| But Always | |
| Director: | Snow Zou |
| Producer: | Zhang Yibai |
| Screenplay: | Snow Zou |
| Starring: | Nicholas Tse Gao Yuanyuan |
| Studio: | Emperor Motion Pictures Wanda Pictures Dadi Century Film (Beijing) Co Ltd |
| Runtime: | 106 minutes |
| Country: | China Hong Kong |
| Language: | Mandarin |
| Gross: | US$36,590,000[1] |
But Always is a 2014 Chinese-Hong Kong romantic drama film directed by Snow Zou.[2]
But Always takes place in New York City, however, though it focuses on Asian culture in America.
Anran and Yongyuan meet in 1982, when Anran transfers to Yongyuan's school. She is wealthier than her classmates who approach her with suspicion. The school bully assigns Yongyuan to follow Anran, which is a role that he happily accepts for the next 20 years. One sign of his devotion is that he can always recognise her footsteps.
Anran and Yongyuan bond as they share the common tragedy of losing their mother in the same earthquake. However, their mothers come from different backgrounds, as Yougyuan's was a peasant and Anran was a doctor. Yongyuan's guardian dies and his uncle takes him away. He's not allowed to say goodbye to Anran, a pattern that recurs as one or the other repeatedly vanishes.
A decade later, Yongyuan returns to Beijing and encounters Anran, who is now a pre-med student. She's now grown up to be played by Chinese actress Gao Yuanyuan (Caught in the Web). Yongyuan is now portrayed by Hong Kong action star Nicholas Tse (The Bullet Vanishes).
Yongyuan gets involved in some shady business to raise money for Anran's post-graduate education. When she is ready to leave for Columbia University, he disappears again.
In Manhattan, Anran gets a new boyfriend. He is a petulant painter called Michael (Qin Hao). She also works two part-time jobs in addition to her studies.
Yongyuan, who has gotten rich just so he can search for Anran, finds her through Michael's paintings of her. This leads to another sweet, luminously photographed reunion. But the couple is torn apart twice more.
By 28 September, it had earned ¥225.77 million at the Chinese box office.[3]