Quitting
Encyclopedia
Quitting is a 2001 Chinese
drama
film
directed by Zhang Yang, starring and based on the true life story of Jia Hongsheng
. Jia, an actor and former drug addict, battled his addiction to marijuana and heroin for five years from 1992 to 1997. All members of the cast, from Jia and Jia's family members right down to the doctors and patients at a mental institute Jia was admitted to, are real people playing themselves. The film premiered at the Venice Film Festival
on 4 September 2001 and clinched the NETPAC Award.
The original Chinese title is an allusion to The Beatles
classic song "Yesterday
". References to The Beatles, of whom Jia was an avid fan, are also made throughout the film. Besides dressing up like John Lennon
, Jia also fantasized himself as Lennon's son and recited the Chinese translation of the lyrics to Let It Be
religiously. However, Michael Jackson
, who owned the rights to most Beatles songs, declined to give permission for the song or its title to be used in the film. Instead, the film uses songs by Chinese rockers
such as Cui Jian
, Tang Dynasty
and Dou Wei
.
, graduated from the Central Academy of Drama
in Beijing
in 1989, gains fame in the late 80s and early 90s as an actor in films such as The Case of the Silver Snake and A Woman from North Shaanxi. During rehearsal for a stageplay titled Kiss of the Spider Woman (also directed by Zhang Yang) in the fall of 1992, Jia first comes into contact with marijuana and subsequently becomes addicted and even experiments occasionally with heroin. In 1995, after filming Weekend Lover
, Jia quits acting completely and lives off his younger sister Wang Tong
. An avid fan of The Beatles
, Jia listens to their music obsessively and begins to imagine himself as the son of John Lennon
.
In late 1995, Jia's parents Jia Fengsen and Chai Xiuling, both theatre actors from Northeastern China, decide to move to Beijing to help their son to quit drugs. Wang Tong, who had previous moved out, also comes back to live with her parents and brother in the same apartment. Initial efforts by the aged parents to penetrate their son's inner world are met with indifference, sometimes even hostility. Over time, however, Jia begins to open up gradually. He begins to take regular walks with his father, usually buying a bottle or two of beer along the way. Jia Fengsen also buys his son cassette tapes by The Beatles, as requested by the latter.
In early 1996, however, Jia Hongsheng relapses after staying off drugs for almost half a year. On 19 March 1996, after drinking many bottles of beer in celebration of his twenty-ninth birthday, Jia slaps his father, claiming to teach the latter the "meaning of life". Jia's family subsequently contacts the police. Three policemen come the next day and bring Jia to a mental institution.
While at the mental institution, Jia is put under medication and his condition improves significantly. More importantly, he has stopped fantasizing and begins to see himself as just an ordinary human being. The doctor subsequently determines that Jia is not suffering from schizophrenia
but recommends that Jia stays in the institution for a longer time to completely quit drugs. On 19 March 1997, on his thirtieth birthday, Jia is finally discharged.
on 4 September 2001 and clinched the NETPAC Award (tied with Iranian
film Raye makhfi, by Babak Payami
). The film opened in the United States
on 13 September 2002, distributed by Sony Pictures Classics
. When it closed on 17 October 2002, it grossed a meager US$18,531 in box office.
and distributed in the United States
by Sony Pictures Classics
on 4 March 2003. The DVD release features original dialogue with subtitles in English
and Spanish
.
Cinema of China
The Chinese-language cinema has three distinct historical threads: Cinema of Hong Kong, Cinema of China, and Cinema of Taiwan. Since 1949 the cinema of mainland China has operated under restrictions imposed by the Communist Party of China's State Administration of Radio, Film, and Television and...
drama
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
directed by Zhang Yang, starring and based on the true life story of Jia Hongsheng
Jia Hongsheng
-Early life:Jia was born in Siping, Jilin, to Jia Fengsen and Chai Xiuling, both retired theater actors from northeast China. He had a younger sister, Wang Tong.-Life and career:...
. Jia, an actor and former drug addict, battled his addiction to marijuana and heroin for five years from 1992 to 1997. All members of the cast, from Jia and Jia's family members right down to the doctors and patients at a mental institute Jia was admitted to, are real people playing themselves. The film premiered at the Venice Film Festival
Venice Film Festival
The Venice International Film Festival is the oldest international film festival in the world. Founded by Count Giuseppe Volpi in 1932 as the "Esposizione Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica", the festival has since taken place every year in late August or early September on the island of the...
on 4 September 2001 and clinched the NETPAC Award.
