chris Hamilton	....	best boy effects
David Paller	....	special effects second (as Dave Paller)
Robert Paller	....	special effects supervisor (as Rob Paller)

Visual Effects by
Jon Campfens	....	visual effects supervisor
Jean-Luc Dinsdale	....	on-set supervisor
Carrie Richardson	....	digital coordinator
Joel Skeete	....	compositor

Stunts
Dan Redford	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Edward Chen	....	grip (as Ed Chen)
Bruce Crawford	....	best boy
David J. Dawson	....	key grip (as Dave Dawson)
Chris Dyson	....	first assistant camera
Kimberly French	....	still photographer
Miguel Gelinas	....	grip
Stephen Goad	....	best boy electric
Kenneth Hewlett	....	camera operator
Nina Jones	....	lamp operator
Nina Jones	....	lighting technician
Don Kazakoff	....	lamp operator
Billy Lachance	....	grip
Neil Lachance	....	rigging grip
George Landrecht	....	rigging electrician
Phillip Lanyon	....	rigging electrician
Sven Lomeland	....	rigging grip
Bonnie McLean	....	rigging electrician
Chris Meakes	....	gaffer
Dean Morin	....	camera department trainee
Mike Mossman	....	grip
Craig Munroe	....	dolly grip
Jaden Nance	....	lamp operator
Quincy Paglaro	....	second assistant camera (as Quincy Pagliaro)
Andrew Pepper	....	grip
Shawn Talbot	....	second second assistant camera
Ed Turner	....	generator operator (as Ed Turner 'Aquamon')

Animation Department
Charron Hume	....	breakdown artist

Casting Department
Errin Clutton	....	casting coordinator
Micha Sparrow	....	casting assistant
Brad Warshaw	....	additional casting
Brad Warshaw	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Stacey Compston	....	costumer
Angela Cruikshank	....	costumer (as Angie Cruikshank)
Lara Davies	....	assistant costume designer

Editorial Department
Earl Fudger	....	first assistant editor
Sandra Gillen	....	post-production coordinator
Cathy Rait	....	color timer
Jodie Davidson	....	colorist: dailies (uncredited)

Music Department
Paul Intson	....	musician: bass
Ron Kobb	....	musician: flute
Ron Korb	....	musician: flute
Andrew Lockington	....	conductor
Andrew Lockington	....	orchestrator
Dennis Patterson	....	assistant music engineer
Clare Scholtz	....	musician: English horn
Ron Searles	....	music engineer
Ron Skinner	....	assistant music engineer

Transportation Department
Ron Buyck	....	driver: grip truck
Richard Camacho	....	driver: cast
Fred Galensloot	....	driver: cast (as Fred Galesloot)
Rod McDonald	....	driver: shuttle
Laurie Morris	....	transportation coordinator
Jose Campos Oneeglio	....	driver: hair/make-up/wardrobe (as Jose Campos)
Matt Trask	....	transportation co-captain
Al Voth	....	driver: star trailers
Ray Waechter	....	driver: cable truck
Chris Wild	....	transportation captain

Other crew
Tina Baird	....	unit publicist
Ari Ben Ron	....	craft service
Ari Ben Ron	....	first aid
Heenan Blaikie	....	legal services
Diane Boehme	....	executive: CHUM
Andrian Boehn	....	trainee (as Andrian 'Jay' Boehn)
Bryan Boyd	....	assistant chef
Tara Burstyk	....	lead location production assistant
Stephen Chan	....	production assistant
Tom Chavez	....	security officer
Alexander Clarke	....	security officer
Elizabeth Dancoes	....	script consultant
Jane Davidson	....	assistant production accountant
Ruby Dean	....	assistant production accountant
Jacqueline Eng	....	photo double: Mindy
Lenny Epstein	....	assistant to director
Cheryl-Lee Fast	....	producer's intern
Lara Fox	....	script supervisor
Brian Freeman	....	executive: CBC
Mika Fujii	....	stand-in
Alexander Glua	....	production assistant
Corey Hakkarainen	....	security officer
Rebecca Herr	....	assistant to producer: Christina Jennings
Jason James	....	b-roll footage
John Johnston	....	security officer
Susan Kearney	....	security officer
Steven Kohalyk	....	trainee
Marian Koprada	....	key production assistant
Marian Koprada	....	location production assistant
Glace W. Lawrence	....	assistant to director (as Glace Lawrence)
Christin Lindgard	....	assistant location manager
Woody Lo	....	cultural consultant
Jose Lopez	....	craft service
Jose Lopez	....	first aid
Spencer Hon Lui	....	second assistant production coordinator (as Hon Lui)
Marcus MacDonald	....	security officer
Joe MacEachen	....	security officer (as Joseph MacEachen)
Terry Mackay	....	location manager
Grace MacLeod	....	animal trainer
Don MacNeil	....	security captain (as Don 'Real' MacNeil)
Sheenah Main	....	production coordinator (as Sheena Main)
Michelle Marion	....	executive: The Movie Network
Huyghe Meakes	....	electrical equipment provider
Patrick Mokrane	....	production accountant
Duncan Morin	....	legal services
Janis Mudie	....	assistant to producer: Christina Jennings
Anne Marie Murphy	....	script clearance
Paul Pat	....	stand-in
Virginia Rankin	....	script consultant
Adrian Salpeter	....	assistant to producer: Raymond Massey
Roza Savvas	....	set supervisor
Michael F. Sears	....	trainee (as Michael 'Silent Bob' Sears)
Paula Simson	....	first assistant production coordinator
Eva Simulik	....	truck supervisor
Rachael Taylor	....	extras wrangler (as Rachel Taylor)
Audrey Tobin	....	security co-captain
Michael Tse	....	chef
Jennifer Van Bakel	....	assistant production accountant
Chris Wayatt	....	key location production assistant
Annie Wilkinson	....	set tutor

