Sunflower

Zhang Yang's semiautobiographical Sunflower is a coming-of-age tale that gives equal time to other members of the family. The story opens in 1967 Beijing, with Gengnian (Haiying Sun) and Xiuqing (Joan Chen) being blessed with the birth of a son—whom they name Xiangyang (“sunflower”)—at a time when the sunflowers in their communal courtyard are in full bloom. The narrative then skips ahead to former artist Gengnian's return after spending six years in a work camp, his hands no longer in any condition to paint. Nine-year-old Xiangyang (Zhang Fan), the neighborhood troublemaker, doesn't recognize—or trust—his unfamiliar father, nor does he appreciate the man's discipline. To keep his son in line, and make up for the vocation he lost, Gengnian requires Xiangyang to draw all the time. A decade later, 19-year-old Xiangyang (now played by Ge Gao) is continuing to study art, but he would rather work. "You are my second chance," his father tells him, but Xiangyang just wants to live his own life. Moving forward to 1999, the 32-year-old Xiangyang (Wang Haidi) and his wife discover that she is pregnant and end up making a decision that will have a major impact on Gengnian. Like the filmmaker's Shower (1999), Sunflower is a bit on the sentimental side, but it's hard not to feel for these characters, who are all brought to vivid life by a talented cast. Recommended. (K. Fennessy)