The original Chinese title is an allusion to The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
classic song "Yesterday
Yesterday (song)
"Yesterday" is a song originally recorded by The Beatles for their 1965 album Help!. The song first hit the United Kingdom top 10 three months after the release of Help!. The song remains popular today with more than 1,600 cover versions, one of the most covered songs in the history of recorded...
". References to The Beatles, of whom Jia was an avid fan, are also made throughout the film. Besides dressing up like John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
, Jia also fantasized himself as Lennon's son and recited the Chinese translation of the lyrics to Let It Be
Let It Be (song)
"Let It Be" is a song by The Beatles, released in March 1970 as a single, and as the title track of their album Let It Be. It was written by Paul McCartney, but credited to Lennon–McCartney. It was their final single before McCartney announced his departure from the band...
religiously. However, Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
, who owned the rights to most Beatles songs, declined to give permission for the song or its title to be used in the film. Instead, the film uses songs by Chinese rockers
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
such as Cui Jian
Cui Jian
Cui Jian is a Beijing-based Chinese singer-songwriter, trumpeter and guitarist. Affectionately called "Old Cui" , he is considered to be a pioneer in Chinese rock music and one of the first Chinese artists to write rock songs...
, Tang Dynasty
Tang Dynasty (band)
Tang Dynasty is a Chinese ethnic-art rock and prog-metal band that is often credited as being the first heavy metal band in China.-Biography:...
and Dou Wei
Dou Wei
Dou Wei is a Chinese musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Dou Wei is a multi-instrumentalist and produces music across many genres. He first came to prominence as a member of the heavy rock group Black Panther . His album Dark Dreams draws influences from The Cure and Bauhaus, was a landmark...
.
Plot
Jia HongshengJia Hongsheng
-Early life:Jia was born in Siping, Jilin, to Jia Fengsen and Chai Xiuling, both retired theater actors from northeast China. He had a younger sister, Wang Tong.-Life and career:...
, graduated from the Central Academy of Drama
Central Academy of Drama
The Central Academy of Drama is a drama school in Beijing, People's Republic of China.-History:The academy was established in April 1950. It was named by Mao Zedong. It inherited the drama department of Lu Xun Art Academy in Yan'an, art school of North China University, and National Drama College...
in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
in 1989, gains fame in the late 80s and early 90s as an actor in films such as The Case of the Silver Snake and A Woman from North Shaanxi. During rehearsal for a stageplay titled Kiss of the Spider Woman (also directed by Zhang Yang) in the fall of 1992, Jia first comes into contact with marijuana and subsequently becomes addicted and even experiments occasionally with heroin. In 1995, after filming Weekend Lover
Weekend Lover
Weekend Lover is the 1995 directorial debut by Chinese director Lou Ye. The film stars actors Jia Hongsheng and Ma Xiaoqing. Fellow director Wang Xiaoshuai also plays a minor role....
, Jia quits acting completely and lives off his younger sister Wang Tong
Wang Tong
Wang Tong is a Chinese football player who currently plays for Shandong Luneng as a defender in the Chinese Super League.-Shandong Luneng:Wang Tong began his football career playing for the Shandong Luneng youth team where he impressed the clubs Head coach Branko Ivanković during a training session...
. An avid fan of The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
, Jia listens to their music obsessively and begins to imagine himself as the son of John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
.
In late 1995, Jia's parents Jia Fengsen and Chai Xiuling, both theatre actors from Northeastern China, decide to move to Beijing to help their son to quit drugs. Wang Tong, who had previous moved out, also comes back to live with her parents and brother in the same apartment. Initial efforts by the aged parents to penetrate their son's inner world are met with indifference, sometimes even hostility. Over time, however, Jia begins to open up gradually. He begins to take regular walks with his father, usually buying a bottle or two of beer along the way. Jia Fengsen also buys his son cassette tapes by The Beatles, as requested by the latter.
In early 1996, however, Jia Hongsheng relapses after staying off drugs for almost half a year. On 19 March 1996, after drinking many bottles of beer in celebration of his twenty-ninth birthday, Jia slaps his father, claiming to teach the latter the "meaning of life". Jia's family subsequently contacts the police. Three policemen come the next day and bring Jia to a mental institution.
