Never underestimate an overachiever.|Jan. 12, 2002|United States|101 Min.|R
Genre: Crime;Drama
Description: “Better Luck Tomorrow” (2002) follows the story of Ben Manibag and Virgil Hu, two ambitious Asian-American students determined to secure admission into Ivy League universities. Ben, driven by perfectionism, focuses on academic excellence, learning a new SAT word daily, and attempting to break a free-throw shooting record. However, his disciplined lifestyle hides a darker side, as he engages in petty crimes with Virgil, such as house-toilet papering and stealing computer equipment for quick cash.
Ben joins various school clubs to boost his college application and makes the basketball team, though he rarely plays. He develops feelings for Stephanie Vandergosh, his new lab partner, an Asian girl adopted by a white family. Ben’s life takes a turn when he meets Daric Loo, the school valedictorian and leader of multiple clubs. Daric runs a cheating operation, enlisting Ben to create cheat sheets from stolen tests, which are sold to students. Ben brings Virgil and his cousin Han into the scheme, and they collectively earn significant money.
Meanwhile, Ben grows closer to Stephanie, noticing that her boyfriend, Steve Choe, takes her for granted. Steve offers Ben the chance to take Stephanie to the Winter Formal. As part of the Academic Decathlon team with Daric, Virgil, and Han, their practices turn into drinking parties. After a misunderstanding involving Stephanie, the group gets drunk and attends a party, where they clash with a football player. The confrontation escalates, leading Daric to brandish a gun, ending the fight. The incident spreads across the school, increasing the group’s infamy.
Cast director: Justin Lin
Cast actor: Parry Shen, Jason Tobin, Sung Kang, Karin Anna Cheung, Roger Fan, Jerry Mathers, John Cho, Aaron Takahashi, Darian Weiss, Ariadne Shaffer
Original name: Better Luck Tomorrow