Message from michellejones

[Anonymous]

This afternoon, I had the priviledge of watching the Korean movie, "The Way Home." The movie begins with a young boy being taken to his grandmother's humble home located in the Korean countryside. His mother has fallen on hard times financially, and needs time to look for a job so that she can once again take care of her child.

Of course, her version of "taking care of" seemed to be leaving him to his own devices for much of the time. He is an exceedingly rude child, but it most likely isn't his fault. His mother is not the most devoted parent, and has probably neglected her son.

Throughout the movie, you will learn to really hate the boy. His behavior towards his grandmother is horrible. He speaks so incredibly disrespectfully to her, even going so far as to call her "dummy." At one point, she asks him what he wants to eat. He replies, "Kentucky chicken!" She sets out early one morning, acquires a chicken, and boils it especially for him. He cries when he realizes that it is not fried. But, in the end, he eats it anyway.

By the end of the movie, the boy has changed. Although some people would probably want to the debate the degree to which he has changed. In the end, his mother comes back to get him. He is quiet, sad, and reluctant to leave. But, he must leave. He leaves with his grandmother the precious post cards he was so proud of upon his arrival to her home. Upon the cards, he has written messages which she can then send to him.

I could use this movie several ways. One would be to use it as an introduction to modern Korea. There is so much in this movie which the typical American child could relate to. I could also teach my students to make comparisons in cultures, both Korean and American, city versus rural.

Overall, I thought this movie was poignant, because it crosses cultural barriers with its univeral themes: conflict between generations and conflict between cultures, urban and rural life, poverty and material wealth.

Michele Jones
UCLA Asia Institute