While at the mental institution, Jia is put under medication and his condition improves significantly. More importantly, he has stopped fantasizing and begins to see himself as just an ordinary human being. The doctor subsequently determines that Jia is not suffering from schizophrenia
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by a disintegration of thought processes and of emotional responsiveness. It most commonly manifests itself as auditory hallucinations, paranoid or bizarre delusions, or disorganized speech and thinking, and it is accompanied by significant social...
but recommends that Jia stays in the institution for a longer time to completely quit drugs. On 19 March 1997, on his thirtieth birthday, Jia is finally discharged.
Cast
- Jia HongshengJia Hongsheng-Early life:Jia was born in Siping, Jilin, to Jia Fengsen and Chai Xiuling, both retired theater actors from northeast China. He had a younger sister, Wang Tong.-Life and career:...
as himself, an actor who battled his drug addiction from 1992 to 1997. - Jia Fengsen as himself, a retired theatre actor from Northeastern China, father of Jia Hongsheng.
- Chai Xiuling as herself, a retired theatre actress from Northeastern China, mother of Jia Hongsheng.
- Wang Tong as herself, younger sister of Jia Hongsheng.
Reception
Quitting premiered at the Venice Film FestivalVenice Film Festival
The Venice International Film Festival is the oldest international film festival in the world. Founded by Count Giuseppe Volpi in 1932 as the "Esposizione Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica", the festival has since taken place every year in late August or early September on the island of the...
on 4 September 2001 and clinched the NETPAC Award (tied with Iranian
Cinema of Iran
The cinema of Iran is a flourishing film industry with a long history. Many popular commercial films are annually made in Iran, and Iranian art films win praise around the world....
film Raye makhfi, by Babak Payami
Babak Payami
-Biography:Born in Tehran in 1966, Baback Payami studied cinema at the University of Toronto during the early 90's. In 1998, he returned to Iran after an almost two decade to produce and direct his debut "One More Day" or “Secret Ballot”. This flim describes what happens on election day when an...
). The film opened in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on 13 September 2002, distributed by Sony Pictures Classics
Sony Pictures Classics
Sony Pictures Classics is an art-house film division of Sony Pictures Entertainment founded in December 1991 that distributes, produces and acquires specialty films from the United States and around the world. Its co-presidents are Michael Barker and Tom Bernard...
. When it closed on 17 October 2002, it grossed a meager US$18,531 in box office.
Awards and nominations
- Venice Film FestivalVenice Film FestivalThe Venice International Film Festival is the oldest international film festival in the world. Founded by Count Giuseppe Volpi in 1932 as the "Esposizione Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica", the festival has since taken place every year in late August or early September on the island of the...
(see 2001 in film2001 in filmThe year 2001 in film involved some significant events, including the first of the Harry Potter series and also the first of The Lord of the Rings trilogy...
)- NETPAC Award (tied with Raye makhfi)
- Bangkok International Film FestivalBangkok International Film FestivalThe Bangkok International Film Festival is an international film festival held annually in Bangkok, Thailand, since 2003. In addition to film screenings, seminars, gala events and the Golden Kinnaree Awards.-First years:...
, 2001- Best Film
- Stockholm Film Festival, 2001
- FIPRESCI Prize
- Bronze Horse Award (nominated)
- Singapore International Film FestivalSingapore International Film FestivalThe Singapore International Film Festival was launched in 1987. The festival is an annual film event, held around April/May each year, and screens about 300 films from over 45 countries...
(see 2002 in film2002 in filmThe year 2002 in film involved some significant events. The first significant releases of sequels took place between The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, Men in Black II, Analyze That, Spy Kids 2: The Island of...
)- Silver Screen Award for Best Actor — Jia HongshengJia Hongsheng-Early life:Jia was born in Siping, Jilin, to Jia Fengsen and Chai Xiuling, both retired theater actors from northeast China. He had a younger sister, Wang Tong.-Life and career:...
- Silver Screen Award for Best Asian Feature Film (nominated)
- Silver Screen Award for Best Actor — Jia Hongsheng
DVD release
Quitting was released on DVDDVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
and distributed in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
by Sony Pictures Classics
Sony Pictures Classics
Sony Pictures Classics is an art-house film division of Sony Pictures Entertainment founded in December 1991 that distributes, produces and acquires specialty films from the United States and around the world. Its co-presidents are Michael Barker and Tom Bernard...
on 4 March 2003. The DVD release features original dialogue with subtitles in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
.