First still from Snow Flower and the Secret Fan
by javabeans
The first still has been released of the anticipated film adaptation of Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, the historical novel written by Lisa See that has become a favorite of book clubs everywhere.
The movie stars Jeon Ji-hyun (aka Gianna Jun) as Snow Flower and Li Bingbing as Lily (a role previously taken by Zhang Ziyi, who then dropped out of the project), two friends in 19th-century China who share a deep emotional bond and communicate via a secret dialect/language, Nushu.
The movie is directed by Wayne Wang, who directed The Joy Luck Club as well as, um, Maid in Manhattan. It’s set for a July 15 release in The U.S.
I keep meaning to read this book (it’s on the book club’s list!), and have read good things about Lisa See’s novels in general. I’m not sure how the language barrier issue will resolve (apparently the movie’s in English and Chinese, and while Jeon Ji-hyun can scrape by passably with the former, I don’t suppose she’ll have as much luck with the latter), but if the movie does well, maybe Jeon will finally have her crossover success story.
Via Joy News
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1 V
March 10, 2011 at 12:05 PM
Li Bingbing is my girl crush. She is so beautiful.
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2 Rossi
March 10, 2011 at 12:26 PM
Isn't Hugh Jackman in this? If so, I'm totally on board b/c I'm shallow like that and he's just so awesome!
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3 ni
March 10, 2011 at 12:29 PM
Apparently the movie added this part: In a parallel story in present day Shanghai, the laotong's descendants, Nina and Sophia, struggle to maintain the intimacy of their own childhood friendship in the face of demanding careers, complicated love lives, and a relentlessly evolving Shanghai. Drawing on the lessons of the past, the two modern women must understand the story of their ancestral connection, hidden from them in the folds of the antique white silk fan, or risk losing one another forever. (Fox Searchlight)
...which I'm kinda horrified about. Hmm...modern day...
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SteamyBun
March 10, 2011 at 4:57 PM
lol. That is so weird! (I mainly use the word "weird" because now I see where Hugh Jackman comes in.) Doesn't seem too nice of them to mess with the original story.
Also, Jeon Ji Hyun is one of my absolute favorite actresses. To be honest, though, I wish she'd come back and do Korean films. Crossing over (almost) never works! And the only parts Asian actresses seem to get in Hollywood is the totally stereotypical and generic "Asian" roles. Like casting Zhang Zhiyi as a Japanese geisha when she's Chinese, because "no one will know the difference".
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nika
March 11, 2011 at 8:53 PM
"Like casting Zhang Zhiyi as a Japanese geisha when she’s Chinese, because “no one will know the difference”.
I did. I wish they used Japanese actress to play the role instead of a Chinese.
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4 jomo143
March 10, 2011 at 12:29 PM
Did anyone read this book?
Recommend or not?
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A Fangirl
March 10, 2011 at 12:37 PM
I recommend it. It's a great read so read it before you see the movie. If you're like me, you won't want to read after seeing the movie first so READ the book FIRST. It's just that good. Not only does it give a look into China's history...it gives a great look into the lives of women in that period of time. I learned far more from Lisa See's books than from any textbook.
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SteamyBun
March 10, 2011 at 4:42 PM
It's not the masterpiece some people say it is, but it's an enjoyable read. I'd recommend it.
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Me
March 10, 2011 at 8:17 PM
Ditto with SteamyBun. Great start, enjoyable middle, flat end. Something isn't clicking right.
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kaedejun
March 10, 2011 at 5:56 PM
i really liked this book. it's really heart tugging though and emotional and graphic (in their descriptions of foot binding) but it's good and worth it.
in the above still though, the two ladies costumes look switched - i thought snow flower was the richer girl with the finer clothing??
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QD
March 11, 2011 at 2:32 PM
I'm nursing a flu today and read about this the other day, I know I bought when it was first out but never got around to reading it... I must say I regret not reading it any sooner. I finished it all today in one sitting albeit blowing my nose and not knowing that Japan was in such state of emergency! You must read it!! I cried so many times!!! Its really good, reads like a autobiography but its fiction, historical accuracy is also spot on. When I read that they twisting the story I am very apprehensive coz the book is sooooo good I think twisting with a modern take, it might lose its value on the big screen!
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5 dominic
March 10, 2011 at 12:30 PM
Hugh Jackman's in this movie too, right?
