The Princess of Nebraska 2007

Drama

Box Office

$192K

Runtime

77 mins

Language

English

Directed by

Wayne Wang

Made by

Entertainment Farm

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The Princess of Nebraska Plot Summary

Read the complete plot summary and ending explained for The Princess of Nebraska (2007). From turning points to emotional moments, uncover what really happened and why it matters.

Sasha, a teenage girl, has come to the United States from China to study at a university in Omaha, Nebraska. She is four months pregnant from a one-night-stand with Yang, a nándàn back in Beijing. She travels to San Francisco for an abortion and to look for Boshen, a white American gay man who was romantically involved with Yang. Boshen was deported back to the US by the Chinese government for aiding a Western journalist on a story about AIDS. Yang has cut off all communications with both Sasha and Boshen, creating a tense, unresolved triangle that haunts her decisions.

When she lands at the Oakland International Airport, her friend does not arrive to pick her up as promised. She rides the BART into downtown San Francisco and meets him, whose plan is to convince her to keep the baby and start a three-member family in the hopes of baiting Yang to come to America. Amid the city’s neon glow, she also befriends [X], a karaoke bar-hostess, and the two of them entertain a group of businessmen in a private karaoke room. Later, she spends the night with X, a moment that deepens her sense of vulnerability and possibility in a foreign land.

Throughout the film, Sasha keeps texting Yang, who never responds, a stubborn thread of connection that refuses to die. She also creates a mobile video diary, a personal archive that is intercut throughout the narrative to reveal her inner life, fears, and evolving hopes. The diary becomes a quiet counterpoint to the outward search for clarity, stitching together moments of loneliness with fleeting glimpses of joy.

Although Sasha arrives with the intention of undergoing an abortion, she slowly begins to consider the many options available in America and starts to embrace the concept of moving on. At her ultrasound appointment, she makes a decisive turn, choosing a path that feels more about choosing life on her own terms than about any single outcome. She leaves the clinic and steps into a city parade, the sound and color offering a strange form of comfort amid uncertainty.

In the final sequence, the camera pulls back to a large empty room where Sasha lip-syncs alone to a haunting ballad. The performance becomes a solitary declaration of resilience, blending sorrow with a stubborn, haunting hope.

“Hope there’s someone/Who’ll take care of me/When I die, will I go.”

The Princess of Nebraska Timeline

Follow the complete movie timeline of The Princess of Nebraska (2007) with every major event in chronological order. Great for understanding complex plots and story progression.

Arrival in San Francisco and first encounter

Sasha lands at Oakland International Airport and discovers her promised ride did not show up. With no immediate help, she takes the BART into downtown San Francisco. It is there she first crosses paths with Boshen, a white American man who will become a pivotal figure in her search for guidance.

early morning Oakland International Airport

Boshen outlines a plan to lure Yang

In downtown San Francisco, Boshen explains his idea to Sasha: she should keep the baby and form a three-person family to bait Yang into coming to America. He believes Yang’s presence could anchor her future while rekindling old ties. Sasha weighs the proposal against the risks of past betrayals.

late morning Downtown San Francisco

Sasha meets X and the karaoke session

Sasha befriends X, a karaoke bar hostess, and they perform for a group of businessmen in a private room. The upbeat moment offers a glimpse of American nightlife and companionship during a difficult pregnancy. The encounter hints at a complex connection that will unfold later.

afternoon Karaoke bar, San Francisco

Night with X

That same evening, Sasha spends the night with X. The warmth of the moment contrasts with the tension of her unresolved situation and her distance from Yang. The experience deepens her sense of possibility in a newly encountered country.

night Karaoke bar / X's place

Video diary and Yang's silence

Over the days in San Francisco, Sasha keeps texting Yang, who never replies. She also begins a mobile video diary that becomes a recurring narrative thread, capturing her fears and hopes as the pregnancy unfolds. The diary provides a continuous counterpoint to the static absence of Yang's response.

throughout San Francisco

Ultrasound and turning point

During her ultrasound appointment, Sasha starts to seriously weigh her options and considers what life in America could look like beyond the immediate crisis. She exits the clinic with a resolve to move forward, marking a turning point in her decision-making. A nearby parade later underscores the contrast between public celebration and her private struggle.

late afternoon Ultrasound clinic, San Francisco

Parade moment and renewed resolve

Sasha steps out into the San Francisco streets and watches a parade pass by, the scene grounding her in a moment of shared civic life. The spectacle reinforces her choice to move on from the pregnancy and from the unresolved ties to Yang. This moment solidifies a shift toward personal agency.

evening Streets of San Francisco

Final lip-sync to Hope There's Someone

In a large empty room, Sasha lip-syncs to Hope There's Someone by Antony and the Johnsons, letting the song carry her feelings about care, mortality, and independence. The performance functions as an intimate, non-traditional ending that foregrounds her self-determination. The room's emptiness mirrors her isolation and resolve.

final sequence Large empty room

Backstory: Boshen's deportation and Yang's fall

The narrative reveals that Boshen was deported back to the US for aiding a Western journalist studying AIDS, and in Beijing Yang was expelled from his opera troupe as a consequence. This history helps explain the strain between characters and the stakes of Sasha's choices. It provides essential context for the present journey.

Past: before main events Beijing / United States

Moving on: Sasha's resolve

As the story closes, Sasha embraces the concept of moving on and begins envisioning a life not defined by Yang or by the pregnancy's expectations. Her choices reflect a new personal agency rather than a conventional resolution of the romance. The ending frames independence as a form of courage.

end San Francisco

The Princess of Nebraska Characters

Explore all characters from The Princess of Nebraska (2007). Get detailed profiles with their roles, arcs, and key relationships explained.

