I Not Stupid

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I Not Stupid
Directed by Jack Neo
Produced by David Leong
Chan Pui Yin
Written by Jack Neo
Starring Jack Neo
Richard Low
Xiang Yun
Selena Tan
Shawn Lee
Huang Po Ju
Joshua Ang
Distributed by United International Pictures
Release date(s) Flag of Singapore 9 February 2002
Running time 105 min
Country Singapore
Language Mandarin / Hokkien / English
Budget S$1,000,000
Followed by I Not Stupid Too
IMDb profile

I Not Stupid (Chinese: 小孩不笨; pinyin: xiǎohái bù bèn) is a Singaporean film written and directed by Jack Neo, and produced by MediaCorp Raintree Pictures. It stars Xiang Yun, Richard Low, Selena Tan, Shawn Lee, Huang Po Ju and Joshua Ang.

Released in cinemas on 9 February 2002,[1][2] I Not Stupid earned over S$3.8 million. It is the third-highest grossing movie in Singapore, after Money No Enough and the film's sequel, I Not Stupid Too, which was released in cinemas on 26 January 2006. The film was nominated for Best Asian Film at the 2003 Hong Kong Film Awards, but lost to My Sassy Girl.

The film portrays the lives, struggles, and adventures of three Primary 6 pupils who are placed in the academically inferior EM3 stream. This satirical comedy criticises the Singaporean education system and social attitudes in Singapore, including the competitive kiasu mentality and over-obedience to authority.

Contents

[edit] Production

In a 2002 interview with the Singapore Medical Association, Jack Neo said that the Iranian film, Children of Heaven, inspired him to write about children, a trend that continued in his next movie, Homerun, which was a remake of Children of Heaven.[3]

I Not Stupid was produced by Raintree Pictures on a budget of S$900,000,[4] sponsored by Bee Cheng Hiang, Yeo Hiap Seng and Sunshine Bakeries.[5] The child stars were selected through an audition of over 50 children.[6] Besides writing and directing, Neo also composed the theme song, which was sung by Chen Guorong. Daniel Yun, the CEO of Raintree Pictures, served as executive producer, with David Leong and Chan Pui Yin as producers.[7] The film was shot at Braddell Westlake Secondary School and Westlake Primary School and was distributed by Raintree Pictures and United International Pictures.[8]

[edit] Plot

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.
Mrs Liu canes Kok Pin for poor grades
Mrs Liu canes Kok Pin for poor grades

Liu Kok Pin (played by Shawn Lee), Terry Khoo (Huang Po Ju) and Ang Boon Hock (Joshua Ang) are three students in the EM3 stream. Kok Pin is a gifted artist, but his mother (Xiang Yun) does not appreciate his talent, and frequently canes him for poor grades. Terry, pampered and from a rich family, is an obedient, guai boy who always listens to his mother, in contrast to his defiant sister, Selena (Cheryl Chan). Boon Hock comes from a poor family; his mother sells wonton noodles to earn a living. He is loyal to his friends and always defends them.

Mrs. Khoo (Selena Tan) often forces Selena and Terry to act against their wishes, "for their own good". As a result, she and Selena regularly quarrel over trivial matters, and their relationship deteriorates. Selena joins a teenage gang in her quest for greater freedom, but after being arrested, is placated when her mother buys her a pair of long-cherished sports shoes, and quits the gang.

Mr. Khoo (Richard Low) is a belligerent businessman who owns Good Friend Ba Gua, a company selling ba gua. An enmity develops between Mr. Khoo and Mr. Liu (Jack Neo) after a fight over a parking lot. Mr. Khoo fires an employee over an accident regarding handling a machine. The advertising company for which Mr. Liu works hires an American, John, as the Creative Director.

A fight between Tiong Meng and the EM3 students
A fight between Tiong Meng and the EM3 students

Mr. Liu's and John's advertising teams compete with each other in order to convince a client to accept a proposal. Mr. Liu's friend, Ben, is outraged upon discovering that John stole some of Mr Liu's ideas for his proposal. The client turns out to be Mr. Khoo, who instantly rejects Mr. Liu's proposal, opting for John's instead. As John's ideas are totally incompatible with Chinese customs, Mr. Khoo's business suffers in the face of competition from a Taiwanese company, Taiwan Ba Gua King.

