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IMDbPro

Secret Sunshine

Original title: Milyang
  • 20072007
  • Not RatedNot Rated
  • 2h 22m
IMDb RATING
7.5/10
8.3K
YOUR RATING
Jeon Do-yeon in Secret Sunshine (2007)
When her husband passes away in an automobile accident, Shin-ae and her son Jun relocate down south to her late husband's hometown of Miryang. Despite her efforts to settle down in this unfamiliar but much too normal place, she finds that she can't quite fit in. She opens a new piano academy and makes attempts to mingle with the neighbors, but nothing works.
Play trailer2:35
1 Video
61 Photos
  • Drama
A woman moves to the town where her dead husband was born. As she tries to fit in, another tragic event overturns her life.A woman moves to the town where her dead husband was born. As she tries to fit in, another tragic event overturns her life.A woman moves to the town where her dead husband was born. As she tries to fit in, another tragic event overturns her life.
IMDb RATING
7.5/10
8.3K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Lee Chang-dong
  • Writers
    • Lee Chang-dong
    • Chung-Joon Lee(novel)
  • Stars
    • Jeon Do-yeon
    • Song Kang-ho
    • Lee Dong-yong
Top credits
  • Director
    • Lee Chang-dong
  • Writers
    • Lee Chang-dong
    • Chung-Joon Lee(novel)
  • Stars
    • Jeon Do-yeon
    • Song Kang-ho
    • Lee Dong-yong
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 31User reviews
    • 90Critic reviews
    • 84Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 25 wins & 15 nominations

    Videos1

    Main
    Trailer 2:35
    Main

    Photos61

    Secret Sunshine (2007)
    Secret Sunshine (2007)
    Secret Sunshine (2007)
    Secret Sunshine (2007)
    Secret Sunshine (2007)
    Secret Sunshine (2007)
    Jeon Do-yeon in Secret Sunshine (2007)
    Jeon Do-yeon in Secret Sunshine (2007)
    Jeon Do-yeon in Secret Sunshine (2007)
    Jeon Do-yeon and Song Kang-ho in Secret Sunshine (2007)
    Jeon Do-yeon in Secret Sunshine (2007)
    Secret Sunshine (2007)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Jeon Do-yeon
    Jeon Do-yeon
    • Shin-ae Leeas Shin-ae Lee
    Song Kang-ho
    Song Kang-ho
    • Jong-chan Kimas Jong-chan Kim
    Lee Dong-yong
    Lee Dong-yong
    • Taxi driveras Taxi driver
    Lee Hee-joon
    Lee Hee-joon
    • Outdoor Prayer Meeting Volunteeras Outdoor Prayer Meeting Volunteer
    Jang Hye-jin
    Jang Hye-jin
    • Park Myung-sukas Park Myung-suk
    • (as Hyae Jin Chang)
    Yeong-jin Jo
    Yeong-jin Jo
    • Doe-seop Parkas Doe-seop Park
    Mi-hyang Kim
    • Deaconess Kimas Deaconess Kim
    Yeong-jae Kim
    • Min-ki Leeas Min-ki Lee
    Seo-hie Ko
    Seo-hie Ko
    • Bank Employeeas Bank Employee
    Yoon-Hee Lee
    • Elder Kangas Elder Kang
    Kim Mi-Kyung
    Kim Mi-Kyung
    Park Myung-shin
    Park Myung-shin
    • Female Missionaryas Female Missionary
    Jung-yeop Seon
    Jung-yeop Seon
    • Junas Jun
    Lee Sung-min
    Lee Sung-min
    • Chefas Chef
    • Director
      • Lee Chang-dong
    • Writers
      • Lee Chang-dong
      • Chung-Joon Lee(novel)
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Do-yeon Jeon won the best actress award at the Cannes film festival for this role, making her the first Korean actor to win an acting award at Cannes.
    • Connections
      References Tiny Toon Adventures (1990)
    • Soundtracks
      Criollo
      Written by Christian Basso and Diego Chemes

      Performed by Christian Basso

      Published by Warner Chappell Latin

    User reviews31

    Review
    Top review
    7/10
    A harrowing tale
    "Secret Sunshine" reminded me of "The Rapture" (1991), with Mimi Rogers and David Duchovny, but this Korean production is a better film. It portrays super-religious Korean Christians in a provincial Korean city, and the main character's experiences interacting with them in the wake of a horrible personal tragedy. Shin-ae is a widowed single mother who moves to the city of Milyang ('Secret Sunshine' in Chinese) from Seoul with her young son. She has chosen Milyang because her late husband (killed in an auto accident) was born there, and she feels she needs to make a new start in life in a new place. She does not react well to the overtures of the local Christian zealots, one of whose members tries to convince her to come to their church and prayer meetings. Shin-ae is essentially irreligious and brushes these people off as politely as she can. In fact, she brushes just about everyone in Milyang off to begin with, but some of them are persistent in trying to invade her world, and the consequences are often hilarious. To say more would be to give the film away, but it should be noted that the performance of the woman in the lead role (Jeon Do-yeon) is stupendous. Having read that she won the Best Actress award at Cannes in 2007, I expected her to a decent job. But Ms. Jeon is captivating and it is impossible to take your eyes off her when she is on screen. The movie is a sort of harrowing Evelyn Waugh-esquire piece of work, showing how Fate can feel insane as much as strangely inevitable.
    helpful•12
    2
    • wondercritic
    • Apr 9, 2008

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • December 22, 2010 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • South Korea
    • Language
      • Korean
    • Also known as
      • 密陽
    • Filming locations
      • Miryang, South Korea
    • Production companies
      • CJ Entertainment
      • Cinema Service
      • Pine House Film
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross worldwide
      • $11,581,469
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 22 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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