I'd love to see them kiss at the ending. That would make it a real love story.
Now it's more like a friend stroy. Such an anti climax ending :(
It's ok to instantly go to bed with everyone you meet ? While you can't even kiss the girl you've known for over a year, and probably is the true love of your life, all because she isn't 18 ?
I know that the US has a strange moral, but why does hollywood have to confirm it each time?
Check out the deleted scenes on the DVD. There was a very powerful kiss. It got cut out because Americans couldn't accept it in test screenings. I agree with you but it wasn't my call. If you liked it the movie, write up a user comment to spread the word. A film like this needs all the word of mouth it can get. This goes to everybody else who liked it.
David Ren
Hi Mr. Ren
I've seen the movie through a friend and just ordered the dvd from amazon. It's nice to see that asian-americans get to be the lead for a change in an american movie. I've been writing some scripts since college. It's only now that i realized that a kissing scene between an asian guy and an american girl is considered taboo. i'm starting a blog on this and recommend the film to friends back home in the Philippines. Maybe, just maybe, if they realize that there is a market for it, they would allow such scenes. Is it just because it's between an asian guy and a white girl or is it because of the age gap where the girl is a minor? what if it's the other way around they don't have quams about american guys kissing asian ladies. the movie captured a common sentiment among asian people who belong to third world countries. the part where miki explained that she has a family to support and she was willing to live the life of a battered wife. I'm sure a lot of asians can relate to this. (ops i hope i didn't give away the plot) beautiful movie. congratulations.
*sigh* even though a movie like this is made to break stereotypes and finally get an Asian male as a romantic lead, it still gets castrated in the end.
shareYeah, funny how when it's ANY minority male "making out" with a white female, it's considered obscene. When it's the other way around, it's a beautiful "love story".....
share*spoilers in some way*
I actually downloaded this(not condoning piracy, I just couldn't wait for the release) and fast fowarded towards the end and saw them just hugging. Then it ended. I was like, I hope the movie is good. So I decided to watch the movie and I enjoyed it. The ending was okay but it does suck that they don't kiss because of *some people* not being able to handle a Chinese guy kissing a White girl. If anything, Hayden's character most likely wanted the kiss more than Ken's character. She's been waiting the whole time for him to come to his senses and love her. They make a cute couple and their relationship feels natural. I see them as a guy and girl and nothing more. It just so happens that the guy is Chinese and the girl is White for that matter. So I guess when Ken was banging the other White chick, it probably made the entire audience in the test screenings feel awful. I guess Dragon: The Bruce Lee story was also considered awful because Jason Scott Lee was making out with Lauren Holly.
I'm kinda glad that the dvd has the supposedly ending kiss scene. I'll either buy or rent the dvd but still feel empty somewhat because it's no longer the final vision of the film. A great film. I loved it entirely until it was marred by a sloppy ending.
by - rideitlikeyoustoleit on Mon Oct 1 2007 20:36:58
Yeah, funny how when it's ANY minority male "making out" with a white female, it's considered obscene. When it's the other way around, it's a beautiful "love story".....Pathetic ain't it? share
It's ok for an asian guy to bang a white girl on screen, but he's not allowed to kiss one? Yeah, that makes sense.
sharethe character was 16 and he's around 28. I saw the deleted scene myself and it was a put-off because of the age issue, and nothing with race.
I also felt the alternate ending was nowhere near as good as the one that's on the screen. The flow of the scene was off and didn't seem very realistic.
Why didn't the director just make the girl 19? I wonder if it indeed have to do with race and the girl was scripted to be 16 as cover.
shareAccording the the storyline, the girl should have been already 18, since the course of the movie takes place over a period of about 2 years. She spends a year in France etc.....
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then half of the story is gone, if she was 19 because Liam is cannot accept it, even thought she obviously does.
I rented the dvd, i did not find the powerful kiss? i might buy it is it only on dvd's you buy?
A kiss between the two leads wasn't necessary.
I think of Before Sunset and how it's one of the most romantic films ever... yet the two leads never share a kiss. They just have a big hug, not unlike the finale to Shanghai Kiss.
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The alternate confrontation that had the kiss did NOT go well with the movie imo. I think that the altenate scene made Liam's character look selfish and was too dramatic for the film's feel. The actual scene that was put on the screen was a MUCH BETTER fit...it was witty and Liam ended up being the "bigger person" for wanting her to leave to Paris. I thought it ended perfectly as well
shareWow, you mean it got coz out just because he's an Asian American? That's really sad.
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I know this thread is old, but I just watched this on DVD. It was good to see an Asian in a lead role but as for your statement of how “American audiences” couldn’t accept the age difference, that’s not just America dude. I spent my life in the military traveling the world/living in other countries and I can tell you that pretty much any civilized country in the world has that same standard. Hayden’s character, as well as her, was 16 in this movie. On the other hand Ken was 36. I’m not sure of his characters age, I think It was 28/29, but that’s still messed up.
Which brings me to my next point, you Hollywood types need to wake up and realize this is the information age. I understand actors work within an age “range” but unlike 30 years ago the viewing audience is more aware of the actors real age, that information is just a mouse click away. Having an actor playing a part vastly different from their actual age isn’t as easy to get away with anymore. All I aw was a 36 year old man and a 16 year old girl when I watched this movie.
dont think we need a kiss @ the end...
i think it ended perfectly....
" I would love to change the world, but they won't give me the source code. "
i loved this movie 100% i dont know what compelled me to get it, but i haven't laughed that hard in a while....seriously the ONLY thing that could go either way is a kiss at the end. while i would like a kiss for closure...this was an amazing movie
shareWell there is a movie about a minority guy going out w/ a white girl - and it even has some sex scenes. It is called Crazy/Beautiful - check that out. Though it's probably more serious than this movie.
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yeah...the movie's called "Shanghai KISS"....therefore u'd think there'd be a meaningful kiss somewhere!
shareAs much as I love Hayden, she shouldn't be the primary face on the DVD cover.
The star of the movie should be the main face, especially if we are trying to promote Asian-American actors.
just my 2 cents...everything else is A1
i liked the movie a lot, and i would've liked to see a kiss, partly b/c kiss is in the title, which might be a little simple-minded of me, but whatever.
yeah.
I liked the actual ending better than the deleted one. The one with the kiss made Liam look selfish like another poster said. Plus the way the movie played out it's a little bit more socially acceptable once the girl is 18.
To be fair, I think having the leads not kiss was more powerful and not necessarily a race issue. Every one of Liam's relationships with other women (most brief) began with a kiss or sexual encounter and most times that was it. For these two not to kiss emphasizes that this is the most meaningful of Liam's relationships. It didn't need a Hollywood kiss, I actually really liked how it ended. Great movie!
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