White Frog: Difference between revisions

White Frog
White Frog
	Cover Art
Directed by	Quentin Lee
Written by	Fabienne Wen and Ellie Wen
Produced by	David Henry Hwang; Kevin Iwashina; Ellie Wen; Christopher Lee; Joel Soisson
Starring	Booboo Stewart; Harry Shum, Jr.; B.D. Wong; Joan Chen; Gregg Sulkin; Tyler Posey
Cinematography	Yasu Tanida
Edited by	Matthew Rundell
Music by	Steven Pranoto
Production; companies	Wentertainment Productions, Chris Lee Productions
Release date	March 8, 2012 (SFIAAFF);
Running time	93 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$1 million

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White Frog is a 2012 American comedy-drama film directed by Quentin Lee and written by Fabienne Wen. The film's plot follows neglected 16-year-old Nick Young, played by Booboo Stewart, a teenager with autism spectrum disorder whose life is changed forever when tragedy strikes him and his family.^[2] The film also stars Harry Shum, Jr., B.D. Wong, Joan Chen, Gregg Sulkin, and Tyler Posey.

White Frog premiered at the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival on March 8, 2012.^[3]

Plot[edit]

Nick Young (Stewart) is a high school freshman with autism spectrum disorder who idolizes his perfect older brother Chaz Young (Shum). While riding his bike to a friend's house, Chaz is hit by a group of guys driving recklessly and dies. The crash leaves Nick fighting to overcome his grief while feeling misunderstood by his distraught parents (Wong and Chen), who are left trying to preserve the memory of their "perfect son".

One of Chaz's friends, Doug (Posey), takes Nick under his wing and has Nick take Chaz's place in a weekly poker game with their friends Ajit, Cameron and Randy (Sulkin). Randy baffles the group by being hostile to Nick's face while defending him when he's not around. Doug and Randy bring Nick to the LGBT community center that Chaz volunteered at, which confuses Nick. Just as Randy begins warming to him, Nick stumbles upon pictures of Chaz and Randy suggesting that they were more than just friends. Randy confirms that he and Chaz were gay, shattering Nick's worldview and driving him into despair.

Nick eventually confronts his parents, who refuse to accept Chaz's sexuality. Nick runs away from home, and his parents go to the shelter to look for him. While there, they learn that Chaz's voice might be heard on a video presentation to be played that night, and proceed to call a lawyer relative to try to halt the proceedings, leaving Doug to search for Nick. Randy gets his father to help him stop the Youngs' lawyer, coming out to him in the process. Nick, meanwhile, discovers a video message that Chaz had made as a way of coming out to Nick. Hearing the confession in Chaz's own words inspires him to return to the shelter and give a speech about acceptance, reconciling himself, his parents, and Randy with Chaz's memory.

Cast[edit]

Booboo Stewart as Nick Young, a teen with Asperger's
Harry Shum, Jr. as Chaz Young, the late older brother of Nick
Gregg Sulkin as Randy Goldman, Chaz's secret lover
B. D. Wong as Oliver Young, Nick and Chaz's distant father
Joan Chen as Irene Young, Nick and Chaz's estranged mother
Tyler Posey as Doug
Manish Dayal as Ajit
Talulah Riley as Ms. Lee, Chaz's lesbian mentor
Kelly Hu as Aunt May
Justin Martin as Cameron
Amy Hill as Dr. King, Nick's hilarious therapist
Phil Abrams as Ira Goldman
David Henry Hwang as the Pastor
Lynn Ann Leveridge as Maria
Kathryn Layng as Edie
Ron McCoy as the Bearded Man
Major Curda as Samuel
Jasmine Di Angelo as Briana
Carla Jimenez as Mrs. Rodriguez

Pre-production[edit]

White Frog was written by the mother/daughter duo Fabienne Wen and Ellie Wen. Ellie Wen's mentor, David Henry Hwang, was an executive producer. Principal photography was completed in August 2011.^[4]

Score and soundtrack[edit]

The score to White Frog was composed by Steven Pranoto. The soundtrack features David Choi, CriBabi, Gowe, PaperDoll, Shin-B, IAMMEDIC, and Booboo and Fivel Stewart.

References[edit]

^ "Twilight's Booboo Stewart takes the lead in indie White Frog". Oh No They Didn't!. 10 July 2011. Retrieved 2012-03-09.
^ "White Frog Info (facebook)". White Frog Official Facebook. Retrieved 2012-03-09.
^ "Announcing the SFIAAFF30 Opening Night Feature!". CAAMedia. 30 January 2012. Retrieved 2012-03-09.
^ "White Frog". Wentertainment Productions. Retrieved 2012-03-09.

External links[edit]

[ono-1] "Twilight's Booboo Stewart takes the lead in indie White Frog". Oh No They Didn't!. 10 July 2011. Retrieved 2012-03-09.

[fb-2] "White Frog Info (facebook)". White Frog Official Facebook. Retrieved 2012-03-09.

