The Best Bad Thing
Encyclopedia
The Best Bad Thing was originally a book authored by Yoshiko Uchida
. A screenplay
was developed and a film released in 1997. The story is set on the U.S. west coast during 1935 when the U.S. economy was still recovering from the effects of the Great Depression
. It opens in a city, then moves to a rural Cucumber
farm, where the majority of the action takes place. The farm is described as along California's
central coast.
production in association with the Japanese
television network NHK
and Pittsburgh
Public Television station WQED
.
Dialog is English with about 30 seconds of the film in spoken Japanese. There are no subtitles but the context is sufficient for those who do not speak Japanese to understand and follow the plot. The film was shot in Quebec, Canada. People involved in the production include:
'Executive Producers:' Madeline A. Charest, Ronald A. Weinberg, Donna Mitroff, Yoshiki Nishimura.
'Directed by:' Peter Rowe
'Producer:' Patricia Laroie
Yoshiko Uchida
-Life:Yoshiko Uchida was the daughter of Japanese immigrants Takashi and Iku Uchida. Her father came to the United States from Japan in 1903 and worked for the San Francisco offices of Mitsui and Company...
. A screenplay
Screenplay
A screenplay or script is a written work that is made especially for a film or television program. Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of writing. In them, the movement, actions, expression, and dialogues of the characters are also narrated...
was developed and a film released in 1997. The story is set on the U.S. west coast during 1935 when the U.S. economy was still recovering from the effects of the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
. It opens in a city, then moves to a rural Cucumber
Cucumber
The cucumber is a widely cultivated plant in the gourd family Cucurbitaceae, which includes squash, and in the same genus as the muskmelon. The plant is a creeping vine which bears cylindrical edible fruit when ripe. There are three main varieties of cucumber: "slicing", "pickling", and...
farm, where the majority of the action takes place. The farm is described as along California's
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
central coast.
Beginning of plot
Most U.S. schools close during the summer, a throw-back to the days when children were needed to help with the annual harvest of crops. The story centers on the life of a twelve year old female character named Rinko Tsujimura who is sent from her parents' home, (in an unnamed California city,) for a character-building stay on an aunt's rural farm. Rinko, who is out of school for the summer, is sent to the farm for a month. She wants to stay in her home town with her school friend.Book
The book was first published in 1983 with a second publication by Aladdin Books of New York during 1986, ( ISBN 0-689-71069-0 ).Feature film (1997)
The 89-minute feature film is billed as a CinarÇinar
Çınar is a district of Diyarbakır Province of Turkey and also the name of downtown of Denizli city of Denizli Province of Turkey....
production in association with the Japanese
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
television network NHK
NHK
NHK is Japan's national public broadcasting organization. NHK, which has always identified itself to its audiences by the English pronunciation of its initials, is a publicly owned corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television license fee....
and Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
Public Television station WQED
WQED (TV)
WQED is a Public Broadcasting Service member Public television station based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Established April 1, 1954, it was the first community-sponsored television station in the United States as well as the fifth public TV station...
.
Dialog is English with about 30 seconds of the film in spoken Japanese. There are no subtitles but the context is sufficient for those who do not speak Japanese to understand and follow the plot. The film was shot in Quebec, Canada. People involved in the production include:
'Executive Producers:' Madeline A. Charest, Ronald A. Weinberg, Donna Mitroff, Yoshiki Nishimura.
'Directed by:' Peter Rowe
Peter Rowe (Filmmaker)
Peter Rowe is a Canadian filmmaker specializing in themes of exploration and adventure. His latest production is the 39 part television series Angry Planet, which airs on 10 television networks around the world...
'Producer:' Patricia Laroie
Cast
- Lana McKissick as Rinko Tsujimura
- Michel Perron as Mr. Saunders
- Natsuko Ohama as Mrs. Tsujimura
- Robert ItoRobert ItoRobert Ito is a Canadian voice, television, and movie actor of Japanese decent.A Canadian actor of Japanese descent, Ito was, for many years, a dancer with the National Ballet of Canada before turning to acting in the mid-1960s...
as Mr. Tsujimura - Kitaro Sakurai as Zenny
- Brian Shigeru Matsuura as Abu
- Kirin Kiki as Auntie Hata
- George TakeiGeorge TakeiGeorge Hosato Takei Altman is an American actor, author, social activist and former civil politician. He is best known for his role in the television series Star Trek and its film spinoffs, in which he played Hikaru Sulu, helmsman of the...
as Mr. Yamanaka
Sources
- United States Library of Congress catalog.
- Cinar Production VHS jacket and film credits.