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Better
Luck Tomorrow, 2002, 101 minutes, Rated R
By Ramona Prioleau
A
coming of age cautionary tale, Better Luck Tomorrow is a fresh take
on teenage rebellion that spirals out of control. Tomorrow is
distinctive because it dispels the notion that immoral youthful
aggression only happens to others less fortunate. When parents least
expect it their straight-A geek of a child morphs into a juvenile
delinquent, enters their home and snoozes where a model citizen
formerly resided. Tomorrow's 'wannabe hoodrats' who shrink when
confronted with hardcore machine gun toting thugs are richly
portrayed by a fine ensemble cast, but it's Parry Shen who shines
most brightly as the naïve Ben Manibag.
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For all appearances, Ben is the quintessential high
school senior preparing for his SATs, participating in school sports,
holding down a fast-food gig and volunteering to help the needy. Ben
has a résumé many would envy. Yet beneath the aspiring coed's
strait-laced veneer is a youngster in adolescent flux. He's easily
distracted by hormones, peer pressure and the monotony of his
achievement. So the ever-diligent Ben embarks on a detour that will
add a sentence to his résumé, alter his fortunes and put a macho
swagger in his step.
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Along for the journey are the James
Dean-like Han (Sung Kang) and skateboard dude Virgil (Jason Tobin).
Momentarily abandoning the pursuit of the petit bourgeoisie, the three
engage in petty crimes as a means to punctuate the dreariness of their
suburban existence. With the addition of Daric (Roger Fan) the trio
becomes a quartet and their capers escalate from delinquency to
felony.
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While Ben is the narrative center of
Tomorrow, Daric's maneuverings propel the story. Machiavellian in
nature, Daric entices, prods and schemes in the hopes of leading the
group farther into the criminal abyss.
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Parents are noticeably absent from
Tomorrow's portrayal of teenage self-destruction. There's a sense that
parents hover in the background and somewhat shape the lives of their
children. However, the unshakeable impression is that these children
are too often left to their own devices and are given too much
freedom. Meanwhile, their parents are probably chasing the
double-income ideal and taking it on faith that their children will
continue along the straight and narrow.
Could these be your kids?
I hope not.
If you have children should you throw up your hands in consternation and hope for better luck tomorrow?
Hmmm…I propose nannies for teens and mandatory GPS locator
bracelets to track teen whereabouts.
Just kidding ;-).
M
April 2003
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