Without the online buzz, a.k.a. guppieluv, regarding Better Luck Tomorrow, I probably would have missed it. A couple of other folks have written more concise and coherent impressions about this film.

I enjoyed this wonderful but disturbing movie. It was a thought-provoking story that left me feeling conflicted. The film was written and directed by an Asian American (AA) and stars an AA cast in an American tale. I should note that the audience was almost entirely AA.

If you came in believing that all young AAs are affluent overachievers, then this movie probably seemed to reinforce those stereotypes. To me, the characters on the screen were affluent overachievers who just happened to be AA. They exhibited similar traits to the group I hung out with in high school. For some of us, our highest moral purpose was assembling the ultimate college application. A high GPA was the key to greater freedom that was mostly left unmonitored by parents who were too busy at work. As the main character says, "As long as our grades were there, we were trusted."

I liked that this film started out like the seemingly typical teen movie. As the movie progressed, this initial impression became increasingly distorted. Each time we revisited the protagonist practicing free throws on the neighborhood basketball court, another dark layer of reality was revealed.

Sitting here a few days later, some questions remain. If I was in high school now, how would I react to this film? Would I be offended? Would I dismiss it as irrelevant? Would it be a "wake up call"?

The unfortunate rarity of the voice telling this story increases the movie's value and appeal in my eyes. The same story told by a more "mainstream" voice might not have grabbed my attention. While I'm rather reluctant to believe that the fate of other AA films are dependent on this one movie's performance, it wouldn't surprise me. I would love to see other worthy efforts receive wider exposure regardless of this film's box office success.