Meanwhile, Tiong Meng, Boon Hock's cousin, mocks the three EM3 students, starting a fight during which he accidentally suffers a face injury. At the Discipline Mistress's office, Boon Hock and Kok Pin explain what happened. However, due to his mother's instructions to "mind his own business", Terry declines to testify in their favour. This infuriates his friends, who accuse him of "not being a man".

The kidnappers' arrest
The kidnappers' arrest

Subsequently, Ms. Lee becomes the new form teacher of the EM3 class. She inspires Boon Hock to excel in his studies, and he rises to the head of his class in maths. Boon Hock stands up for Terry when a woman accuses Terry of bullying her son. To prove he is "a man", a grateful Terry offers to serve Boon Hock's mother's wonton noodle customers, but is injured in the process.

Later, a man approaches the gang of friends. He offers a preview of his video games in his van, games that have been supposedly pirated before they even were released. It turns out to be a trap: the man, with help from an accomplice (Mark Lee), attempts to kidnap Terry. Boon Hock tries to save his friend, but the kidnappers decide to take him as well. Kok Pin is shoved onto the ground in the struggle and is left behind as the van speeds away. When the police question him as a witness, Kok Pin skillfully draws the two kidnappers' faces.

One of the kidnappers turns out to be the ex-employee of Good Friend Ba Gua who was fired by Mr. Khoo. They take Kok Pin and Terry to an attap hut in a sparsely populated area of the island. The ex-employee explains that he was a foreign worker on visa who borrowed a substantial amount of money from loansharks to come to Singapore, and he does not wish to return home empty-handed. He has kidnapped them to demand 20 thousand dollars from Mr. Khoo as ransom. While the kidnappers are sleeping, Boon Hock starts planning an escape, but the obedient Terry is initially reluctant to run away. After he decides to join the escape, the kidnappers wake up. A tumultuous chase ensues in the jungle outside the hut, which results in the kidnappers' arrest.

Kok Pin receiving his PSLE results
Kok Pin receiving his PSLE results

Boon Hock helps Kok Pin cheat in the preliminary examinations, but they are caught. Kok Pin, unable to face his mother, attempts suicide, but fails. Mrs. Liu is diagnosed with leukemia, and is given three months to live. The school rallies to find a suitable bone marrow donor, so she can undergo a bone marrow transplant.

In the PSLE mathematics exam, Book Hock scores 92/100; Terry, 65/100; and Kok Pin, 51/100. Contrary to Kok Pin's fears, his mother is satisfied because he has tried his best. When visiting Mrs. Liu at the hospital, Ms. Lee announces that one of Kok Pin's drawings won second prize in an international competition.

Mr. Khoo passes the HLA test, but refuses to donate after discovering the intended recipient is his enemy's wife. Later, it is revealed that Terry, not Mr. Khoo, is the suitable donor. Despite protests from his parents, he insists on undergoing the operation, which is a success. A grateful Mr. Liu offers to help Mr. Khoo's business with his proposal. As a result, Mr. Khoo's business booms, and the two enemies become good friends.

Spoilers end here.

[edit] Cast

The main characters of the movie were played by the following actors:[7]

Character Played by
Mr. Liu Jack Neo
Mrs. Liu Xiang Yun
Mr. Khoo Richard Low
Mrs. Khoo Selena Tan
Liu Kok Pin Shawn Lee
Ang Boon Hock Joshua Ang
Terry Khoo Huang Po Ju
Selena Khoo Cheryl Chan

[edit] Political satire

I Not Stupid criticises streaming in the Singapore education system for promoting academic elitism, where pupils in academically inferior streams are looked down upon, making it harder for them to catch up and realise their potential, even if they are not necessarily stupid.[9][10][11]

