You Are the Apple of My Eye-new kid in town

Until the weekend revealed a stunning new poll, predictions for the New Year season at the box office seemed to be neatly wrapped up in favor of two new foreign blockbusters: Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows and Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol.

The poll, carried out by Sina Weibo, showed that as of noon on January 6, You Are the Apple of My Eye, a starless film directed by 33-year-old Taiwanese on-line novelist Giddens, ranked first among 20 films as the season's most anticipated release. About 39 percent of the poll's participants voted it as one of five films they plan to see. Closely following that is Sherlock Holmes, which took 30 percent, with Mission: Impossible ranking third with only 19 percent.

You Are the Apple of My Eye is now expected to be a dark horse among the season's blockbusters.

Finding success in a simple story

Unlike many big-budget films with fantastical action-packed plots, You are the Apple of My Eye tells the story of everyday people. The film has no magic, no special effects, and no epic battles. The result is a charming and intimate tale of teen angst, complete with its fair share of unrequited love and heartbreak.

While many of us experienced heartache in our adolescent years, few films are taking on the subject these days. You Are the Apple of my Eye is a breath of fresh air, garnering a strong positive response from moviegoers, especially those born in the 1980s.

"It is not a unique story, or even a very exciting one," commented 27-year-old Cheng Cheng after watching the film last Friday. "However, this common story has taken me back to my own high school memories...I always thought those memories were too immature to mention, but now I am beginning to realize what an experience it was."

Cheng is not the only person that is moved by the story: A number of Hong Kong moviegoers have already fallen in love with the film. Ever since its release in Hong Kong in October 2011, You Are the Apple of My Eye has been steadily gaining box office revenue. And just weeks ago, it broke the box office record for Chinese language films in Hong Kong, which was set by Kung Fu Hustle in 2005, with over HK$61.29 million ($7.89 million) in box office revenue.

The film's performance in Taiwan has also been outstanding. Within four days, the box office revenue reached TN$410 million ($13.56 million).

On January 2, four days before the film came to mainland cinemas, Angie Chai, executive producer of You Are the Apple of My Eye, said that she expected it to earn over 300 million yuan ($47.55 million).

When the film debuted in the mainland Friday, cinemas responded to audience anticipation by giving Giddens' movie top priority on their screens, as they did for Flying Swords of Dragon Gate and The Flowers of War. The film's reception in mainland theaters is well on its way to realizing Chai's dream.