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Waiting Alone

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Waiting Alone
Directed byDayyan Eng
Written byDayyan Eng
Produced byDayyan Eng
StarringXia Yu
Li Bingbing
Gong Beibi
CinematographyToby Oliver
Edited byDayyan Eng
Release date
  • 26 October 2004 (2004-10-26) (Tokyo International Film Festival)
Running time
107 minutes
CountryChina
LanguageMandarin

Waiting Alone (Chinese: 独自等待; pinyin: Dúzì Děngdài) is a 2004 Chinese romantic comedy film written & directed by Chinese-American filmmaker Dayyan Eng (Chinese: 伍仕贤; pinyin: Wǔ Shìxían), depicting the lives of a group of hip twenty-something Beijing residents. The film features Chinese movie stars Xia Yu, Gong Beibi and Li Bingbing. It also features cameos of some of Asia's best known actors, including Hong Kong superstar Chow Yun-fat in his first mainland Chinese film appearance.

Excellent reviews and strong word-of-mouth made this independent film a cult hit in China where it was embraced by millennial audiences. The film debuted at the 2004 Tokyo International Film Festival and was released in theaters in China in 2005. In the same year, Waiting Alone was nominated for three Chinese academy awards (Golden Rooster Awards) including Best Picture -- the first time a nomination was awarded to a foreign director in this category. Waiting Alone was acquired for international distribution in 2006 by Arclight Films and subsequently became available on streamer platforms worldwide including Amazon Prime.[1]

With this film, Eng made history as the first American to direct a Chinese feature film, and the first and only foreign director to date (as of 2024) to have a film nominated for Best Picture at the Chinese academy awards.[2] The film also remains the highest-rated romantic comedy from China on Douban and other review sites (as of 2025), resonating deeply with an entire generation of Chinese audiences.[3]

Cast

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Plot Summary

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Waiting Alone is a coming-of-age romantic comedy that follows Chen Wen (Xia Yu), a young co-owner of a Beijing antique shop and an aspiring novelist. Told from his point of view, the story centers on his infatuation with Liu Rong (Li Bingbing), an up-and-coming actress whom he believes might be the perfect girl. Despite their growing closeness, Wen struggles to understand why she won’t return his affections. With the help of his eccentric group of friends and his trusted confidante Li Jing (Gong Beibi), Wen navigates the challenges of modern relationships, romantic missteps, and self-discovery in a witty, grounded portrait of urban life and young adulthood in fast-changing China.

Awards

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Reviews & Quotes:

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New Cinema Magazine:
"The funniest Chinese-language film of 2005!"[4]
Variety:
"Waiting Alone provides honest laughter and touching moments as it invades the modern romantic comedy turf of Woody Allen and Nora Ephron. … All thesps show good comic timing, and Xia [Yu] is especially good as the lovelorn Chen and Gong Beibi also impresses as [Jing]. ...Will leave the cinema with a joyous bang."[5]
Over 50 Chinese media outlets agree[4]:
"One of the top 10 must-see movies of the year!"
Shanghai Weekly:
"Urban and hip... superb use of dialogue and music."
Beijing Youth Weekly:
"The most anticipated director of 2005."
Film World Magazine:
"Waiting Alone brings a uniquely new style and approach to Chinese cinema; it is one that cannot be found in past Chinese films. Eng is a strong and unique new talent in Chinese cinema."
MonkeyPeaches.com:
"Top 10 Best of 2005! A fast paced comedy, which offers nothing but fun."
Variety International Film Guide 2006:
One of the top 5 best Chinese films of 2005

References

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  1. ^ "Amazon.com: Waiting Alone : Xia Yu, Li Bingbing, Gong Beibi, Dayyan Eng, Dayyan Eng, Dayyan Eng: Prime Video". www.amazon.com. Archived from the original on 2023-06-30. Retrieved 2025-05-19.
  2. ^ "Film festival". www.chinadaily.com.cn. Retrieved 2025-05-19.
  3. ^ 17Cats (2022-06-23). "《独自等待》80后的回忆杀，豆瓣8.3，北京大妞龚蓓苾却是南方人". www.17cats.com (in Chinese). Retrieved 2025-05-19.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  4. ^ a b "Colordance Pictures". www.colordance.com. Retrieved 2025-05-19.
  5. ^ Edwards, Russell (2004-11-11). "Waiting Alone". Variety. Retrieved 2025-05-19.
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