An older relative (Chow Yun-Fat), coarsened by the sea, becomes the guide and admirer of a Hong Kong coed (Cherie Chung) in Manhattan. Eric Rohmer's 'Autumn Tale,' which tells this story, is the latest in a long, rich series of films by the perceptive French director, who tells stories about people we'd like to know, or be. His movies are about love, chance, life and coincidence; he creates plots that unfold in a.

CONTE D'AUTOMNE

English Title	An Autumn Tale
Director	Eric Rohmer
Year / Length	1998 \|\| 112 mins

SYNOPSIS

It’s early autumn in the bucolic setting of the southern Rhone valley and Isabelle (Marie Rivière), a bookstore manager, and her husband are planning the wedding of their daughter Émilia (Aurélia Alcais), while her friend Magali (Béatrice Romand), a widowed wine-grower, is preparing for the grape harvest. Concerned that Magali is lonely now that her daughter has grown up and left home, Isabelle secretly places a lonely-hearts ad on her behalf in the local newspaper.

When a prospective candidate, Gérald (Alain Libolt), responds, Isabelle pretends to be Magali and meets up with him in order to gauge his suitability. Meanwhile, Rosine (Alexia Portal), the girlfriend of Magali’s son Léo (Stéphane Darmon), is also concerned about Magali’s loneliness. She plots to introduce Magali to Étienne (Didier Sandre), her former philosophy teacher and lover who she wants to set up with someone closer to his own age. However, as everyone gathers for Émilia’s wedding reception, carefully laid plans begin to go awry...

see also articles on:
Top 10 Rohmer Movies || Eric Rohmer Profile || French New Wave History || French New Wave Film Guide

An Autumn's Tale
Traditional	秋天的童話
Simplified	秋天的童话
Mandarin	Qiū Tiān Dí Tóng Huà
Cantonese	Cau¹ Tin¹ Dik¹ Tung⁴ Waa²
Directed by	Mabel Cheung
Produced by	Dickson Poon John Shum
Written by	Alex Law
Starring	Chow Yun-fat Cherie Chung Danny Chan
Music by	Lowell Lo
Cinematography	David Chung James Hayman
Edited by	Lee Yim-hoi Cheung Kwok-kuen Chu San-kit Chan Kei-hop Kwong Chi-leung
Distributed by	D&B Films
Release date
Running time	98 minutes
Country	Hong Kong
Language	Cantonese (main) English (some scene) Japanese (some scene)
Box office	HK$25,546,552

An Autumn's Tale is a 1987 Hong Kong romantic drama film set in New York City starring Chow Yun-fat, Cherie Chung, and Danny Chan. The film is Mabel Cheung's second directorial effort after her 'migration trilogy.'

The film won the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Film, Best Cinematography (James Hayman and David Chung) and Best Screenplay (Alex Law);^[1] Chow was nominated for Best Actor for three films that same year, but won for his performance in Prison on Fire. On the other hand, Chow won his second Golden Horse Award for Best Actor for his role in this film in 1987. Cherie Chung was nominated for Best Actress and Lowell Lo was nominated for Best Original Score, respectively. The film was ranked #49 on the Hong Kong Film Awards' Best 100 Chinese Motion Pictures.

Plot[edit]

Jennifer Lee (Chung) travels from Hong Kong to New York City (on Northwest Orient Airlines) with plans to study with her boyfriend, Vincent (Chan). Samuel Pang (Chow) is a relative of Jennifer who arrives at the airport (La Guardia Airport not JFK) with two friends, Cow and Bull to pick her up. Not comprehending with the airport security officer, Pang shouts welcoming Japanese phrases in hopes of getting inside. Illegally parking his car at a no-parking zone, Pang rushes his friends to escort Jennifer from the airport.

Arriving at her apartment, Pang introduces Jennifer to her room. He warns her to be careful using the fridge, as it is run by gas, which is constantly leaking, but his voice is muffled by a passing train. Pang leaves letting Jennifer know that she may stamp on the floor if she needs anything, as he lives downstairs.

The next day, Jennifer wakes up Pang to have him show her how to take a train to meet Vincent. Pang jokes the train station is like a labyrinth and is dangerous for a girl like her to go there by herself. He insists driving her to the train station. Waiting for Jennifer to change, he comments women are 'cha bo', meaning trouble. Pang ridicules Jennifer not knowing English.

Waiting in the train station, she sees Vincent with a girl named Peggy (Cindy Ou). Anxiously, Jennifer attempts to hide from Vincent but is caught before she could walk out from him. Vincent did not expect to see Jennifer at the train station, or he would have not been to Boston to see a baseball game with his girlfriend. Vincent felt it was childish of Jennifer to travel to New York City to send him a box of dolls from Hong Kong. Infuriated, Jennifer walks back to the car and throws the box of dolls on the street and which is run over by Pang's car.

Later that night, Pang answers a call made by Vincent because Jennifer would not answer. He told Jennifer to meet with him for lunch at Silver Palace restaurant the next day. Coincidentally, Pang works as a busboy at the restaurant and overhears their conversations. After saving enough money, Jennifer meant to study in New York as a means to be with Vincent. Vincent tells Jennifer to explore the city and meet new people than to follow him everywhere. When he tells her this, she finds out he is leaving for Boston tomorrow.

Depressed, Jennifer goes home and makes a pot of tea; the fridge is not closed properly. Pang smells gas from upstairs and investigates; he finds a passed out Jennifer. He takes her downstairs and has someone call the fire department. Seeing Jennifer lovesick for Vincent, Pang takes her out for a walk.

The next day, Jennifer goes to a restaurant in Chinatown. While she eats an egg sandwich, Pang walks in and sees her too; Jennifer disregards having eye-contact with him and turns aside. Pang is about to sit with Jennifer, only to have a friend from another table call him. Pang greets them and moves toward Jennifer's table. He tries a piece of Jennifer's egg sandwich and calls a staff member over to order extra plates of food for both of them, for no extra charge. Pang helps Jennifer build a bookcase and decorate her room. She tells him she found a part-time job as a babysitter to pay for her rent, but would need second job for her tuition and other expenses. He finds her grandfather's watch, but the strap is worn. Unsure she has enough money for a watchstrap, let alone a Broadway show, Pang goes to buy tickets for her the next morning. Not knowing Jennifer was busy, he did not have a chance to tell her he had tickets for the show, he tried to sell the tickets, claiming they were for Bull, when she asked.

Jennifer climbed off the NJ Transit bus to help Pang with a NYPD officer outside the theatre, but would be late for her babysitting job, so Pang insisted driving her there. He stripped the car and rebuilt it, so she would not have to hold onto the broken door. Concerned, Pang runs to her and asks why she will not go in. She is anxious and asks Pang to accompany her.

Pang spent all his money and asks Cow and Bull to give him some money to gamble. Bull is reluctant to give some because he wants to save it for his new restaurant. Bull pays the gangs $400.00 each week, but is still not enough from keeping them destroying his property.

Tony, one of Mrs. Sherwood's (Gigi Wong) boyfriends wants to hire Jennifer as

An Autumn Tale