Miracles (film)

Infobox Film
name = Miracles/ Qiji /Mr. Canton and Lady Rose


image_size =
caption = UK DVD Cover of Miracles
director = Jackie Chan
producer =
writer = Jackie Chan
narrator =
starring = Jackie Chan
Anita Mui
Ah Lei Gua
music =
cinematography =
editing =
distributor =
released = January 1989
runtime = 127 mins (varies from country to country)
country = Hong Kong
language = Cantonese, English(Dubbed)
budget =
preceded_by =
followed_by =
website =
amg_id = 1:33621
imdb_id = 0098019

"Miracles" (Traditional Chinese:奇蹟 pinyin: "qí jī"; Cantonese: "Ji ji") is a 1989 Hong Kong action film directed and written by Jackie Chan, who also plays the lead role. The film is set in 1930s Hong Kong and is a variation of Frank Capra's "Lady for a Day" and "Pocketful of Miracles", which in turn were based on a short story by Damon Runyon, "Madame La Gimp".

"Miracles" features many well-known Hong Kong actors, including Anita Mui and Wu Ma, and is considered one of Jackie Chan's most sophisticated directorial effortsThomas, Brian. "Videohound's Dragon: Asian Action & Cult Flicks", Gale Group, 2002.] .

Plot Introduction

Jackie plays Kuo Cheng-Wah, a kindhearted country boy who is quickly cheated out of all his money when he arrives in Hong Kong. Depressed and destitute, he encounters Madame Kao (Ah Lei Gua), a poor woman selling flowers on the street; she urges him to buy a red rose, saying it will bring him luck. He demurs at first, shaking his head sadly, then finally agrees.

His fortunes immediately take a dramatic turn when he stumbles into a gang war, and renders assistance to a dying gang leader. The leader makes Kuo his successor due to a pun, then dies. Kuo, awed, attributes his luck to Madame Kao's rose, and takes to buying one from her every day thereafter.

Kuo starts a nightclub, where he falls in love with a singer (Anita Mui); they vow to do good deeds rather than committing crimes. Before a meeting with a rival boss, Kuo goes to buy his usual rose from Madame Kao, but she is not at her post. He searches for her, and finds her terribly upset over a letter she has just received. The letter is from her daughter, Belle (Gloria Yip), a student in Shanghai whom Madame Kao has been supporting, all the while concealing her sufferings and leading her to believe that she is a rich society woman in Hong Kong. Now, she is coming to visit, bringing her wealthy fiance and his parents, and Madame Kao is afraid that her poverty will bring disgrace on her daughter.

Kuo offers to help, buying Madame Kao expensive new clothes and arranging a lavish party for her, to which he invites some of his disreputable friends on the condition that they impersonate the local dignitaries. Meanwhile, a gang war is in full swing, putting Kuo's life in danger and providing ample opportunity for Jackie Chan's trademark stunts. The climactic stunt sequence consists of a lengthy scene of hand-to-hand combat set in a rope factory.

Cast & Crew

* Jackie Chan - 'Charlie' Cheng Wah Kuo
* Anita Mui - Luming Yang
* Ah Lei Gua - Madam Kao (as Yah-Leh Gui)
* Chun Hsiang Ko - Tiger
* Wu Ma - Uncle Hai
* Bill Tung - Tung
* Gloria Yip - Belle
* Yuen Biao - Cameo

* Directed by Jackie Chan
* Produced by Leonard Ho
* Written by Jackie Chan
* Stunt Coordinator Jackie Chan

Details & Trivia

*Other names for this film include: "Black Dragon", "Miracle", "Miracles: The Canton Godfather" (UK) (video box title), "Mr. Canton and Lady Rose".
*Awards: Won 'Best Action Choreography' at the Hong Kong Film Award in 1990. Was also nominated for three other awards at the same ceremony, including; Best Actor - Jackie Chan; Best Art Direction - Eddie Ma and Best Film Editing - Peter Cheung.
* According to Jackie's autobiography, Miracles is his favourite film that he has made.
* A typhoon destroyed many of the sets of the film so the crew had to rebuild to finish the production.
* Jackie Chan is an ardent fan of Hollywood musicals, and "Miracles" pays tribute to that genre.
* One of the cast members died on the set after falling.
*Jackie Chan did a dangerous stunt where he had to flip backwards on a ricksaw, but it was not successful and resulted in a deep cut over his left eye.

Awards and Nominations

*1990 Hong Kong Film Awards
**Won: Best Action Choreography
**Nomination: Best Actor (Jackie Chan)
**Nomination: Best Art Direction (Eddie Ma)
**Nomination: Best Film Editing (Peter Cheung)

References

ee also

* List of Hong Kong films
*Jackie Chan filmography

External links

* [http://www.jackiechan.com/about/about_filmography_80s.html "Miracles" at Jackie Chan.Com]
*imdb title|0098019|Miracles