Eternal Summer
Encyclopedia
Eternal Summer is a 2006 Taiwanese film
starring Joseph Chang
, Bryant Chang
and Kate Yeung. It was directed by Leste Chen. In 2006 the film received four nominations at the 44th Golden Horse Awards, including Best Supporting Actor and Best New Performer for Joseph Chang, and Bryant Chang
won Best New Performer.
As a child living in a seaside town in southern Taiwan, studious Jonathan (Bryant Chang
) was asked by his concerned teacher to look after rebellious classmate Shane (Joseph Chang
). Ten years later, what was once a good-natured obligation has since blossomed into a warm friendship, with Jonathan still on the academic track and Shane now finding his calling on the basketball court.
Taiwan-born schoolgirl Carrie (Kate Yeung) arrives from Hong Kong to join her mother after a disagreement with her father and transfers to their school. She befriends Jonathan and convinces him to join her on a secret day-trip to Taipei
and in the evening she seduces him in a sleazy hotel but Jonathan backs down clearly distraught. Eventually, her observations of his and Shane's friendship leads her to believe that he is gay and in love with his best friend.
Carrie then meets Shane through Jonathan after a school day where Shane develops an interest in Carrie. Despite her initial misgivings about the boorish Shane, she eventually gives in to the troublemaker's roguish charms. She accepts his offer to become his girlfriend on the condition that he manages to enter university.
Later, Shane pulls his act together and tests into University, but Jonathan, distracted by his burgeoning sexual identity crisis, does not. Shane does his best to keep his feelings for Carrie secret in order to protect the feelings of his lifelong friend. Despite all their best efforts to keep their personal feelings secret, the truth eventually emerges, forcing all three to view their relationships in an entirely new light.
There is an underlying poetic subtext based on the astrological significance in the character's Chinese names:
Cinema of Taiwan
The history of Chinese-language cinema has three separate threads of development: Cinema of Hong Kong, Cinema of Mainland China and Cinema of Taiwan . Taiwanese cinema grew up outside of the Hong Kong mainstream and the censorship of the People's Republic of China.Taiwanese cinema is deeply rooted...
starring Joseph Chang
Joseph Chang
Joseph Chang is a Taiwanese actor. He is best known for his role in the critically acclaimed 2006 Taiwanese flim Eternal Summer, which earned him two Golden Horse Awards nominations for Best Supporting Actor and Best New Performer for his role as Yu Shouheng...
, Bryant Chang
Bryant Chang
Bryant Chang is a Taiwanese actor.He won the award for Best New Performer at the 2006 Golden Horse Awards for his performance in Eternal Summer.-Filmography:*Eternal Summer 盛夏光年 *Summer's Tail 夏天的尾巴...
and Kate Yeung. It was directed by Leste Chen. In 2006 the film received four nominations at the 44th Golden Horse Awards, including Best Supporting Actor and Best New Performer for Joseph Chang, and Bryant Chang
Bryant Chang
Bryant Chang is a Taiwanese actor.He won the award for Best New Performer at the 2006 Golden Horse Awards for his performance in Eternal Summer.-Filmography:*Eternal Summer 盛夏光年 *Summer's Tail 夏天的尾巴...
won Best New Performer.
Plot
Three high school students experience the perks and pitfalls of love in director Leste Chen's sensitive tale of friendship and yearning.As a child living in a seaside town in southern Taiwan, studious Jonathan (Bryant Chang
Bryant Chang
Bryant Chang is a Taiwanese actor.He won the award for Best New Performer at the 2006 Golden Horse Awards for his performance in Eternal Summer.-Filmography:*Eternal Summer 盛夏光年 *Summer's Tail 夏天的尾巴...
) was asked by his concerned teacher to look after rebellious classmate Shane (Joseph Chang
Joseph Chang
Joseph Chang is a Taiwanese actor. He is best known for his role in the critically acclaimed 2006 Taiwanese flim Eternal Summer, which earned him two Golden Horse Awards nominations for Best Supporting Actor and Best New Performer for his role as Yu Shouheng...
). Ten years later, what was once a good-natured obligation has since blossomed into a warm friendship, with Jonathan still on the academic track and Shane now finding his calling on the basketball court.
Taiwan-born schoolgirl Carrie (Kate Yeung) arrives from Hong Kong to join her mother after a disagreement with her father and transfers to their school. She befriends Jonathan and convinces him to join her on a secret day-trip to Taipei
Taipei
Taipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...
and in the evening she seduces him in a sleazy hotel but Jonathan backs down clearly distraught. Eventually, her observations of his and Shane's friendship leads her to believe that he is gay and in love with his best friend.
Carrie then meets Shane through Jonathan after a school day where Shane develops an interest in Carrie. Despite her initial misgivings about the boorish Shane, she eventually gives in to the troublemaker's roguish charms. She accepts his offer to become his girlfriend on the condition that he manages to enter university.
Later, Shane pulls his act together and tests into University, but Jonathan, distracted by his burgeoning sexual identity crisis, does not. Shane does his best to keep his feelings for Carrie secret in order to protect the feelings of his lifelong friend. Despite all their best efforts to keep their personal feelings secret, the truth eventually emerges, forcing all three to view their relationships in an entirely new light.
Cast
- Joseph ChangJoseph ChangJoseph Chang is a Taiwanese actor. He is best known for his role in the critically acclaimed 2006 Taiwanese flim Eternal Summer, which earned him two Golden Horse Awards nominations for Best Supporting Actor and Best New Performer for his role as Yu Shouheng...
as Shane (余守恒) - Bryant ChangBryant ChangBryant Chang is a Taiwanese actor.He won the award for Best New Performer at the 2006 Golden Horse Awards for his performance in Eternal Summer.-Filmography:*Eternal Summer 盛夏光年 *Summer's Tail 夏天的尾巴...
as Jonathan (康正行) - Kate Yeung as Carrie (慧嘉)
There is an underlying poetic subtext based on the astrological significance in the character's Chinese names:
- Shane: represents star (the Sun).
- Jonathan: represents planet (the Earth).
- Carrie: represents the Comet.
- The Sun always shines.
- The Earth follows its route surrounding the Sun, but cannot approach it.
- The Comet brings surprise to the solar system.
- The picture is incomplete without any one of them.
Awards and nominations
Eternal Summer won one awards out of four nominations at the 43rd Golden Horse Awards in 2006.| Year | |Nomination | Result | Ref | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Best Supporting Actor | Joseph Chang Joseph Chang Joseph Chang is a Taiwanese actor. He is best known for his role in the critically acclaimed 2006 Taiwanese flim Eternal Summer, which earned him two Golden Horse Awards nominations for Best Supporting Actor and Best New Performer for his role as Yu Shouheng... |
||
| Best New Performer | Bryant Chang Bryant Chang Bryant Chang is a Taiwanese actor.He won the award for Best New Performer at the 2006 Golden Horse Awards for his performance in Eternal Summer.-Filmography:*Eternal Summer 盛夏光年 *Summer's Tail 夏天的尾巴... |
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| Best New Performer | Joseph Chang Joseph Chang Joseph Chang is a Taiwanese actor. He is best known for his role in the critically acclaimed 2006 Taiwanese flim Eternal Summer, which earned him two Golden Horse Awards nominations for Best Supporting Actor and Best New Performer for his role as Yu Shouheng... |
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| Best Original Song | "盛夏光年" (Eternal Summer) by Mayday released Eternal Summer |