An Autumn’s Tale 1987

Jennifer Lee [Cherie Chung Cho-Hung] travels from Hong Kong to New York City to pursue her studies with her boyfriend, [Danny Chan Bak-Keung] Vincent. Samuel Pang [Chow Yun-Fat], a relative of Jennifer, arrives at the airport with two friends, Cow [Ching Yong-Cho] and Bull, to pick her up. Pang escorts Jennifer to her apartment and explains that she can stamp on the floor if she needs anything, since he will be living downstairs.

The following day, Jennifer wakes Pang to learn how to take a train to meet Vincent. At the train station, she spots Vincent with a girl named Peggy [Wu Fu-Sheng], and in a burst of anger she hurries back to the car, tossing the box of dolls onto the street. Pang’s car runs over the dolls as they pull away, a small but telling accident that foreshadows the tangled emotions to come.

That night, Pang answers a call from Vincent. He invites Jennifer to meet for lunch the next day at Silver Palace, a restaurant where Pang works as a busboy and overhears their conversation. Jennifer intends to study in New York to be with Vincent, but he tells her to explore the city and meet new people rather than follow him everywhere. Jennifer learns he plans to leave for Boston the following day, a revelation that deepens her sense of loss.

Feeling despondent, Jennifer goes home and makes tea. Pang detects a gas smell coming from upstairs, investigates, and finds Jennifer fainted. He helps her downstairs and arranges for someone to call the fire department. Witnessing how strongly Jennifer clings to the idea of Vincent, Pang takes her out for a walk to clear her head.

The next day, Jennifer visits a Chinatown restaurant. Pang enters and sees her, but she avoids him at first. A friend at another table beckons Pang over, yet he still moves toward Jennifer’s table. He tastes Jennifer’s egg sandwich, signals the staff for extra plates, and begins to show genuine care by helping her with small tasks. He even assists with building a bookcase and decorating her room. Jennifer shares that she has taken a part‑time babysitting job to cover rent and would need another job for tuition and other expenses. Pang discovers her grandfather’s watch, though the strap is worn, and vows to help in any way he can.

Pang plans a Broadway trip, buys tickets, and tries to arrange a comfortable night out, though his plans continually clash with Jennifer’s busy schedule. Jennifer catches a NJ Transit bus to help Pang, who is being questioned by an NYPD officer outside the theater, and she ends up running late for her babysitting job. Pang insists on driving her to the assignment. They arrive at the child’s home, but Jennifer is overwhelmed by anxiety and asks Pang to stay with her.

Tony, one of Mrs. Sherwood’s boyfriends, offers Jennifer a waitress job at his restaurant, a suggestion that raises Pang’s suspicions. Mrs. Sherwood, who has just returned home, admonishes Tony’s advances and tells Jennifer to leave immediately. After hearing news that Jennifer lost her babysitting job, Pang and his friends head to The Big Panda restaurant and confront the owner, an act that illustrates Pang’s protective instincts.

The next morning they spend time trying to sell Jennifer’s dolls to raise funds. While wandering through the park, Jennifer spots Vincent with Peggy again, but she remains determined to move forward. Pang explains that he doesn’t care how others look or are looked at by others, as long as he preserves his own dignity. He confides a dream of opening a restaurant on a pier and naming it Sampan.

Pang writes three commandments and five goals on his bedroom mirror, with one goal reading, “If you want it, go for it,” a motto tied to his unwavering efforts to win Jennifer’s affection. He hosts a birthday party for himself and invites Jennifer, though he doesn’t reveal it’s his birthday. Vincent learns of Jennifer’s presence at the party and converses with her throughout the night. The conversation grows awkward when Vincent reveals that he has broken up with Peggy.

Pang, busy serving guests, leaves the party with a sense that his chances with Jennifer are slim. He turns to drinking and gambling, and Bull asks for more money to pay off their gang troubles. Frustrated, Pang organizes a group of friends to track down the gang and settle the score.

Jennifer later finds a mirror in Pang’s room bearing his handwriting—his name, age, and birthday in English. Feeling lonely again, she walks through a park and finds Anna at her school. Mrs. Sherwood greets Jennifer and confirms that it was Tony who flirted with her earlier; she then invites Jenny to move in with the Sherwood family on Long Island.

Pang returns to his apartment and discovers Jennifer’s graduation certificate. To celebrate, he buys the watchband he spotted earlier as a gift. A complication arises when the old man refuses the gift, so Pang sells his car to fund the watchband. He rushes to Jennifer’s apartment, only to find Vincent helping her move furniture in his car. Jennifer gives him her new address, and the two exchange gifts, leading Pang to assume that she has reunited with Vincent. Yet Jennifer’s response is nuanced, and Pang hesitates before running after her as she leaves.

Unable to catch up as the car speeds onto a highway ramp, Pang walks to a quiet beach. He opens his gift to reveal the grandfather’s watch, and when Jennifer finally opens her gift, she realizes it is the watchband she longed for and she breaks into tears.

Some time later, Jenny walks with Anna on the same beach where she once visited with Samuel. They glimpse a pier-side restaurant named Sampan, which sparks a shift in the air as she approaches Samuel. After a moment of calm, Pang asks, with a soft resolve, for a table for two.