'To Be Ordinary': Compassionate Taiwanese Family Drama — SkimNews
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- "To Be Ordinary" is Lee Yun Chan's fourth feature and first since 2010's "Dancing Without You," co-written with Ginger Wang, shot by DP Ming Lee, and scored by Cicada; since her last film Lee has mostly directed television, including the 2022 Disney+ series "Women in Taipei."
- Yu-jie (Junior Hsieh), a 22-year-old college student and aspiring web designer, is left permanently wheelchair-bound after his moped is struck by a car driven by elderly Mr. Ma (Hsiu Shen Liang), who later transfers his entire house to Yu-jie and continues funding his medical bills out of guilt.
- The story spans 11+ years, tracking Yu-jie's parents' escalating marital strife amid the father's longtime unemployment, and the sense of neglect felt by his younger sister Yu-ching (Pin Hsuan Chen) as she comes of age in the tragedy's shadow.
- "To Be Ordinary" premiered as the only Taiwanese production in Busan's main competition, will play at the Tokyo Film Festival later this month, and opens theatrically in Taiwan in mid-November, with further Asian-focused festival play and limited global distribution likely.
- The review highlights the film's refusal to follow disability-drama conventions and its even-handed compassion toward everyone in the scenario — including Mr. Ma — while noting the persistently overcast visuals and solemnly emotive script could benefit from an injection of tonal surprise.
Why it matters: Lee's first feature in 14 years arrives as the sole Taiwanese entry in Busan's main competition, giving the film a strong launchpad for Asian festival circuits and specialist streaming distribution. Variety's review positions it as accessible and moving, though its relentlessly somber tone may keep it from broader commercial reach beyond Asia-focused programs and arthouse platforms.
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