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Yellow (1998 film)
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Wikipedia article
'Yellow' is a 1998 film directed by Chris Chan Lee. The film is about the harrowing graduation night of eight KoreanAmerican high school youths in Los Angeles that culminates in a violent crime that will forever change their lives. It World Premiered at CAAMFest (then called NAATA) in San Francisco in 1997 to three sold-out screenings.
'Yellow' was invited to over a dozen film festivals, including the Los Angeles Film Festival, the Singapore International Film Festival and the Slamdance Film Festival. The film received a U.S. release by Phaedra Cinema and is sold worldwide through 'Cinema Arts'. The film stars John Cho and Jason Tobin.
Premise
Eight friends in Los Angeles spend their last evening together as they face graduation from high school and the onset of their adult lives. One of them gets in unexpected trouble when he loses a large sum of his dad's money. The friends rally together to attempt to raise the money back in one evening in a wild and desperate scavenger hunt.
Cast
* Michael Chung as Sin Lee
**Derek Kwong as Young Sin Lee
* Burt Bulos as Alex
* John Cho as Joey
* Jason Tobin as Yo Yo
* Angie Suh as Grace
* Mia Suh as Teri
* Lela Lee as Janet
* Mary Chen as Mina
* Soon-Tek Oh as Woon Lee
* Amy Hill as "Snake" Ajima
* Charles Rahi Chun as Aaron
* Eric Steinberg as Peter
* Ray Chang as Mike
* Jasper Lee as Chaz
* Emily Kuroda as Mrs. Lee
* Sharon Omi as Mrs. Park
* Steven Anthony Jones as Uncle Dave
* June Kyoto Lu as Aunt Omi
* Susan Fukuda as Grace's Mom
* Steve Park as Alex's Uncle #1
* Grace Y. Lee as Mina's Mother
* Sean C. Lee as Mina's Father
* Le Le Niu as Grace's Sister
* Ken Narasaki as Grace's Dad
* Ann Jea Lee as Sin's Sister
* Kyung Nam Lee as Sin's Auntie
* Janet Lee as Yo Yo & Janet's Mom
* Samuel B. Suh as Alex's Uncle #2
* Ung Chu Lee as Alex's Uncle #3
Reception
Film critic Roger Ebert wrote about YELLOW on November 19, 1997, in his article HAWAII FEST HONORS FILMS OF PACIFIC RIM for the 'Chicago-Sun Times'. "A different kind of culture shock was explored in "Yellow," an American film by Chris Chan Lee, about the son of a strict Korean-American grocery owner in Los Angeles. The father enforces his standards so rigidly that he drives customers away. He alienates his son (Michael Daeho Chung), who during a long night with his Gen X Korean- American friends, deals with the consequences when a great deal of money is stolen from the store. The film is fascinating in the way it manages to be both about Korean-American society and about young Gen Xers who could be of any race."
In the 'Los Angeles Times', Kevin Thomas reviewed the film for its theatrical release in 1998, in his article 'Yellow' Looks at Generation, Cultural Gap Within Families. "As ambitious and rewarding as it is, Chris Chan Lee's "Yellow" has a significance beyond itself: It's the first major Korean American film to get a feature release. It's also a classic coming-of-age story, set during one long night just before eight high school friends are to graduate. You're tempted to describe the picture as "Korean American Graffiti", but along with its humor it has an underlying disturbing seriousness." The film critic added, "Through the specificity of this Korean American experience you can easily feel a sense of universality in Sin's predicament. As a filmmaker Lee is at a point where he's stronger at dialogue than pacing. But there's no doubt "Yellow" marks the debut of a most promising talent who combines youthful zest and energy with a mature perspective that allows him to extend compassion to both sides of the generation gap."
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