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6 yenthi
March 10, 2011 at 12:34 PM
Reading the synopsis on IMDB made me sad. I enjoyed the book, but why do they have to change the story? :-/ >.>
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7 Liveforlove
March 10, 2011 at 12:36 PM
This novel was amazing.. It's about regret and losing a friend. I'm really excited to see how the movie will turn out but I'm also kind of worried. My expectations are really high ;)
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8 ar_arguably romantic
March 10, 2011 at 12:38 PM
with news of Jeon Ji Hyun's supposed projects, i didn't really believe she was going to be in this adaptation. I haven't read the book either. Maybe i'll get to it before the movie premieres.
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9 Zany
March 10, 2011 at 12:42 PM
OMG NO WAY!!!
I loved this book so MUCH. I'm not one to cry for films/books etc.... but with this book I was sobbing at the end T.T
I hope they do a good job with this.
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10 meenuby
March 10, 2011 at 12:54 PM
I loved this book but I'm wary of the adaptation. Not a fan of Jeon Ji-hyun either.
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11 zakuropanda
March 10, 2011 at 1:10 PM
I loved the book - highly recommend reading before watching, because I'm sure not all of the emotional nuances will be captured well in adaptation.
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12 Emmy
March 10, 2011 at 2:32 PM
I love the book versions. I am so excited for this I hope they can capture essence of the book. It has potential but it's one of the ones I'm doubtful about being made into a movie.
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13 M
March 10, 2011 at 2:50 PM
Lisa See's works is some of the most depressing stories i've ever read.
They are seriously a sobfest, for the sake of sobbing
and to be honest, they are overly stereotypical and annoying.
and despite the fact that she's partly chinese, i almost feel like she's taking advantage of the 'tragedies' and abusing them for her novels...
i havent read this one, but from her other works, gah =_=
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bd
March 10, 2011 at 11:57 PM
Ughhh, sounds like another Amy Tan.
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QD
March 11, 2011 at 2:38 PM
Her other books havent faired so well. Also I read the book before I knew her ethnicity so personally I dont think her ethnicity has any bearing how good this book is to me so I highly recommend you reading it first.
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14 jose
March 10, 2011 at 2:58 PM
:O oh well in my country i haven't heard or read about she and her works ,but when i saw a picture of her in internet i was surprised because wikipedia she is partly chinese but to me she look 100 or 99% caucasian,from what part she is partly chinese?
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QD
March 11, 2011 at 2:40 PM
Her mother is Carolyn See. So its her maternal side that has chinese blood.
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15 Okie Dokie
March 10, 2011 at 3:33 PM
I'm really excited about this movie. Haven't gotten into the book yet. I like to watch movies before reading the book. Yeah, I'm backwards that way. But it's hard to totally enjoy a movie if you've read a book since it's never up to snuff. =)
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16 lidge_fan
March 10, 2011 at 3:57 PM
I went to the local library to get this book when I heard about the film adapatation and praises for the book. I might be in the minority but I didn't think the book was anything special. Maybe I expected too much. Whereas I really love Amy Tan's writing style, I found Lisa See's kind of dry actually. Just my opinion though.
Is Hugh Jackman still in the movie? What role will he play? I don't remember any Westerners in the book. Love LBB!!!!~
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SteamyBun
March 10, 2011 at 5:00 PM
No, I totally agree! The writing was dry. I still liked the book though; it had a good story.
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bd
March 10, 2011 at 11:59 PM
Hmmm, I wonder if this book is filled w/ Asian male bashing like Amy Tan's work?
Anyway, that isn't a particularly flattering photo of the 2 female leads (and I really like JJH).
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lidge_fan
March 11, 2011 at 9:37 AM
Yes, let’s rewrite history and pretend that women enjoyed the same rights and were afforded the same freedom as their male counterparts so there won’t be any more “male bashing” in books. Forgive my sarcasm, but why put the focus on just the “male bashing” aspect, which by the way is subjected to the interpretation of the reader. What some people see as “male bashing,” others might just look at it as the way society was structured at the time. Doing so will allow us to recognize the positive changes that have occurred over the years in regards to human rights, freedom and equality. Also, historical fiction books such as Amy Tan’s do give equal weight to other themes such as friendships, filial dutifulness and generational bonds. While I might not like all of Amy Tan’s stories, I like the way she writes in that there’s a rhythm to how the words fit together (at least to me).