Mrs. Khoo's demands total obedience from her children, and her repeated lines "Do you know how lucky you are to have a good and responsible mother?" and "This is all for your own good" parodies the Singapore government's efforts to convince Singaporeans that their decisions are in the best interests of the nation.[9][11][12] In a scene at the office, Mr. Liu comments that "it is difficult to catch fish in Singapore, because fish in Singapore are like Singaporeans; they'll never open their mouths". This criticises the Singaporean trait of obedience and respect for authority.[11]

Other issues the film discusses include Singaporean companies which regard Western expatriates as superior to local workers, the use of Singlish, and the differences between English and Chinese.[11]

[edit] Reception

I Not Stupid earned just S$46,000 during a limited sneak-preview run, prompting Raintree Pictures to embark on a massive publicity scheme, which included inviting teachers to discuss the film. After showing for four months on 30 screens, the movie earned S$3.8 million.[12] I Not Stupid is one of Singapore's all-time highest-grossing movies. When I Not Stupid was released, Money No Enough was the only Singaporean film with higher earnings.[13] In 2006, the sequel I Not Stupid Too grossed over S$4 million, replacing the original movie as the second-highest grossing Singapore movie of all time.[13]

Following its success in Singapore, I Not Stupid was screened in Hong Kong, Taiwan and China.[2] I Not Stupid screened at the 2002 Pusan International Film Festival[12] and had a limited release in Thailand in 2004.[14]

I Not Stupid won several awards, including the Best Chinese Film Award at the Golden Bauhinia Awards. In addition, SIGNIS awarded I Not Stupid the Best Chinese Humanitarian Film Award at the Taiwan Golden Torch Award 2002. The film was nominated for Best Asian Film at the Hong Kong Film Awards, but lost to My Sassy Girl.[2][15][16]

Critics gave generally positive reviews of I Not Stupid, praising it for its uniqueness and for touching a raw nerve among Singaporeans.[9][10][11] One reviewer expressed surprise that the Singapore censors allowed its release.[5]

Despite containing satirical criticism of government policies, the film received positive responses from the Singapore government. Former Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong commended Jack Neo's creative talent during the National Day Rally address on 18 August 2002.[17] In 2004, Neo was the first local film-maker to receive a National Day Award.[18] On 21 October 2005, he and Dick Lee became the first pop culture artists to receive the Cultural Medallion, Singapore's highest arts award.[19]

The film sparked debate about the negative aspects of streaming in the Singapore education system. In an interview, Neo said that streaming "judges you. If you're not good enough, you're useless. In our society, everyone feels like that sometimes.".[20] After much public discussion and parliamentary debates, in 2004, the Ministry of Education decided to merge the EM1 and EM2 streams,[21] and on 29 September 2006, it announced that the EM3 stream will be scrapped by 2008.[22]

[edit] Sequels and Spinoffs

Following the success of the film, MediaCorp developed a TV version of I Not Stupid; the drama serial consisted of 18 30-minute episodes, broadcast on Channel 8 every Saturday from 9pm to 9.30pm, starting 24 August 2002.[23] Although Jack Neo did not write the script or direct the TV version, he worked with story planners and starred as Mr. Liu. In an interview, Jack Neo stated that the TV version gave him more opportunities to expand on issues or details that could not be sufficiently covered in the movie.[24][25] The TV version of I Not Stupid received several nominations at the Star Awards 2002: Best Sitcom, Best Theme Song, Best Comedy Performer (Richard Low) and Young Talent Award (Shawn Lee, Joshua Ang and Huang Po Ju), with Shawn Lee winning the Young Talent Award.[26]

A second movie, I Not Stupid Too, was released on 26 January 2006. The story and characters in I Not Stupid Too are different from those in I Not Stupid; the film touched on other issues, most notably miscommunication between teens and adults. I Not Stupid Too grossed over S$4 million, and overtook the original film as the all-time second highest grossing movie in Singapore. Jack Neo has announced plans to make more sequels.[27]

Besides the television series that expanded on the plots of both films, a television talkshow/current affairs program called "I Not Stupid Forum" (directly translated from Chinese as Children are not stupid, who really is?) was produced. The television show is hosted by Jack Neo himself. Youth and teenagers are seated across from field experts (including professors and psychologists) during each episode. Each episode explores a current issue regarding teenagers, providing the views of both parties.

