What a Wonderful Family! main backdrop
What a Wonderful Family! main poster

What a Wonderful Family!

Visit website

7.2/10 • 32

2016-03-161h 48m

ComedyFamily

A husband and wife have been married for 50 years. For her birthday, the husband asks the wife what she wants for her birthday present. She replies that she wants a divorce. The wife's divorce announcement sends the entire family into chaos.

Directors
Yoji Yamada
Editors
Iwao Ishii

Top Billed Cast

View Credits
  1. Isao Hashizume

    Isao Hashizume

    Shuzo Hirata

  2. Kazuko Yoshiyuki

    Kazuko Yoshiyuki

    Tomiko Hirata

  3. Masahiko Nishimura

    Masahiko Nishimura

    Konosuke Hirata

  4. Yui Natsukawa

    Yui Natsukawa

    Fumie Hirata

  5. Hayashiya Shōzō IX

    Hayashiya Shōzō IX

    Taizo Kanai

  6. Tomoko Nakajima

    Tomoko Nakajima

    Shigeko Kanai

  7. Yu Aoi

    Yu Aoi

    Noriko Mamiya

  8. Satoshi Tsumabuki

    Satoshi Tsumabuki

    Shota Hirata

  9. 中村鷹之資

    中村鷹之資

    Kenichi Hirata

Reviews1

View Reviews
Reno Avatar

Reno

May 16, 2017

7/10

A long married couple in a fresh hurdle. I thought it would be purely a Japanese style comedy, and it was, but also capable to reach out the world audience. Except the Japanese cultural influence, the story and its characters, how it all were designed can be compared to the films from the rest of the world with a similar theme. If you are a film fanatic or even common people are very familiar with this kind of storyline. So when a film talks about the family issues, some of the clichés, especially basic ones are unavoidable. But this is first such film from Japan for me, so I enjoyed every bit of it rather getting disturbed by any deja vu moments. The advantages were the film characters and the cast. Everybody was so good, particularly the veteran actor in the lead. I might be wrong, but it does not look like a B film from Japan. If you research about its popularity online which is less known, but received much better. This film was released last summer and I'm definitely a bit late, but on the right path as its sequel is going to hit the screens in a couple of weeks from now. Since I liked this, I am expecting the next part as well. It's about one big family. When a young couple just got into a fight and talking about divorce, they are going to receive an even bigger surprise when their parents announce their separation after 50 years of marriage. Now everybody from the family turn their focus on them. Some would try to fix it and some are concerned about what's behind it. But seems nothing is getting better. So all these years living together in happy and sad stages of life, now how the family is going to cooperate is prioritised in the remaining parts.
❝Words don't matter. Feelings do.❞
I don't know what the different between this and 'Tokyo Family'. From the cast and crew to the storyline seems alike, except one is a comedy and the other's a drama. The only way to clarify that, I've to watch that film. By the way this is one of the best family films of the year. It stays up to the expectation of its title name. But not entirely a fun film. Preference for comedy was given only in the initial parts. At some stage it turns into a meaningful one with better dialogues. It might be an under-noticed film, but surely worth checking it out. The end might be too predictable, even though a very fitting solution. I did not mind that, but for some people, that would be a turning point on rating the film. I hope they won't take it very serious, rather to analyse what the film accomplish and according to respect it. How the issue concerns the whole family and from their individual perspective, there are some narrations. But it does not go much deeper than that to explain thoroughly which never required. The overall focus always stayed with the main couple and their daily activities. To reveal how far they have come from without noticing how their relationship shaped all these years. It was awesomely written screenplay, particularly at reusing the essential details to give a better new look. Almost all parts of the film maintained with the same level of rhythm, except the mood that transforms towards stretching the conclusion. It is almost a must see, but I stick with a simple recommendation for those who love drama over a comedy. 7/10

Media

  • What a Wonderful Family! poster

Recommendations

  • Café Society main backdrop

    Café Society

    6.5

  • War, Inc. main backdrop

    War, Inc.

    5.5

  • Tokyo Family main backdrop

    Tokyo Family

    7.3

  • Wolf Children main backdrop

    Wolf Children

    8.2

  • Dune main backdrop

    Dune

    7.8

  • Knives Out main backdrop

    Knives Out

    7.8

  • Dunkirk main backdrop

    Dunkirk

    7.5

  • 1917 main backdrop

    1917

    8.0

  • Doctor Strange main backdrop

    Doctor Strange

    7.4

  • Whiplash main backdrop

    Whiplash

    8.4

  • Joker main backdrop

    Joker

    8.1

  • Coco main backdrop

    Coco

    8.2

  • La La Land main backdrop

    La La Land

    7.9

  • Passengers main backdrop

    Passengers

    6.9

  • Rogue One: A Star Wars Story main backdrop

    Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

    7.5

  • A Quiet Place main backdrop

    A Quiet Place

    7.4

  • Deadpool main backdrop

    Deadpool

    7.6

  • Green Book main backdrop

    Green Book

    8.2

  • Back to the Future main backdrop

    Back to the Future

    8.3

  • Star Wars: The Last Jedi main backdrop

    Star Wars: The Last Jedi

    6.8

Status
Released
Original Language
Japanese
Budget
--
Revenue
--
Keywords
No keywords have been added.