I Was a Simple Man
{{Short description|2021 drama film}}
{{Use American English|date=May 2021}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2021}}
{{Infobox film
| name = I Was a Simple Man
| image = I Was a Simple Man.jpg
| alt = A poster featuring several people by a tree.
| caption = Theatrical release poster
| director = Christopher Makoto Yogi
| producer = Sarah Kim
| writer = Christopher Makoto Yogi
| starring = {{plainlist|
- Steve Iwamoto
- Constance Wu
- Tim Chiou
- Kanoa Goo
}}
| music = {{plainlist|
- Pierre Guerineau
- Alex Zhang Hungtai
}}
| cinematography = Eunsoo Cho
| editing = Christopher Makoto Yogi
| studio = {{plainlist|
- Talk Tree
- Flies Collective
}}
| distributor = Strand Releasing
| released = {{Film date|2021|1|29|Sundance|ref1={{cite web |url= https://fpg.festival.sundance.org/film-info/5fd030402885b8fdb29464c1 |title= Sundance - FPG |website= Sundance |access-date= January 1, 2021 |archive-date= February 19, 2021 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210219190505/https://fpg.festival.sundance.org/film-info/5fd030402885b8fdb29464c1 |url-status= dead }}|2021|11|19|United States}}
| runtime = 100 minutes
| country = United States
| language = {{Plainlist|
- English
- Hawaiian
- Chinese
- Japanese
}}
| budget =
| gross = $12,669{{Cite Box Office Mojo |id=11741044 |title=I Was a Simple Man (2021) |access-date= December 17, 2021 }}
}}
I Was a Simple Man is an American family drama film written and directed by Christopher Makoto Yogi.{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/video/i-was-a-simple-man-christopher-makoto-kanoa-goo-chanel-akiko-hirai-tim-chiou-nelson-lee-sundance-film-festival/|title=Filmmaker Christopher Makoto Yogi Visits Ghosts Of Memories Past In Familial Drama 'I Was A Simple Man' – Sundance Studio|website=Deadline Hollywood|first=Dino-Ray|last=Ramos|date=January 29, 2021|access-date=January 29, 2021}} The film stars Steve Iwamoto, Constance Wu, Tim Chiou and Kanoa Goo.
The film has its world premiere at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival on January 29, 2021, and received a limited theatrical release in the United States on November 19, 2021, by Strand Releasing.
Plot
{{Blockquote|As a family in Hawai'i faces the imminent death of their eldest, the ghosts of the past haunt the countryside.|Variety{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2020/film/news/sundance-film-festival-announces-2021-lineup-1234854059/|title=Sundance Film Festival Lineup Features 38 First-Time Directors, Including Rebecca Hall and Robin Wright|website=Variety|first=Peter|last=Debruge|date=December 15, 2020|access-date=January 1, 2021}}}}
Cast
File:Sundance Film Festival 2024 - Kanoa Goo-104A3307.jpg]]
The cast includes:{{cite web|url=https://www.varietyinsight.com/production_restart_full_view.php?track_id=186041 | title=Film and TV Projects Going Into Production - I Was a Simple Man|website=Variety Insight |access-date=March 21, 2021|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210321235322/https://www.varietyinsight.com/production_restart_full_view.php?track_id=186041 |archive-date=March 21, 2021}}
- Steve Iwamoto as Masao Matsuyoshi
- Constance Wu as Grace
- Tim Chiou as Adult Masao
- Kanoa Goo as Gavin
- Chanel Akiko Hirai as Kati
- Nelson Lee as Mark
- Hau'oli Carr as Ashley
- Kyle Kosaki as Young Masao
- Boonyanudh Jiyarom as Young Grace
== Reception ==
The film won the Grand Jury Award at the San Diego Asian Film Festival.{{Cite web|date=2021-11-06|title=ANNOUNCING THE 2021 SDAFF AWARD WINNERS|url=https://sdaff.org/2021/2021/11/06/announcing-the-2021-sdaff-award-winners/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211107171816/https://sdaff.org/2021/2021/11/06/announcing-the-2021-sdaff-award-winners/|archive-date=2021-11-07|access-date=2021-11-07|website=2021 San Diego Asian Film Festival|language=en-US}} It also won the Grand Jury Prize at the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival and the Made in Hawai‘i Award at the Hawai‘i International Film Festival.{{Cite web|last=Le|first=Anderson|date=2021-11-15|title=HIFF41 Announces Festival Award Winners {{!}} Hawai'i International Film Festival|url=https://hiff.org/hiff41-announces-festival-award-winners/|access-date=2021-12-19|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|title=37th Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival Announces Award Winners|url=https://festival.vcmedia.org/2021/2021/10/07/laapff2021-award-winners/|access-date=2021-12-19|website=2021 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival|language=en-US}}
{{Rotten Tomatoes prose|88|7.00|24|I Was a Simple Man tells a simple story whose deceptively straightforward approach yields richly melancholic rewards.|ref=yes|access-date=June 4, 2022}} {{Metacritic film prose|83|9|ref=y|access-date=June 4, 2022}} It was named the fourth best film of 2021 in the New Yorker Magazine, where film critic Richard Brody called it "one of the great films about death."{{Cite magazine|date=2021-12-02|title=The Best Movies of 2021|url=https://www.newyorker.com/culture/2021-in-review/the-best-movies-of-2021|access-date=2021-12-19|magazine=The New Yorker|language=en-US}} Roxana Hadadi wrote on RogerEbert.com that the film is a "100-minute spell of beauty and melancholy, intimate and grand in equal measure",{{Cite web|last=Hadadi|first=Roxana|title=I Was a Simple Man movie review (2021) {{!}} Roger Ebert|url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/i-was-a-simple-man-movie-review-2021|access-date=2021-12-19|website=www.rogerebert.com/|language=en}} while David Ehrlich of IndieWire called it "masterful" and dubbed it a "Critics Pick".{{Cite web|last=Ehrlich|first=David|date=2021-01-29|title='I Was a Simple Man' Review: Constance Wu Stars in a Hushed and Haunting Hawaii Ghost Story|url=https://www.indiewire.com/2021/01/i-was-a-simple-man-review-1234612263/|access-date=2021-12-19|website=IndieWire|language=en}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb title|11741044}}
- {{Rotten Tomatoes|i_was_a_simple_man}}
Category:2021 independent films
Category:American independent films
{{2020s-US-film-stub}}