[edit] References

  1. ^ I Not Stupid. Retrieved on 2006-12-17.
  2. ^ a b c Corporate Profile. MediaCorp Raintree Pictures (2005).
  3. ^ Hwa, Dr. Tan Hooi; Krysania Tan, Regina Chan (4 2002). Interview with Mr Jack Neo and Dr Winston Hwang from the cast of Local Production "I Not Stupid" (PDA). SMA News 5 - 10. Retrieved on 2006-12-17.
  4. ^ Uhde, Yvonne Ng; Jan Uhde. Temperatures rising: Singapore film in 2001 (HTML). Archived from the original on 2005-05-12. Retrieved on 2006-12-17.
  5. ^ a b Soh Yun-Huei. I Not Stupid - Review. FilmAsia.
  6. ^ THE CASTS (HTML). Raintree Pictures Pte Ltd (2002). Retrieved on 2006-12-17.
  7. ^ a b “I Not Stupid” - Production notes. MediaCorp Raintree Pictures (2002).
  8. ^ UNITED INTERNATIONAL PICTURES, MEDIACORP RAINTREE PICTURES AND SCORPIO EAST PICTURES RELEASE “I NOT STUPID TOO” (HTML). MediaCorp Raintree Pictures Pte Ltd (2005). Retrieved on 2006-12-17.
  9. ^ a b c I Not Stupid - Review. www.lovehkfilm.com.
  10. ^ a b Daniel Nguyen. I Not Stupid - Review. KFC Cinema.
  11. ^ a b c d e Funn Lim (2005). I Not Stupid - Review. Spcnet TV.
  12. ^ a b c Ciecko, Anne Tereska; Uhde, Jan and Uhde, Yvnone Ng (2006). Contemporary Asian Cinema. New York: Berg, "Singapore: Developments, Challenges and Projections", pp. 81-82. ISBN 1 84520237 6. 
  13. ^ a b "'I Not Stupid Too' crosses $4m mark in box office takings", ChannelNewsAsia, 6 March 2006.
  14. ^ Chalermthai new movie. Pantip.com (2004).
  15. ^ "Celebration of Singapore-made Films at Cannes Film Festival’s Tous les Cinémas du Monde", Media Development Authority, 9 May 2006.
  16. ^ Awards for Xiaohai bu ben. Internet Movie Database.
  17. ^ Goh Chok Tong (18 August 2002). National Day Rally Address.
  18. ^ "Jack Neo honoured with National Day awards", Channel NewsAsia, 9 August 2004.
  19. ^ "Dick Lee, Jack Neo among this year's Cultural Medallion recipients", Channel NewsAsia, 21 October 2005.
  20. ^ Douglas Wong. "SINGAPORE: Learning to develop their other abilities: EDUCATION REFORMS", Financial Times, 12 April 2002.
  21. ^ "Changes to Pri 4 streaming: EM1 and EM2 to be merged", Channel NewsAsia, 18 March 2004.
  22. ^ "No streaming, no stigma", Channel NewsAsia, 29 September 2006.
  23. ^ Sitcom: I Not Stupid (2004).
  24. ^ I Not Stupid: Coming to a TV near you…. Channel 8 Mediacorp TV (12 August 2002).
  25. ^ Ang Ling Ling (10 May 2002). Hokkien No Enough. Channel 8 Mediacorp TV.
  26. ^ Star Awards 2002 - Nomination List. Channel 8 Mediacorp TV (24 October 2002).
  27. ^ Ng Bao Ying. ""I Not Stupid Too" tackles communication problems in families", ChannelNewsAsia, 18 January 2006.

[edit] External links


Jack Neo films
Money No Enough (1998) | That One No Enough (1999) | Liang Po Po: The Movie (1999)
I Not Stupid (2002) | Homerun (2003) | The Best Bet (2004) | I Do I Do (2005)
One More Chance (2005) | I Not Stupid Too (2006) | Just Follow Law (2007)
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