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Jibeuro

  • 20022002
  • PGPG
  • 1h 20m
IMDb RATING
7.7/10
5.5K
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Eul-boon Kim and Yoo Seung-ho in Jibeuro (2002)
aka"Jibeuro"
Play trailer1:27
2 Videos
22 Photos
  • Drama

Seven-year-old Sang-woo is left with his grandmother in a remote village while his mother looks for work. Born and raised in the city, Sang-woo quickly comes into conflict with his old-fashi... Read allSeven-year-old Sang-woo is left with his grandmother in a remote village while his mother looks for work. Born and raised in the city, Sang-woo quickly comes into conflict with his old-fashioned grandmother and his new rural surroundings. Disrespectful and selfish, Sang-woo lashe... Read allSeven-year-old Sang-woo is left with his grandmother in a remote village while his mother looks for work. Born and raised in the city, Sang-woo quickly comes into conflict with his old-fashioned grandmother and his new rural surroundings. Disrespectful and selfish, Sang-woo lashes out in anger, perceiving that he has been abandoned. He tries to trade his grandmother's... Read all

IMDb RATING
7.7/10
5.5K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Jeong-hyang Lee
  • Writer
    • Jeong-hyang Lee
  • Stars
    • Yoo Seung-ho
    • Eul-boon Kim
    • Hyo-hee Dong
Top credits
  • Director
    • Jeong-hyang Lee
  • Writer
    • Jeong-hyang Lee
  • Stars
    • Yoo Seung-ho
    • Eul-boon Kim
    • Hyo-hee Dong
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 56User reviews
    • 37Critic reviews
    • 63Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 11 wins & 5 nominations

    Videos2

    The Way Home
    Trailer 1:27
    The Way Home
    The Way Home
    Trailer 2:10
    The Way Home

    Photos22

    Eul-boon Kim and Yoo Seung-ho in Jibeuro (2002)
    Spoiled seven year-old Sang-Woo (Seung-Ho YOO, left) learns from his grandmother (Eul-Boon KIM, right) the value of family.
    Spoiled seven year-old Sang-Woo (Seung-Ho YOO, right) learns from his grandmother (Eul-Boon KIM) the value of family in Jeong-Hyang LEE's film about unconditional love, THE WAY HOME, a Paramount Classics film.
    Spoiled seven year-old Sang-Woo (Seung-Ho YOO, right) learns from his grandmother (Eul-Boon KIM) the value of family in Jeong-Hyang LEE's film about unconditional love, THE WAY HOME, a Paramount Classics film.
    Writer/director Jeong-Hyang LEE (right) directs Eul-Boon KIM.
    Writer/director Jeong-Hyang LEE on the set.
    Jibeuro (2002)
    Jibeuro (2002)
    Jibeuro (2002)
    Jibeuro (2002)
    Jibeuro (2002)
    Jibeuro (2002)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Yoo Seung-ho
    Yoo Seung-ho
    • Sang-wooas Sang-woo
    Eul-boon Kim
    • Grandmotheras Grandmother
    Hyo-hee Dong
    • Sang-woo's Motheras Sang-woo's Mother
    Kyung-hyun Min
    • Cheol-eas Cheol-e
    Eun-kyung Yim
    • Hae Yeonas Hae Yeon
    • Director
      • Jeong-hyang Lee
    • Writer
      • Jeong-hyang Lee
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

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    Storyline

    Edit
    Seven-year-old Sang-woo is left with his grandmother in a remote village while his mother looks for work. Born and raised in the city, Sang-woo quickly comes into conflict with his old-fashioned grandmother and his new rural surroundings. Disrespectful and selfish, Sang-woo lashes out in anger, perceiving that he has been abandoned. He tries to trade his grandmother's only treasure, a hairpin, for a video game batteries; he throws his food and he throws tantrums. When Sang-woo's mother finds work and finally returns for him, Sang-woo has become a different boy. Through his grandmother's boundless patience and devotion, he learns to embrace empathy, humility and the importance of family. —Sujit R. Varma
    • title directed by female
    • south korea
    • 7 year old boy
    • spoiled child
    • mother son separation
    • 30 more
    • Plot summary
    • Plot synopsis
    • Taglines
      • Discover the magical movie that has captured the heart of a nation.
    • Genre
      • Drama
    • Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)
      • Rated PG for mild thematic elements and language
    • Parents guide

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      At the time of casting, Kim Eul-boon (Grandmother) had not only never acted before, but never even seen a film before.
    • Crazy credits
      Before end credits:  "Dedicated to all grandmothers"
    • Connections
      Referenced in Film Geek (2005)

    User reviews56

    Review
    Top review
    I've not seen anyone depict better the bittersweet relationship between a spoiled child and his patient grandmother.
    I've not seen anyone depict better the bittersweet relationship between a spoiled child and his patient grandmother than Korean director Lee Jeong-Hyang's ` The Way Home.' Nothing spectacular happens during seven-year-old Sang-woo's visit to grandmother's home in a rural village after his single mother drops him off. Changes occur, albeit predictably; the glory is in the small matters that will matter much to the boy as he matures long after the visit.

    Why won't this film make it big if I like it so much? Well, the kid kills no one, smokes nothing, and speaks in child language, so audiences might just yawn. Additionally, the boy is a poor actor who hasn't been directed well. But grandma, now there is an actress. Kim Eul-boon was discovered in her native village, 78 years old and never seen a movie! Hunched over, skin leathery and crinkled, expressions minimalist, she embodies the infirmities of old age and the resolution of a tough spirit to care for herself and other ancient neighbors to the last breath. Her grandson, abusive and self-centered, is just another person to care for who she knows is worth saving, in unconditional love probably unacceptable to aggressive Americans.

    When grandson plays with neighbor kids, he learns about the life's dangers by experiencing the menacing bull regularly chasing them down a particular stretch of necessary road. When he longs for the companionship of a neighbor girl, he learns you have to work at love. When he looks for grandma's love, he finds it in her smallest gestures, like buying and cooking him a chicken she thinks he wants when all he really wants is KFC.

    And so this country life goes on with the boy erratically moving from resentment to love and back again in an endlessly ambivalent cycle. The batteries he uses up for his electronic games serve as metaphor for his city life's wasteful and empty energy.

    The semi-modern buses coming to and from the market also serve as emblems of the tenuous relationship between city and province, grandmother and daughter, grandmother and grandson. So real is the slow and unglamorous rural life that you know Hyang has understood accurately that life and love are served slowly through its minor moments.

    I guarantee you will never forget the charismatic grandmother outfitted as a lowly peasant-she is a survivor and one hell of an actress. The film is dedicated to all grandmothers. `Here's looking at you, Kid.'
    helpful•27
    2
    • jdesando
    • Jan 29, 2003

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • April 5, 2002 (South Korea)
    • Country of origin
      • South Korea
    • Official site
      • Official site
    • Language
      • Korean
    • Also known as
      • The Way Home
    • Filming locations
      • Jeetongma, Gyeongsangbuk-do, South Korea
    • Production companies
      • CJ Entertainment
      • Tube Entertainment
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $2,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $445,367
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $29,737
      • Nov 17, 2002
    • Gross worldwide
      • $24,952,738
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 20 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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