Film / Hi, Mom!

(L-R) Shen Teng, Zhang Xiaofei and Jia Ling

Hi, Mom (Chinese: 你好，李焕英; pinyin: Nǐ hǎo, Lǐ Huànyīng; lit. 'Hello, Li Huanying') is a 2021 Chinese film written and directed by comedian/actress Jia Ling (in fact, her directorial debut). It is a partial biopic of her mother, the eponymous Li Huanying, with magic realism.

The film is essentially the feature-film adaptation of a skit produced by Jia for the Chinese variety show Comedy General Mobilization (喜剧总动员) in 2016. The skit won popular and critical acclaim, and Jia decided to make a full feature film out of the story.

From young, Jia Xiaoling (Jia Ling) had always worried her mother Li Huanying (Chinese veteran actress Liu Jia). Though kind-hearted, Xiaoling's grades had been consistently poor. In 2001, soon after an unpleasant encounter with Mdm Li's acquaintance Wang Qin (Wang Lin), a traffic accident left Mdm Li at the verge of death. Despairing, Xiaoling made a wish that she could change her mother's fate...

After the wish, Xiaoling found herself back in 16 November 1981^note The finals of the 1981 FIVB Volleyball Women's World Cup between China and Japan was played during the night of her first day back in the past., and met Mdm Li's younger self (Zhang Xiaofei^note Xiaofei had also portrayed Mdm Li in the 2016 skit.). After yet another unpleasant encounter with a younger Wang Qin (Han Yunyun), Xiaoling resolved to change her mother's fate, including trying to matchmake her with Shen Guanglin (Shen Teng^note one of the few well-known actors/actresses anchoring the film. Shen Teng and Jia Ling were also members of the main cast of the Chinese variety show Ace vs Ace (王牌对王牌) from 2019 to 2022. Also, Shen Teng took part in the same episode of Comedy General Mobilization where the original skit aired.), Wang Qin's husband in 2001 and the son of the supervisor of the factory where Mdm Li was working in 1981. Along the way, Xiaoling caught the attention of local gang leader Leng Te (Chen He^note Chen He had also appeared in the 2016 skit, albeit playing another, unrelated, character.). Eventually, events took an unexpected turn...

With this film, Jia Ling became the female director with the highest box office from a single film in China (and by some calculations, the world, beating Patty Jenkin’s Wonder Woman (2017).)^note Besides the usual currency exchange rate issues, the film also benefited from an unusually long 90-day release, which made it the subject of online criticism. Films in China are typically given a month-long release period that can be extended to two months in the case of unusually high-performing titles. But “Hi, Mom” was given two extensions, making it the first film in Chinese history to reap the benefits of two holiday release windows — the massive February lunar new year and the May 1 Labor Day holiday. It also managed to hit Mother’s Day on May 9 as well, when it was also released for free on various streaming platforms for a limited time.

Not to be confused with the trope of the same name.

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The film includes the following tropes:

• Adapted Out: In real life, when Mdm Li died, Jia Ling was away from home, studying. Her elder sister Jia Dan was the sibling who was at their mother's deathbed.
• As Himself: Jia Ling's father Jia Wentian had a cameo portraying himself in scenes set in 2001.
• Bittersweet Ending: Although Xiaoling did not manage to change Mdm Li's fate, she later became successful in life, and became fully aware of the extent of her mother's love for her.
• Book Dumb: Xiaoling and Zhang Jiang. Xiaoling mispronounced the term for 1981's position in the sexagenary cycle^note Xiaoling's pronunciation was "xin xi", whereas the actual term is "xin you"; note the similarity between "xi" (西) and "you" (酉)., while Zhang Jiang doesn't even know the word.
• Composite Character: Xiaoling is one of Jia Ling and her elder sister Jia Dan.
• Dying Declaration of Love: Before their return to 2001, Mdm Li tells Xiaoling to live a healthy and happy life.
• The Faceless: In Xiaoling's memories at the start of the film, Mdm Li's face is never shown until she's middle-aged.
• Foreshadowing: Zhang Jiang's (He Huan) comments after Xiaoling's crash landing into 1981 hinted that Mdm Li knew about her relationship with Xiaoling. Logically, no one will want to risk being hit by a falling body, much less run towards it in an attempt to catch it.
• Husky Russkie: Mao Qin, whose grandfather was Russian and had moved to Inner Mongolia from the then-Soviet Union, was portrayed as a Brawn Hilda.^note Her actress, Katherine Ackerman, is American.
• In Spite of a Nail: While Xiaoling was successful in helping Mdm Li become the first worker in her factory to own a television set (Wang Qin being the original "first worker"), she was unable to stop Wang Qin from winning the volleyball competition, or Shen Guanglin from hooking up with Wang Qin.
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Leng Te, who initially was asked by Wang Qin to harass Xiaoling, but later became a good friend.
• Nerd Glasses: Zhao Yanhua (Bao Wenjing; a member of the volleyball team) sports a pair of these.
• Nostalgia Ain't Like It Used to Be: Played with. While the film portrays the early 80s as a simpler time, it does not shy away from the material deprivations of the era.
• Once More, with Clarity: After The Reveal, certain scenes were played again with additional detail, including the moments before Xiaoling's crash landing to 1981, and Mdm Li's rallying words to her volleyball team.
• Plot Twist: Mdm Li was transported back to 1981 along with Xiaoling, and pretended to be unaware of the fact that Xiaoling was her (future) daughter.
• Reality Is Unrealistic: In real life, the accident which killed Mdm Li was rather freaky.^note She was transporting hay with her husband where she fell off the haystack (she had been sitting at the top) and hit her head on the ground. Another reason for the artistic license was that Mdm Li's death actually caused a rift between Jia Ling and her father.
• Stepford Smiler: During Xiaoling's stage performance with Guanglin, she (and the audience) could see Mdm Li smiling /laughing. After The Reveal, Mdm Li was shown crying through her smiles, as she was painfully aware that this would be the first and last time she sees Xiaoling performing on stage.
• Unusual Euphemism: In 2001, Xiaoling's teacher mentioned to Mdm Li that Xiaoling's grades have remained "stable" (read: consistently bad).
• Wham Line: ..."But, my mother doesn't know how to weave this pattern yet!"
• Wham Shot: The reflection of the truck in a puddle of water before it hits Mdm Li and Xiaoling.
• With Friends Like These...: Mdm Li's relationship with Wang Qin. Although supposedly a "friend", Wang Qin often bragged about herself or her family. Back in 1981, she also bullied Mdm Li.
• Younger Than They Look: In the 2001 scenes, both Xiaoling and Mdm Li looked way older than the actual ages of Jia Ling and the real-life Mdm Li at the time (19 and 48). ^note During filming, Jia Ling was around 37 years old, while Liu Jia was around 59.

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