Miracle Mile (2004)

A young Korean woman arrives in Los Angeles in search of her brother who was sent to America twenty years earlier for adoption. She befriends a Korean-American taxi driver who helps her in her search.

Director:

Dong-hyuk Hwang

Writer:

Dong-hyuk Hwang

Stars:

Karl Yune, Hana Kim, Eddie B. Smith

2 wins.

Cast

Credited cast:
Karl Yune	...	James Hudson (as Karl Hahn)
Hana Kim	...	Jiyoung Huh
Eddie B. Smith	...	Police Officer
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Vincent Angelo	...	Taxi Driver
Alex Castillo	...	Postman
Charlie Chung	...	Hotel Clerk
Christian Hutcherson	...	Henry
Chane't Johnson	...	Adoption Agency Worker
Sarah Lilly	...	Mary
Baadja-Lyne Odums	...	Mrs. Brown (as Lyne Odums)

Storyline

James Hudson is Korean-American, driving a gypsy cab in L.A., using his Korean language skills to pick up fares at LAX's international terminal. One day he picks up a young Korean who's searching for her brother, given up for adoption 20 years before. Her English is poor, so she hires James to help. He gets her a room in a cheap, downtown hotel and drives her the next day to the county adoption office and to an old address of her brother's when he was adopted as a small boy. At that house, the residents are new and know nothing, but a boy on a swing triggers a childhood memory in James. Is a miracle of reunion and connection at hand in the City of the Angels?

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Genres:

Short

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User Reviews

Touching story

I saw this movie on the IFC short film festival that runs about twice a week. Partly in English and partly in Korean with subtitles, this is a sensitive and poignant story about a young Korean woman who travels to the United States to fulfill her mother's dying wish; to find the brother her mother gave up for adoption years before. Upon her arrival, she is picked up at the airport by a gypsy cab driver who is also Korean. It's obvious that he picked her because of her vulnerability; in a strange country with a strange language, and agrees to help her find her brother as long as she pays the fare. She has limited financial resources, but he finds lodging for her at a third-rate hotel where the friendly clerk is also Korean. His callousness thaws over the next few days as they get to know each other while he drives her from place to place in the frantic search for her brother; often acting as her translator. Her sense of urgency, isolation and sadness all at the same time is almost palpable. But her search brings unexpected results, which I will not disclose here.

Plain and simple, this is one of the most sensitive and intelligent short films I've seen in years. It's absolutely brilliant. Do not miss it.

Details

Country:

USA South Korea

Language:

English Korean

Release Date:

June 2004 (USA)

Box Office

Budget:

$15,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Technical Specs

Runtime:

18 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1