Release CalendarDVD & Blu-ray ReleasesTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsIn TheatersComing SoonMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV NewsIndia TV Spotlight
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsBest Picture WinnersBest Picture WinnersEmmysLGBTQ+ Pride MonthSTARmeter AwardsSan Diego Comic-ConNew York Comic-ConSundance Film FestivalToronto Int'l Film FestivalAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

Happy Times

Original title: Xing fu shi guang
  • 20002000
  • PGPG
  • 1h 42m
IMDb RATING
7.4/10
4K
YOUR RATING
Happy Times (2000)
Theatrical Trailer from Sony Pictures Classics
Play trailer1:47
1 Video
14 Photos
  • Comedy
  • Drama
  • Romance
Zhao is an aging bachelor who hasn't been lucky in love. Thinking he has finally met the woman of his dreams, Zhao leads her to believe he is wealthy and agrees to a wedding far beyond his m... Read allZhao is an aging bachelor who hasn't been lucky in love. Thinking he has finally met the woman of his dreams, Zhao leads her to believe he is wealthy and agrees to a wedding far beyond his means. Zhao's best friend Li hatches the idea to raise the money by refurbishing an abandon... Read allZhao is an aging bachelor who hasn't been lucky in love. Thinking he has finally met the woman of his dreams, Zhao leads her to believe he is wealthy and agrees to a wedding far beyond his means. Zhao's best friend Li hatches the idea to raise the money by refurbishing an abandoned bus, which they will rent out by the hour--the Happy Times Hotel--to young couples star... Read all
IMDb RATING
7.4/10
4K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Yimou Zhang
  • Writers
    • Yan Mo(novel "Shifu, You'll Do Anything for a Laugh")
    • Gai Zi
  • Stars
    • Lifan Dong
    • Benshan Zhao
    • Dong Jie
Top credits
  • Director
    • Yimou Zhang
  • Writers
    • Yan Mo(novel "Shifu, You'll Do Anything for a Laugh")
    • Gai Zi
  • Stars
    • Lifan Dong
    • Benshan Zhao
    • Dong Jie
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 41User reviews
    • 61Critic reviews
    • 63Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 5 wins & 4 nominations

    Videos1

    Happy Times
    Trailer 1:47
    Happy Times

    Photos14

    Dong Jie in Happy Times (2000)
    Benshan Zhao in Happy Times (2000)
    Ben Niu and Benshan Zhao in Happy Times (2000)
    Benshan Zhao in Happy Times (2000)
    Benshan Zhao and Dong Jie in Happy Times (2000)
    Benshan Zhao and Dong Jie in Happy Times (2000)
    Yimou Zhang, Benshan Zhao, and Dong Jie in Happy Times (2000)
    Happy Times (2000)
    Happy Times (2000)
    Happy Times (2000)
    Happy Times (2000)
    Happy Times (2000)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Lifan Dong
    • Stepmotheras Stepmother
    Benshan Zhao
    Benshan Zhao
    • Zhaoas Zhao
    Dong Jie
    Dong Jie
    • Wu Yingas Wu Ying
    Biao Fu
    Biao Fu
    • Little Fuas Little Fu
    Xuejian Li
    Xuejian Li
    • Lias Li
    Qibin Leng
    • Wu Ying's Stepbrotheras Wu Ying's Stepbrother
    Ben Niu
    • Old Niuas Old Niu
    Jinghua Gong
    • Aunty Liuas Aunty Liu
    Hongjie Zhang
    • Lao Zhangas Lao Zhang
    Bingkun Zhao
    • Lao Baias Lao Bai
    Honglei Sun
    Honglei Sun
    • Customer at 'Happy Times'as Customer at 'Happy Times'
    • Director
      • Yimou Zhang
    • Writers
      • Yan Mo(novel "Shifu, You'll Do Anything for a Laugh")
      • Gai Zi
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

    More like this

    Not One Less
    7.7
    Not One Less
    Keep Cool
    7.2
    Keep Cool
    Shanghai Triad
    7.1
    Shanghai Triad
    The Story of Qiu Ju
    7.6
    The Story of Qiu Ju
    Ju Dou
    7.6
    Ju Dou
    The Road Home
    7.8
    The Road Home
    Coming Home
    7.2
    Coming Home
    Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles
    7.3
    Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles
    Under the Hawthorn Tree
    7.1
    Under the Hawthorn Tree
    Red Sorghum
    7.3
    Red Sorghum
    Codename Cougar
    4.1
    Codename Cougar
    To Live
    8.3
    To Live