Btw: I’m not a feminist by any stretch of the imagination and I do not hate men after I read these “male bashing” books XD!
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bd
March 11, 2011 at 9:54 AM
I'm not talking about rewriting history.
But it's not like women exactly were living the "good life" in Europe until fairly recently (historically) and novels set during the Middle Ages and up to and through the industrial revolution aren't all about how miserable the lives of European women were at the hands of European men.
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lidge_fan
March 11, 2011 at 1:13 PM
If your argument is that in regards to literature, white males are given better treatment compared to their Asian counterparts, then I disagree.
[please note the term “white” does not carry any negative connotations but is meant to distinguish Western and Asian people in general]
Yes, Western literature is not all about the “miserable” lives of white women at the hands of white men. Novels set in the Middle Ages can be about the miserable lives of European peasants at the hands of their lords and masters (i.e., white men). Novels set in the 1700’s and 1800’s can be about the miserable lives of slaves at the hands of the slave traders/masters (i.e., white men). Moving onwards to the Industrial Revolution and it can be about the miserable lives of children due to child labor at the hands of industrial leaders (i.e., white men). So overall in regards to literature, I do not believe white males are given better treatment compared to their Asian counterparts.
The facts are what they are, and when one writes about the way society was structured back then, one can hardly disregard these facts. This does not mean that nice white and Asian males are a new phenomenon and that they did not exist back then. However, if writers choose to write historical fiction books (which inevitably includes the unfair socio-economic and political conditions that certain groups had to endure in the past), why should the writers not be able to just because it might seem “male bashing”?
bd
March 12, 2011 at 6:23 PM
"Yes, Western literature is not all about the 'miserable' lives of white women at the hands of white men. Novels set in the Middle Ages can be about the miserable lives of European peasants at the hands of their lords and masters (i.e., white men)."
Thanks for proving my point.
Now, I'm not saying See's book is exactly akin to what Amy Tan has done, but it wouldn't be beyond Hollywood to take things further in the film adaptation.
Take for instance the film version of the "Joy Luck Club"; the producers/writers changed the skinflint husband from white to Asian (don't know what input director Wayne Wang had in the decision, if any, but evidently any concerns that he may have had were pushed aside).
In the TV series "Lost", the writers originally were going to have Sun leave Jin for Michael. Daniel Dae Kim allayed his concerns to the writers about the direction of his character and the impact of stereotypes and the writers changed course (really, how realistic would it have been for Sun to end up w/ Michael?).
There are many more such examples, so excuse me if I have my doubts about Hollywood doing a film adaptation.
QD
March 11, 2011 at 2:54 PM
Hear! Hear! This book has 'historical accuracy' woven in to fictional characters that give WOMEN a voice, have their stories told beautifully and authentically! The language 'nu shu' was created because it was the only way women were able to have a voice and be heard. Nonetheless the irony of it all is it is a 'secret language for women only' That was how desperate, innovative and admirable these women were in the olden days! I cry not because it is sobfest... I cry because I am here today because of generations of strong women before me. Because of them I have none of their pains, their sorrows, their hunger (I mean actual hunger!), their limited freedom, their poverty.... none of it! I cry because I am humbled and empowered by these women!
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QD
March 11, 2011 at 3:02 PM
and I dont know where your male bashing fits in this book at all ! Lily's husband was an exemplary husband! So must a historical fiction author write that all men are good just because it might be considered male bashing? I dont know where Amy Tan fits in all this too ? As far as I can remember Amy Tan wrote about filial piety, about mother's love , there are many themes that Amy touched on. This baffles me!
17 MEIKO**** ^-^
March 10, 2011 at 4:10 PM
i will definitely wait for this.... hope this will be good.
i love See's novels!
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18 Dara
March 10, 2011 at 5:02 PM
Love 'The Joy Luck Club' so much.
Btw, what's with the word 'snow flower'? Saw lots of movie/drama using it, I mean a lot.
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19 acuvue09
March 10, 2011 at 7:05 PM
Hmm I wonder if Zhang Ziyi dropped out in order to do the live-action Mulan that's coming out in 2011. Excited! (although probably no catchy Disney sing-along songs...womp)
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20 Gabie
March 10, 2011 at 7:09 PM
I guess I'm one of the few who is expecting the movie to be better than the novel... lol. I will see it because of LBB and Hugh only.
