IMDb RATING
7.3/10
4.2K
YOUR RATING
An aging bachelor has to engage his old, laid-off friends to keep a blind girl happy as a masseuse at a non-existent massage parlor.An aging bachelor has to engage his old, laid-off friends to keep a blind girl happy as a masseuse at a non-existent massage parlor.An aging bachelor has to engage his old, laid-off friends to keep a blind girl happy as a masseuse at a non-existent massage parlor.
- Director
- Writers
- Stars
- Awards
- 5 wins & 4 nominations
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaDirector 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 versionsSPOILER: There are two cuts of this film; the original Chinese Theatrical Cut and an International Cut, which is six minutes longer. The International Cut features more content in the early scenes when 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 (Jie Dong). 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 didn'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.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Late Night with Conan O'Brien: Martin Lawrence/Los Lobos (2002)
Featured review
6 Stars! This is a must see movie but be warned....the description of this film is not what this film's about. It is not a comedy, even though parts of the story are actually funny. It is a fable about compassion and the amount of deception sometimes needed to achieve it, especially by the inept. Happy Times is directed by Yimou Zhang, who gave us the masterpiece The Road Home, and it is very moving and terribly sad and oddly funny. If you like being delighted and surprised, watch this one.
- yossarian100
- Feb 24, 2003
- Permalink
- How long is Happy Times?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official sites
- Language
- Also known as
- Happy Time
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $1,900,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $240,093
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $31,084
- Jul 28, 2002
- Gross worldwide
- $361,000
- Runtime1 hour 42 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content