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Director Zhang Yimou issued a casting call via the Internet for role of the blind girl. Eventual lead Dong Jie was selected from some 40,000 girls who auditioned for the role.
    • Alternate versions
      SPOILER: There are two versions of this film; the original Chinese release version and an International Version, which is six minutes longer. The International Versions features more content in the early scenes where the two couples come to the Happy Times Hut hoping to have sex. In the Chinese cut, these scenes are more ambiguous as to what the couples have in mind. Additionally, the International Cut has a longer and very different conclusion. In the Chinese cut, after Zhao (Benshan Zhao) writes the letter supposedly from Ying's father, the film cuts to him reading it to her as the credits start to role. In the International Cut, however, after Zhao leaves the restaurant in which he writes the letter, he is hit by a car. In hospital, his friends come to see him, finding the letter to Ying (Dong Jie). Upon returning to her apartment, however, they find it deserted. A tape recording Ying has made and left behind explains that she knew all along the Happy Times Hotel didn't exist, but she doesn't mind as they were the happiest days of her life. She then explains that she is going to Shenzhen. After the message is finished, Fu (Biao Fu) plays it again, reading aloud Zhao's letter at the same time. The film then cuts to Ying walking along a crowded city street as the credits role.
    • Connections
      Featured in Late Night with Conan O'Brien: Martin Lawrence/Los Lobos (2002)

    User reviews41

    Review
    Top review
    9/10
    The wrong things; the right reasons
    Zhao is a 50 year old unemployed loser making one last attempt at finding love. He courts a portly divorcee, but keeps having to lie to pass himself off as a better catch than he really is. Eventually, of course, the lies backfire. Zhao tells his sweetheart that he is the manager of a fancy hotel. She responds by foisting her blind stepdaughter off on him, confident that he can easily find her employment at his fancy hotel.

    What follows is a funny, unlikely and touching relationship between Zhao and the blind girl Wu. While Zhao is terribly misguided, constructing elaborate deceptions to keep Wu "employed" at the non-existent hotel, he does these wrong things for the right reasons. Zhao does find love, but it isn't the woman or the love he expected.

    This is an excellent film and there are three big reasons why: First of all, it's directed by Zhang Yimou who may well be the best director alive. This isn't a masterpiece like "Raise the Red Lantern," but seeing the phrase "Directed by Zhang Yimou" should be enough to tell you the next two hours will be well spent.

    The second and third reasons are Benshan Zhao as Zhao and Jei Dong as Wu. Zhao is a respected Chinese comedian, but the role here is really a mixture of comedy and drama. Zhao gives the mixture exactly the right touch. But the real revelation is Jei Dong. I found myself wondering through the entire movie if she were really blind. She is that good. (And I still don't know the answer.)

    Don't expect a laugh out loud comedy if you see this movie. It is very funny in places, but frequently that humor is very uncomfortable. And frequently happy times aren't really what they seem.
    helpful•24
    3
    • Junker-2
    • Feb 7, 2004

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • December 31, 2000 (China)
    • Country of origin
      • China
    • Official sites
      • Fox (Japan)
      • Sony Pictures Classics - trailer, synopsis, etc. (Flash) (United States)
    • Language
      • Mandarin
    • Also known as
      • Happy Time
    • Filming locations
      • China
    • Production companies
      • Guangxi Film Studio
      • Xin Huamian Film
      • Zhuhai Zhenrong Co.
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $1,900,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $240,093
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $31,084
      • Jul 28, 2002
    • Gross worldwide
      • $361,000
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 42 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • DTS
      • Dolby Digital
      • Dolby SR

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    Happy Times (2000)
    Top Gap
    What is the English language plot outline for Happy Times (2000)?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    View list
    List
    The Best Movies and Shows to Watch in July
    See the full list
    View image
    Photos
    Hollywood Romances: Our Favorite Couples
    See the full list

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Interest-Based Ads
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2022 by IMDb.com, Inc.