Sasha (Li Ling)

A Chinese teenager who travels from Omaha to San Francisco, Sasha discovers she is four months pregnant from a one-night stand. She seeks an abortion in San Francisco while weighing options for her future. Her mobile diary and frequent text messages to Yang capture her gradual shift toward the possibility of moving on and building autonomy.

🧭 Immigrant experience 💔 Reproductive journey 🎥 Diary-based storytelling

Boshen (Brian Danforth)

A white American gay man who was romantically involved with Yang. He returns to the US and conspires to start a three-member family with Sasha to lure Yang to come to America. His plan and past association with Yang complicate Sasha's options and sense of trust.

🌈 LGBTQ+ identity 💔 Unfulfilled love ✈️ Deportation

X (Pamelyn Chee)

A karaoke bar hostess who befriends Sasha and entertains a group of businessmen in a private room. X's hospitality and warmth provide Sasha with a rare moment of companionship during a turbulent time. Their connection underscores themes of chosen family and resilience.

🎤 Karaoke culture 🤝 Female friendship 🗺️ Nightlife

Mary (Nanrisa Lee)

Sasha's friend referenced in the journey who does not arrive to pick her up at the airport, highlighting Sasha's initial sense of isolation. The friendship story hints at the complexity of support networks within diaspora life and the gaps that can occur across distances.

🗺️ Friend networks 🌍 Diaspora relationships 💬 Communication

The Princess of Nebraska Settings

Learn where and when The Princess of Nebraska (2007) takes place. Explore the film’s settings, era, and how they shape the narrative.

Time period

Present day (early 21st century)

The events unfold in contemporary America, with modern transit, mobile phones, and video diaries shaping the narrative. The timeline follows a focused arc from arrival to decision, reflecting the immediacy of current life in urban centers. The era's pace and technologies underscore the characters' choices as they navigate family, friendship, and migration.

Location

Omaha, San Francisco, Oakland

The story moves from Omaha, Nebraska—home to Sasha's university dreams—to the West Coast cities of Oakland and San Francisco, which serve as the main settings for crucial decisions. Oakland Airport (Oakland International) is the gateway to the San Francisco leg, symbolizing arrival and urgency. The urban landscapes of San Francisco—ranging from BART rides to crowded downtown streets—frame Sasha's journey through pregnancy, abortion, and search for connection.

🗺️ Urban settings 🚦 Transit hubs 🤝 Cross-cultural dynamics

The Princess of Nebraska Themes

Discover the main themes in The Princess of Nebraska (2007). Analyze the deeper meanings, emotional layers, and social commentary behind the film.

🤰

Pregnancy

Sasha's pregnancy drives the plot and forces a series of life-changing decisions. The film examines autonomy, options, and the emotional complexity of choosing whether to continue or terminate a pregnancy. The diary videos and interactions with others reveal how pregnancy reframes her identity and future plans. The theme centers on resilience and personal agency.

🌐

Diaspora

A Chinese teenager navigates life in the United States, highlighting the tensions between heritage and new nationality. The story probes belonging, cultural expectations, and the pressure to reconcile two worlds. Sasha's search for support and connection across borders reflects broader immigrant experiences. The cross-cultural environment shapes relationships and life choices.

📱

Communication

Text messages to Yang and a mobile diary structure interrupt the narrative, emphasizing distance and longing. The lack of direct communication creates emotional suspense and highlights modern dependence on digital contact. The video diary functions as Sasha's inner voice, offering confessional insight while other characters provide external perspectives. The theme links technology to emotional isolation and the push to move forward.

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The Princess of Nebraska Spoiler-Free Summary

Discover the spoiler-free summary of The Princess of Nebraska (2007). Get a concise overview without any spoilers.

In the restless stretch between the plains of Nebraska and the neon‑lit streets of the Bay Area, a young Chinese student arrives with a secret that hangs heavier than her luggage. Sasha—a quiet, observant outsider—has left the familiar cadence of Beijing for an American university, only to find herself confronting a pregnancy that ties her to a past she never expected to carry across the ocean. The film opens with her poised on the edge of a choice, the very act of traveling becoming a silent meditation on belonging and the fragile borders between cultures, bodies, and futures.

Awaiting her in San Francisco is Boshen, a gay American whose own history is tangled with the same man who now looms over Sasha’s present. Their reunion is charged with unspoken histories and a tentative hope that perhaps a three‑person family could bridge the gaps left by loss and displacement. The city itself becomes a character: its foggy bridges, bustling bars, and the off‑beat rhythm of the St. Stupid’s Day Parade pulse in the background, offering both anonymity and a strange sort of intimacy for strangers trying to rewrite their narratives.

Amid the electric ambiance, Sasha’s path crosses with X, a charismatic hostess who navigates the night’s underground with a confidence that both unsettles and intrigues her. Their fleeting connection hints at possibilities beyond the confines of Sasha’s original plan, suggesting that the journey may evolve into something far more expansive than a single decision. The interplay between these three figures—each carrying their own desires, histories, and uncertainties—creates a delicate balance of tension and tenderness, set against a backdrop that feels simultaneously foreign and oddly welcoming.

Through lyrical visuals and a quietly observant tone, the story invites the audience to linger in the spaces between actions, to feel the weight of unanswered texts, and to wonder how the quiet hum of an urban parade might echo the inner cadence of a young woman poised on the brink of a new chapter, without ever revealing which direction she will ultimately take.

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