“HI, Mom,” a time travel family drama, climbed to the fourth place on the all-time box office chart in China after its smashing success on the weeklong Spring Festival holiday. The comedy film has taken 4.27 billion yuan (US$662 million) at the domestic box office by Tuesday, according to China Movie Data Information Network.

While “Detective Chinatown 3” was the top draw during the first few days of the holiday, “Hi, Mom”’s good reviews (it was rated 8.2 out of 10 on Douban, China’s equivalent of IMDB) and word of mouth helped it overtake the franchise film Feb. 16 to become the box office champion.

As a result, its star, director and co-writer Jia Ling now owns the high-grossing Chinese film directed by a woman, surpassing the 1.3 billion yuan earned in 2018 by René Liu’s directorial debut “Us and Them.”

Jia, 39, graduated from Beijing’s Central Academy of Drama 20 years ago and started her show business career as a crosstalk comedian. Crosstalk, or xiangsheng, is a traditional, rapid-fire comedic act starring two people who strive to outwit each other verbally.

In the past, she has talked about how she had to live rough and work odd jobs to continue in the male-dominated crosstalk industry. In 2008, she saw a surge of interest in her work thanks to “Lunpengdou,” a crosstalk stand-up comedy starring her and Bai Kainan, which ran for more than 80 sold-out performances in Beijing.

Jia went on to star in numerous comedies on television and on the big screen, which helped cement her status as one of the top woman comedians in China. In 2016, she set up Big Bowl Entertainment, and the production company’s first work was the short play “Hi Mom,” from which her movie was adapted.

Her career, though, belies a personal life that’s been filled with grief since her mother died in 2001. “Hi, Mom,” her directorial debut, is based on the real-life stories of Jia and her mother. Jia made the movie to express her longing and regret at failing to see her mother before she died.

In a recent interview with newspaper The Beijing News, Jia said her bubbly persona hides a melancholic streak. “I am a crybaby,” she said. “I have quite big emotional swings. I love puppies. I like to share short videos about pets. Every time I watch videos about stray dogs, I burst out crying easily.”

Asked if she wants to move beyond comedic roles, Jia said she is not afraid of being typecast. “For the moment, I don’t have the desire to star in noncomedy works. For an actor, a performance should come from their heart. Besides being filled with emotions, I don’t have other big talents. I can only display my raw emotions in front of the audience.”

She bares her emotions in “Hi, Mom,” a time-travel comedy in which Jia (playing herself) is transported back to 1981, before an accident that kills her mother (played by Zhang Xiaofei).

On a talk show in 2016, Jia said her mom, a chemical factory worker, died after a fall while working on a farm. “She was clearing straw on the fields with Dad. Maybe the straw was heaped too high – she fell [onto the ground] when Dad was driving. She hit her head, and died [instantly]. I rushed back home, but she was already in the crematorium. I couldn’t believe she had left for good.”

In the movie, Jia becomes friends with her mom, Li Huanying (her mother’s real name), a young woman working in a factory. When Li is hurt in a car crash, Jia stays by her side until she dies. The film has been praised by critics for its heartfelt emotions and authentic portrayal of Jia’s hometown of Xiangyang, in Hubei Province, in the 1980s.

Jia said she worked on the script for more than three years. “After I finished, I opened a very expensive bottle of wine with the crew which I originally reserved for my wedding. I want to show the audience the happy days I spent with my mom. Those are the most precious days in my life.

“If the audience want to call their mothers after seeing the film, I am satisfied.” (SD-Agencies)