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added Category:1990s Hong Kong films using HotCat

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{{Short description|1994 Hong Kong film by Clifton Ko}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2014}}
{{Use Hong Kong English|date=April 2014}}
{{More citations needed|date=March 2008}}
{{Infobox film
| name = I Have a Date with Spring
| image =
| caption =
| director = [[Clifton Ko]]
| producer =
| writer = [[Raymond To]]
| starring = [[Alice Lau Nga Lai]]<br />[[Koon-Lan Law]]<br />[[Anita Lee]]<br />[[Louisa So]]
| music =
| cinematography =
| editing =
| distributor = [[Universe Video]]
| released = {{Film date|1994}}
| country = [[British Hong Kong|Hong Kong]]
| runtime =
| language = Mainly in [[Cantonese]], some songs were also sung in [[Standard Chinese|Mandarin]] and [[English language|English]]
| budget =
}}

'''''I Have a Date with Spring''''' ({{zh|t=我和春天有個約會}}) is a 1994 [[Cinema of Hong Kong|Hong Kong]] film directed by [[Clifton Ko]] and written by [[Raymond To]]. It is originally a 1992 play of the same name by [[Ko Tin Lung]].

==Synopsis==
The movie takes place in modern times when Butterfly returns from retirement in [[Canada]] to perform in a final charity show at the Flower Palace Nightclub before it is demolished. The film takes place in a continuing [[Flashback (narrative)|flashback]] of one fateful night in 1967 at the Flower Palace Nightclub. The film follows the lives of a 1960s girl group called "The 4 Nuts". On the night of the [[Hong Kong 1967 Leftist Riots]], Butterfly Yiu was given an accidental chance to perform the final show when the original and star performer, Pak Long, was stranded at another venue. This started a chain of events that will change the four character's lives forever.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hkcinemagic.com/en/movie.asp?id=817 |title=I Have a Date with Spring (1994) |website=hkcinemagic.com |date=1994 |access-date=October 15, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.allmovie.com/movie/v269090 |title=I Have a Date with Spring (1994) |website=allmovie.com |date=1994 |access-date=October 15, 2020}}</ref>

===Ending Of Four Main Characters===
Of the four main characters, only Butterfly became very famous, and had a long career as a singer and actress. She had financial security, but lost out on romance, as her love interest, Karl Sum, cannot bear the pressure and relative shame of living with someone who is much more popular. Karl left for [[New York City]] to start a new career, only to be reunited with Butterfly at the end of the movie. This ending differs from the adapted [[Asia Television|ATV]] series, as although Butterfly and Karl meet again, she cannot forgive him for leaving her.

Lulu Kim also became popular as a singer and actress, but not on the same level as Butterfly. Lulu eventually was married to Luk Tat Sun, the son of one of the directors of the Flower Palace Nightclub. He originally sought to marry Butterfly, but she waited out for Karl, and refused his advances.

Fung Ping continues her unlucky streak in romance. She followed Donny, her gambling-addict boyfriend, to [[Vietnam]] with a show tour team. She arrived in Vietnam at the height of the [[Vietnam War]], and was presumably killed during a bombing raid by US Forces. She gave birth to a son while in Vietnam, despite earlier promises of an [[abortion]], and Karl Sum adopted the son and took him to the US. He was united with Butterfly at the end of the movie.

Nancy eventually sought another job at another nightclub as a lounge singer. She remained obscure, and became depressed and an alcoholic. She eventually lost her voice due to alcohol and died of [[cirrhosis]]. Butterfly only knew of this right before her charity show.

==Characters==
*Butterfly Yiu (姚小蝶)- One of the "Four Crazy Kings" (四大顛皇) at the Flower Palace Nightclub (麗花皇宮夜總會). She was initially among the lesser known singers of the nightclub, but through a series of events, she started her road to stardom.
*Lulu Kim (金露露)- The second one of the "Four Crazy Kings" at the nightclub. She is the most unassuming of the four "kings", and eventually had a movie career and married the son of one of the Flower Palace Nightclub's directors.
*Nancy Hong (紅蓮茜)- The most flamboyant of the Four Crazy Kings. Nancy is known for her fiery tempers, which gets her into very heated (almost physical) arguments with her rivals.
*Fung Ping Lam (藍鳳萍)- The tragic one in the "Four Crazy Kings". She is unlucky in love, and falls in love with a gamble-addict brass band member.
*Pak Long (白浪)- The most famous singer at the nightclub at the time. He is known for a rather diva-ish demeanors. It is hinted that Pak Long is [[homosexual]], but that is not revealed in the movie. Pak Long eventually declined in popularity.
*Yuen Pik (婉碧)- She is the diva of the nightclub, and was the most popular female singer at the time. She is also known for her fake bottom and breast implants, which was a part of a running gag. She was eventually outshone by Butterfly.
*Karl Sum (沈家豪)- The main band member in the Flower Palace brass band. He is the love interest of Butterfly. Their relationship is rocky, and Karl eventually cannot bear the pains of living under the much more popular Butterfly.