[caam-3] "Announcing the SFIAAFF30 Opening Night Feature!". CAAMedia. 30 January 2012. Retrieved 2012-03-09.

[wen-4] "White Frog". Wentertainment Productions. Retrieved 2012-03-09.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

@@ Line 7: / Line 7: @@
 | writer = Fabienne Wen and Ellie Wen
 | starring = [[Booboo Stewart]]<br />[[Harry Shum, Jr.]]<br />[[B.D. Wong]]<br />[[Joan Chen]]<br />[[Gregg Sulkin]]<br />[[Tyler Posey]]
-| music = [[David Choi]]<br>Booboo Stewart<br>[[MC Jin]]<br>Steven Pranoto
+| music = Steven Pranoto
 | cinematography = Yasu Tanida
 | editing = Matthew Rundell
@@ Line 19: / Line 19: @@
 | gross =
 }}
-'''''White Frog''''' is an 2012 American film written by Fabienne Wen and Ellie Wen and directed by [[Quentin Lee]]. It is a drama-comedy, aimed at young adults, about 16-year-old Nick Young ([[Booboo Stewart]]), a neglected teen with [[Asperger syndrome]] whose life is changed forever when tragedy hits his family. It is a story of the power of family, friendship, and love.<ref name=fb /> Along with Stewart, the film also stars [[Harry Shum, Jr.]], [[B.D. Wong]], [[Joan Chen]], [[Gregg Sulkin]] and [[Tyler Posey]].
+'''''White Frog''''' is a 2012 American [[Comedy drama|comedy-drama film]] directed by [[Quentin Lee]] and written by Fabienne Wen. The film's plot follows neglected 16-year-old Nick Young, played by [[Booboo Stewart]], a teenager with [[autism spectrum disorder]] whose life is changed forever when tragedy strikes him and his family.<ref name=fb /> The film also stars [[Harry Shum, Jr.]], [[B.D. Wong]], [[Joan Chen]], [[Gregg Sulkin]], and [[Tyler Posey]].
-Its debut was at the [[San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival]] on March 8, 2012.<ref name=caam />
+''White Frog'' premiered at the [[San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival]] on March 8, 2012.<ref name=caam />
 ==Plot==
-Nick Young ([[Booboo Stewart]]) is a high school freshman with [[Asperger syndrome]] who idolizes his perfect older brother Chaz Young ([[Harry Shum, Jr.]]). While riding his bike to a friend's house, Chaz is hit by a group of guys driving recklessly and dies. The crash leaves Nick fighting to overcome his grief while feeling misunderstood by his distraught parents (played by [[BD Wong]] and [[Joan Chen]]), who are left trying to preserve the memory of their "perfect son".
+Nick Young (Stewart) is a high school freshman with [[autism spectrum disorder]] who idolizes his perfect older brother Chaz Young (Shum). While riding his bike to a friend's house, Chaz is hit by a group of guys driving recklessly and dies. The crash leaves Nick fighting to overcome his grief while feeling misunderstood by his distraught parents (Wong and Chen), who are left trying to preserve the memory of their "perfect son".
+One of Chaz's friends, Doug (Posey), takes Nick under his wing and has Nick take Chaz's place in a weekly poker game with their friends Ajit, Cameron and Randy (Sulkin). Randy baffles the group by being hostile to Nick's face while defending him when he's not around. Doug and Randy bring Nick to the LGBT community center that Chaz volunteered at, which confuses Nick. Just as Randy begins warming to him, Nick stumbles upon pictures of Chaz and Randy suggesting that they were more than just friends. Randy confirms that he and Chaz were gay, shattering Nick's worldview and driving him into despair.
-Despite initial hostility, Randy ([[Gregg Sulkin]]), Chaz's best friend, warms to Nick and takes him under his wing. Randy tells Nick how his brother spent "his whole life trying to keep up this lie that you were a perfect family". Through his interactions with Randy, Nick learns more about his brother's life and the two bond in their grief. The two boys help each other come to terms with the different loss they each feel and let Nick move forward with bringing the Young family together again.
+Nick eventually confronts his parents, who refuse to accept Chaz's sexuality. Nick runs away from home, and his parents go to the shelter to look for him. While there, they learn that Chaz's voice might be heard on a video presentation to be played that night, and proceed to call a lawyer relative to try to halt the proceedings, leaving Doug to search for Nick. Randy gets his father to help him stop the Youngs' lawyer, coming out to him in the process. Nick, meanwhile, discovers a video message that Chaz had made as a way of coming out to Nick. Hearing the confession in Chaz's own words inspires him to return to the shelter and give a speech about acceptance, reconciling himself, his parents, and Randy with Chaz's memory.