Thanks
Catherine Forrester	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Chum Television (in association with)
• Massey Films
• Massey Productions Ltd.
• Shaftesbury Films

Distributors

• Odeon Films (2002) (Canada) (theatrical)
• AZN Television (2007) (USA) (TV)
• Alliance Atlantis Home Video (2003) (Canada) (DVD)
• Cinemax (2005) (Hungary) (TV)
• Film Movement (2004) (USA) (DVD) (English subtitles)

Other Companies

• AON/Ruben-Winkler Entertainment Insurance  insurance service provider
• Canada Council for the Arts  developed with the assistance of
• Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit (CPTC)  produced with the assistance of
• Canadian Television Fund  produced with the participation of
• Cine-Byte Imaging  titles and opticals
• Completion Guarantors (TGC)  completion guarantee
• Covitec  video mastering and subtitling
• D&C Holdings  grip equipment provided by
• DeLuxe Toronto  re-recording
• Eastern Script Service Inc.  script clearances
• Gamma Pro  photo finishing services by
• Glen Gould Studio, CBC Toronto  music recorded at
• Harold Greenberg Fund, The  produced with the participation of
• Illumination Ltd.  electrical equipment provided by
• Movie Network, The (TMN)  produced with the participation of
• Ontario Film & Television Tax Credit  produced with the assistance of
• Original Conforming Services  negative cutting
• Pacific Palisades Hotel  accomodations provided by
• Panavision  camera equipment provided by
• Parallel Films  location supplies provided by
• Paramount Pictures Production Services  grip equipment provided by
• Paramount Pictures Production Services  production equipment provided by
• Province of British Columbia Film Incentive BC  produced with the participation of
• Royal Bank of Canada  banking services
• Sorenson Cranes & Production Equipment Rentals  crane services provided by
• Téléfilm Canada  developed with the assistance of
• Union of B.C. Performers  production made possible with the generous support of the membership of
• Untouchable Caterers  catering

Runtime:

90 min (Toronto International Film Festival)

Country:

Canada

Language:

English | Cantonese

Color:

Color

Certification:

Canada:G

Filming Locations:

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Company:

Chum Television

Soundtrack:

Wong's Waltz

Sweet, but slight

A sweet but slight portrait of Chinese-Canadian community outside Vancouver, Long Life, Happiness and Prosperity benefits from two wonderful leads — Sandra Oh and Valerie Tian – but comes out a bit short everywhere else. Oh (who is really Korean-Canadian, but who's counting) plays the harried single mother of Mindy (Tian), an adorably geeky twelve year-old. Mindy is desperate to fix her mom up with an eligible bachelor (Russell Yuen) who works with her at a Chinese restaurant, and turns to Chinese traditional medicine and Taoist magic. In the meantime, other members of the community struggle with family strife, economic hardship, and conflicting values. Only the romantic mother-daughter story, and a story about a son who turns to religion rather than working in the family butcher shop, are really interesting. The rest is kind of a muddle — interesting in its way, but failing to contribute to the plot.

Because of Sandra Oh's recent high-profile appearances in Sideways and Grey's Anatomy this might get improved distribution on DVD. I got it through the filmmovement.com series.