Dark Matter (2007)

Based on actual events, a Chinese university student responds violently when his chances for a Nobel Prize are dashed by school politics.

Director:

Shi-Zheng Chen

Writers:

Billy Shebar (screenplay), Shi-Zheng Chen (story)

Stars:

Meryl Streep, Ye Liu, Peng Chi

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Meryl Streep	...	Joanna Silver
Ye Liu	...	Liu Xing
Peng Chi	...	Mama
Aidan Quinn	...	Jacob Reiser
Blair Brown	...	Hildy
Yonggui Wang	...	Baba
Lei Tsao	...	Zhang Ming
Jing Shan	...	Wang Ying
He Yu	...	Old Wu
Bo Li	...	Little Square
Boris McGiver	...	Reverend Hollings
Bill Irwin	...	Hal Silver
Hui Zhang	...	Monkey King
Taylor Schilling	...	Jackie
Joe Grifasi	...	Professor Colby

Storyline

Liu Xing is a scholarship boy from China, newly arrived in Salt Lake City, a graduate student in cosmology, in Utah to study in Professor Reiser's prestigious program. Back in China, Liu Xing's parents are proud of him, and he dedicates himself to fulfilling their hopes. All the graduate students in the program work on projects that extend and further Reiser's model of the origins of the universe. Liu Xing does well until his own theories move him away from Reiser's. Will Reiser and the department recognize Liu Xing's brilliance? Can the young man's benefactor, Joanna Silver, intercede?

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Plot Keywords:

student | origins of the universe | nobel prize | cosmology | professor | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for a scene of violence, brief sexual content and language

Did You Know?

Trivia

In December 2012, the Tuscaloosa News reported that a PhD candidate in Theoretical Particle Physics in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Alabama was arrested on charges of stalking and making terrorist threats. A deposition filed in Tuscaloosa County District Court said that he sent threatening emails to several UA officials, including the university's president and other administrators; some of the emails included references to this film and implications that the thwarted physics student character's actions in the movie would be a model for a real-life attack at UA.

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Crazy Credits

Still Photographer Matthew Margolin and Additional Still Photographer Tyler Meiners are listed twice during the end credit roll.

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Soundtracks

Serenade
performed by the 'Beijing Angelic Choir'

User Reviews

not bad, try again please

I watched this with several friends and it was interesting to see who was surprised by the ending and who wasn't. Let there be no doubt, there is a great subject for a plot here. Forget that its based on a true story because its not - that's just marketing and fodder for pointless forum discussions.

What really hurt this movie were the pointless special effects and overly exaggerated sentimental shots, mostly featuring Meryl Streep, interspersed throughout the movie - typically after a scene where the protagonist experiences success or failure. There are only a handful of these shots and they only last seconds – but they are schmaltzy in an otherwise very believable movie. If you're watching even somewhat closely, they give away the movie very quickly.

I'll bet Shi-Zheng Chen goes on eventually to make a truly great movie. This one is about half way there.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

Mandarin English

Release Date:

24 April 2008 (Singapore)

Also Known As:

Dark Matter

Filming Locations:

Orem, Utah, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$8,701, 13 April 2008

Gross USA:

$30,591

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$69,379

Company Credits

Production Co:

Saltmill, Janet Yang Productions, Myriad Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1