==Cast==
This is a partial list of cast for the 1994 film.
* Alice Lau Ar-Lai as Butterfly Yiu<ref name="straitstimes_film2014"/>
* [[May Law Koon-Lan]] as Lulu Kim
* [[Rocelia Fung Wai-Hang]] as Nancy
* [[Louisa So]] as Fung Ping
* [[David Wu (American actor)|David Wu]] as Karl Sum
* [[Tse Kwan-Ho]] as Danny
* [[Yip Wing-Cho]] as Po
* [[Anita Lee]] as Bar Girl
* [[Raymond Wong Pak-Ming|Raymond Wong]] as Maitre d'
* [[Wong Jim|James Wong]] as Triad
* [[Teresa Mo]] as Woman at Concert Hall
* [[Fung Bo-Bo]] as Concert Mistress of Ceremonies

Below is a partial list of cast for the 1995 ATV TV series.
* [[Sheren Tang]] as Butterfly Yiu
* [[Joey Meng]] as Fung Ping Lam
* [[Kiki Sheung]] as Nancy
* [[Kwong Wa]] as Karl Sum

==Awards==
14th Annual Hong Kong Film Awards
* Law Koon-Lan - Winner of Best Supporting Actress
* Alice Lau Ar-Lai - Nominated and Winner of Best New Artist <ref name="straitstimes_film2014">{{cite web |url=https://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/entertainment/hong-kong-stage-classic-i-have-a-date-with-spring-to-run-in-singapore-in-may |title=Hong Kong stage classic I Have A Date With Spring to run in Singapore in May |website=straitstimes.com |first=Corrie |last=Tang |date=April 15, 2014 |access-date=October 15, 2020}}</ref>
* Raymond To Kwok-Wai - Winner of Best Screenplay <ref name="straitstimes_film2014"/>
* Fung Wai-Hung - Nominated for Best Supporting Actress
* Hui Fan - Nominated for Best New Artist
* Lee Hong-Gum, Wan Hol-Geen - Nominated for Best Original Score
* Film was Nomination for Best Picture

==Related products==
=== Theme song ===
The main theme song is 'I Have a Date with Spring' sung by Alice Lau. The drama was performed first by [[Hong Kong Repertory Theatre]] (香港話劇團) in 1992. The drama was later performed by the theatre (春天話劇團) of Spring-Time Stage Productions (春天舞台劇製作有限公司).

=== Television series ===
In 1995, "I Have a Date With Spring" was adapted into a television series by [[Asia Television|ATV]], starring [[Sheren Tang]] as Butterfly Yiu and lasting a total of 40 episodes. Similar to the film, the series takes place in flashbacks by Butterfly as she walks through a newly restored Flower Palace Nightclub. The series explores not only the lives of Butterfly, Lulu, Nancy, and Fung Ping while working at the nightclub, but also their lives before they began working at Flower Palace (such as Nancy being raised in an orphanage), as well as ongoing issues with their families (such as Fung Ping's less fortunate background, and Butterfly's father's dying career as a [[Cantonese Opera]] singer). It also expands more on the different characters working at Flower Palace, such as Yuen Bik.

=== Musical ===
In 2001–2005, the film was rewritten as a musical, the Flower Palace (麗花皇宮), many elder famous singers played in it, sang some of their best songs. VCD and DVD of the [[karaoke]] versions of the plays are released in 2001–2003. [[Alice Lau (actress)|Alice Lau]] and [[Louisa So]] performed in many of different performances related to the play.

There is a book of the play by Raymond To (我和春天有個約會 {{ISBN|962-7420-61-1}}).

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{IMDb title|0111739|I Have a Date with Spring}}
* [http://hkmdb.com/db/movies/view.mhtml?id=7825&display_set=eng ''I Have a Date with Spring''] at HKMDB
* [http://www.lovehkfilm.com/reviews/i_have_a_date_with_spring.htm ''I Have a Date with Spring''] at loveHKfilm
* [http://chinesemov.com/1994/I%20Have%20a%20Date%20with%20Spring.html ''I Have a Date with Spring''] at chinesemov.com

{{Clifton Ko}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1994 films]]
[[Category:1990s Cantonese-language films]]
[[Category:Hong Kong drama films]]
[[Category:Films directed by Clifton Ko]]
[[Category:Hong Kong musical films]]
[[Category:1990s Hong Kong films]]

I Have a Date with Spring - Revision history

imported>Prince of Erebor: added Category:1990s Hong Kong films using HotCat