A young girl named Yuanyuan once lived in a happy family with loving parents. But when her mother found out that she is pregnant, her unborn brother brought a tense atmosphere into the family. At the same time, Yuanyuan found out about her father’s “affair” and, in order to protect her home, Yuanyuan launches her “master plan.” From China.

Juror comments: The subject matter of Yuan Yuan, of the father’s presumed infidelity, is a complicated one for young children and, it is not until the end that we learn has been misunderstood by our little protagonist. The film beautifully blends in the relationships of preschoolers, particularly the friendship between two little girls. I like how the preschool kids drive the action of the film and that it has a happy ending.

The protagonist, Yuan Yuan, is a known mini-troublemaker. One day, her father shows up and she oversees an engagement happening. She and her friend, Xiaoyu, come up with plans to expose it.

I like that the story focuses on the two preschool-aged kids, not the adults. And it explores the misconceptions of Yuan Yuan when she sees her father hug her teacher. All that builds up to a scenario the audience falls into until the big reveal at the end. The camera work is excellent, as is the audio recording. One shot that impressed me is when YuanYuan overhears a conversation between her teacher and her father that leads her to think they are romantically involved. The other shot that impressed me is the close-up when she and her BFF Xiaoyu are talking on the phone and we see her with tears streaming down her face. The only shot that I felt was unbelievable is when the two girls are talking in the lunchroom and nobody around them is talking. The film takes place in China at a preschool, in a vehicle, and at a home. The dialogue is in Chinese with English subtitles – which are sometimes inaccurate. All the locations are very realistic looking. The background music is terrific and helps move the pace forward. The actors are well cast, especially Tingxuan Jiang who plays Yuan Yuan. She gives a very sensitive performance and embodies her character. My favorite scenes are those showing the preschoolers together. They are quite adorable. I also like the use of line drawings to make transitions between scenes. My favorite part of the film is the ending, when all three adults – the mother, father, and teacher – commit to creating an alliance to improve her behavior.

The message of this film is to not see something that is not there. Yuan Yuan perceives her father to be having an affair with her dad when he greets her with an embrace, whereas the truth is they are old friends from high school and the embrace is not one of a romantic nature.

I give this film 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 5 to 18, plus adults. Reviewed by Tom W., KIDS FIRST!