 ==Cast==
+{{div col}}
-* [[Booboo Stewart]] as Nick Young
-* [[Harry Shum, Jr.]] as Chaz Young
+* [[Booboo Stewart]] as Nick Young, a teen with Asperger's
+* [[Harry Shum, Jr.]] as Chaz Young, the late older brother of Nick
-* [[Gregg Sulkin]] as Randy Goldman
-* [[B. D. Wong]] as Oliver Young
+* [[Gregg Sulkin]] as Randy Goldman, Chaz's secret lover
-* [[Joan Chen]] as Irene Young
+* [[B. D. Wong]] as Oliver Young, Nick and Chaz's distant father
+* [[Joan Chen]] as Irene Young, Nick and Chaz's estranged mother
 * [[Tyler Posey]] as Doug
 * [[Manish Dayal]] as Ajit
-* [[Talulah Riley]] as Ms. Lee
+* [[Talulah Riley]] as Ms. Lee, Chaz's lesbian mentor
 * [[Kelly Hu]] as Aunt May
 * Justin Martin as Cameron
-* [[Amy Hill]] as Dr. King
+* [[Amy Hill]] as Dr. King, Nick's hilarious therapist
 * Phil Abrams as Ira Goldman
 * [[David Henry Hwang]] as the Pastor
-* [[Lynn Ann Leveridge]] as Maria
+* Lynn Ann Leveridge as Maria
 * [[Kathryn Layng]] as Edie
-* [[Ron McCoy]] as the Bearded Man
+* Ron McCoy as the Bearded Man
-* [[Major Curda]] as Samuel
+* Major Curda as Samuel
 * Jasmine Di Angelo as Briana
 * [[Carla Jimenez]] as Mrs. Rodriguez
+{{div col end}}
 ==Pre-production==
@@ Line 57: / Line 61: @@
 ==References==
 {{reflist|2|refs=
-<ref name= "caam">{{cite web | title = ''Announcing the SFIAAFF30 Opening Night Feature!'' | publisher = CAAMedia| url = http://caamedia.org/blog/caam-events/2012/01/30/sfiaaff30-opening-night-feature/ | accessdate = 2012-03-09 }}</ref>
+<ref name= "caam">{{cite web | title = ''Announcing the SFIAAFF30 Opening Night Feature!'' | date = 30 January 2012| publisher = CAAMedia| url = http://caamedia.org/blog/caam-events/2012/01/30/sfiaaff30-opening-night-feature/ | accessdate = 2012-03-09 }}</ref>
 <ref name="fb">{{cite web | title = White Frog Info (facebook) | publisher=White Frog Official Facebook| url = https://www.facebook.com/whitefrogthemovie?sk=info | accessdate = 2012-03-09 }}</ref>
-<ref name="ono">{{cite web | title = Twilight's Booboo Stewart takes the lead in indie White Frog | publisher=Oh No They Didn't!| url = http://ohnotheydidnt.livejournal.com/60932781.html | accessdate = 2012-03-09}}</ref>
+<ref name="ono">{{cite web | title = Twilight's Booboo Stewart takes the lead in indie White Frog | date=10 July 2011| publisher=Oh No They Didn't!| url = http://ohnotheydidnt.livejournal.com/60932781.html | accessdate = 2012-03-09}}</ref>
 <ref name="wen">{{cite web | title = White Frog | publisher=Wentertainment Productions| url = http://wentertainmentproductions.com/projects/white-frog/ | accessdate = 2012-03-09}}</ref>
 }}
@@ Line 66: / Line 70: @@
 * {{Official website|http://whitefrogthemovie.com}}
 * {{IMDb title|1967697|White Frog}}
+* {{Rotten Tomatoes|white_frog}}
 * [http://www.hyphenmagazine.com/blog/archive/2012/03/quentin-lees-white-frog-jumping-point-discussion Quentin Lee’s 'White Frog': A Jumping Point for Discussion]
 * [http://twitchfilm.com/news/2012/03/sfiaaf-2012-san-francisco-welcomes-an-elite-typically-eclectic-batch-of-new-films.php Twitch Film: SFIAAF 2012: San Francisco Welcomes an Elite, Typically Eclectic Batch of New Films]
@@ Line 72: / Line 77: @@
 {{Autism resources}}
-{{Autism films}}
 {{DEFAULTSORT:White Frog}}
 [[Category:2012 films]]
-[[Category:2010s drama films]]
+[[Category:2010s teen comedy-drama films]]
-[[Category:Asian-American films]]
+[[Category:Comedy-drama films about Asian Americans]]
-[[Category:American films]]
+[[Category:Films about Chinese Americans]]
-[[Category:English-language films]]
+[[Category:2010s English-language films]]
 [[Category:Films about autism]]
-[[Category:Independent films]]
+[[Category:American independent films]]
-[[Category:Teen films]]
+[[Category:American teen comedy-drama films]]
 [[Category:American LGBT-related films]]
+[[Category:LGBT-related films about Chinese Americans]]
+[[Category:2012 independent films]]
+[[Category:2010s American films]]