Family Ties

Set in modern-day Shanghai, the film follows Lu Min (played by Xiao Bo), a high school student facing the pressure of the college entrance exam. Without a privileged background, his hopes for a better future rest entirely on getting into a top university. His mother, Fangfang (played by Song Dandan), is a thrifty housewife obsessed with winning prizes from TV quiz shows—nearly every appliance in their home comes from her efforts. His father, Dayi (played by Fu Biao), struggles to find stable work after being laid off, failing one re-employment program after another. After briefly landing a job as a bar companion, he ends up in the hospital due to poor alcohol tolerance. Each member of the family is caught in their own test of life, navigating hardship with resilience, like countless ordinary families striving to hold on.

Directed by Kiefer Liu, Family Ties leans on a strong ensemble — Song Dandan, Fu Biao, Wang Rugang — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about comedy titles of 2001.