Shanghai Kiss (2007)

An Asian-American actor, living in Los Angeles, is forced to reconsider his roots as well as the possibilities afforded him by his present situation after suddenly inheriting his grandmother's home in Shanghai.

Directors:

Kern Konwiser, David Ren

Writer:

David Ren

Stars:

Ken Leung, Hayden Panettiere, Kelly Hu

2 wins.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ken Leung	...	Liam Liu
Hayden Panettiere	...	Adelaide Bourbon
Kelly Hu	...	Micki Yang
Joel David Moore	...	Joe Silverman (as Joel Moore)
James Hong	...	Mark Liu - Liam's Dad
Kathleen Lancaster	...	Georgia
Lorna Scott	...	Casting Director
Spencer Redford	...	Jessica / Cute Blonde
Steve Connell	...	Casting Director (voice)
Brian Gardner	...	Young Handsome Guy
Timothy Bottoms	...	Adelaide's Father
Summer Altice	...	Virginia
Oliver Yan	...	Ling Ming
Byron Mann	...	Jai Li
Chen Li	...	Amy

Storyline

A struggling Chinese-American actor, who unwittingly finds himself involved with a high school girl, learns he has inherited his grandmother's home in Shanghai. The American-raised character moves to China in an attempt to connect with his ancestry, leaving behind quite possibly the only girl who has ever loved him.

---

Plot Keywords:

actor | shanghai | chinese american | high school | china | 

---

Taglines:

Love needs no translation.

---

Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

---

Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Bigfoot Entertainment Official site

Country:

USA China Hong Kong

Language:

English Mandarin

Release Date:

17 March 2007 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Shanghai Kid

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Konwiser Brothers, Bigfoot Entertainment, China Film Group

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min 100 min (European Film Market) 91 min (TV)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In the scene where Liam and Micki are watching a movie, Liam mentions how The Rock sounds like Richard Simmons and Micki asks 'Who is the Rock?'. Kelly Hu starred in The Scorpion King with Dwayne Johnson (The Rock).

---

Goofs

When Joel returns to the table he is clearly seen holding a single serving butter pack in his left hand as he sits down, but as we switch to a different camera angle, he is holding a fork.

---

Quotes

Joe Silverman: Listen to yourself, man! You're moving to Shanghai for a girl! A *Chinese* girl for Godsakes!
Liam Liu: This is not just about the girl.
Joe Silverman: Then what is it?
Liam Liu: It just -- it *feels* right! I'm Chinese. I gotta go back to my roots.
Joe Silverman: [scoffs] All right, slow down, Kunta Kinte. You don't even speak Chinese. What the hell are you gonna do? What, drive a rickshaw?
Liam Liu: I can learn Chinese.
Joe Silverman: Learn Chinese?! Liam, you barely speak English!
Liam Liu: Don't call me Liam. Liam's my slave name.
Joe Silverman: Cute.

---

Connections

References Roots (1977)

---

Soundtracks

"Home"
Written by David Kitay and David Baerwald
Performed by Hayden Panettiere
Courtesy of Hollywood Records

User Reviews

Superb !! ~

How can I begin to describe just how great this movie is? I mean, the movie is simply awesome! So I decided to make the list. Here it goes :

[1] The cast is absolutely amazing. Hayden Panettiere (who stars in the TV show Heroes as Claire Bennet) is absolutely stunning! Her eyes sparkle when she smiles and it surely will melt the audiences' hearts. Ken also does a great job in his acting. His smile is addictive and he is charming, not in the George Clooney kinda way, but more like in Justin Long. Oh ya, Kelly Hu also deliver top-notch acting. Credit to them all!

[2]The storyline is unique and refreshing: I gotta say that I have long to watch a movie that move away from clichés, predictable and forgettable storyline. The story touches my heart deeply it made me somewhat very close to the characters and I can almost feel their feelings, as if I am in their shoes. It is interwoven with many cute, witty moments, and also many sad and heartfelt moments.

[3] The scenery is breathtaking! Usually when I watch Hollywood movies with Shanghai scenes, I watched a filthy, smelly markets selling pork and rats, and people riding bicycles to go to their destinations. I mean, Shanghai is shown as a place that is forgotten by the fast-pace of the globalized world we live in today. However, in this movie, Shanghai is shown as a place with beautiful buildings and places of interests. It is such a refreshing sight.

[4] It is more than just a movie. It is about dilemma faced by many expatriates. They lead their lives away from their home country, and to come back into their hometown will definitely bring back many memories, both good and back. It will also makes one think about one's culture and roots. This movie did exactly this.

So a full score of 10 out of 10 for this movie. Gotta be top of the list to all movie-goers! :)