I agree with some of you, See's writing is dry and it seems like she is too conscious of what people may think about her writing, which makes her storytelling voice sound unnatural (to me). What is even more annoying is that she abuses the stereotypes and all to serve her purpose for the book... The only interesting thing was Nushu, the secret language and its folk stories though...
Still, I wouldn't put my expectations high. Wish I don't have to be this anxious...
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bd
March 11, 2011 at 12:10 AM
Frankly I'm a bit sick of all the books by Asian (or part-Asian) authors which deal either w/ the "old country" or the recent immigrant experience and basically regurgitate and reinforce all the stereotypes (or even Asian-Am indie film-makers such as those who made "Red Doors.").
Funny how the motion picture industry tends to pick these types of books to make into film instead of works by other Asian-American authors which don't rely on stereotypes (I'm sure a "Tiger Mom" picture deal is in the works).
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Maddy
March 11, 2011 at 5:28 AM
Ditto.
Ugh about the Tiger Mom.
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QD
March 11, 2011 at 3:26 PM
wow ! Shall I say I am abit sick of western books writing about WW1 or the Holocoust or say... Elizabethan era ? *sarcasm* I am glad that asian history is being written today and more books are written about it today whether fiction or non-fiction, whether from a westerner, mixed blood or asian. That is why we can watch books like these make splashes in the western audiences and hopefully gain the love we have for asian movies... asian dramas! I am glad that asian actors, actresses are exposed to the western world. I am glad asian dramas/music/history/culture are reaching western exposure. I am glad asian directors are given western presence and worldwide screening. So No.. why should we stop asian books like these... because of a mere author who wrote Tiger mum? Than arguably 'satanic verses' should then mean all muslim themed books be stopped because that's annoying? I hope you know I'm being sarcastic again. With Libya at civil war & Japan in turmoil today... people jobless because of the fragile economy today.....the bigger picture should be Humility , Love for our fellow men & PEACE!!!
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bd
March 12, 2011 at 6:12 PM
No one is saying that Asian or Asian-Am works shouldn't be written or that works shouldn't be written, but all too often what the mass media and Hollywood clings to are books, etc. which regurgitates and reinforces the sterotypical outlook on Asians.
I guess we shouldn't take issue w/ the way Hollywood's portrayal of Asian women in an overly hypersexual manner (even tho, the portrayal of Asian women in Hollywood is quite a bit better than that for Asian males).
Hollywood has traditionally portrayed Asian women as being slutty/promiscuous, the exotic lotus blossom or the simply the whore/prostitute/massage parlor girl.
But hey, nowadays the Asian whore is Ivy League educated (how's that for progress).
21 ditdut
March 10, 2011 at 8:17 PM
Holy crap, I did NOT recognize Jun Jihyun in that picture!! I thought the person on the right was a guy!
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22 nimagooy
March 10, 2011 at 8:20 PM
Wow seriously? I read this book like YEARS ago and I loved it.
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23 kixbaby
March 11, 2011 at 12:05 AM
it's kind of sad...Korean stars play Chinese or Japanese roles in order to break into Hollywood.
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bd
March 11, 2011 at 12:12 AM
Is it any sadder than Australian stars playing Americans or Brits in order to break into Hollywood?
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24 Emeldy
March 11, 2011 at 3:21 AM
LOL Totally Agree.
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25 nika
March 11, 2011 at 8:41 PM
So this movie is based on that book? I'll be watching this.
It's one of my favorite books. I loved it very much. But I wonder how the movie will show the foot-binding...
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26 karen
March 12, 2011 at 1:13 AM
oh wow, this has been my favorite book ever since i read the book like 3 years ago. Actually, i would recommend any of Lisa See's books because they're really that good. :D it's about time a film is made based on the book (: i've waited since forever.
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27 badmamajama
March 12, 2011 at 6:08 PM
lol what's going on with their hands . it looks like ones shaking ones hand while the other tries wringle out of it . awkward
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Gabie
March 24, 2011 at 6:44 PM
Hmm... i've just realized something interesting thanks to ur comment! Lily is holding the hand of Snow Flower's that is also holding her other hand, 'n vice versa.
It's like to doubly secure that they never let go of each other... A symbolic thing, maybe ;)
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28 Mani
March 20, 2011 at 7:33 PM
OMG im reading this book right now :D
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