Story about Family Ties (film) / 가족의 탄생 / 家族的诞生(电影) / 家庭的诞生
Family Ties (Hangul: 가족의 탄생; RR: Gajokeui tansaeng; lit. "Birth of a Fam...
Family Ties (Hangul: 가족의 탄생; RR: Gajokeui tansaeng; lit. "Birth of a Family") is the second film by South Korean director Kim Tae-yong. Mismarketed as a slapstick comedy through its promotional posters, the film is actually a generation-to-generation view of two families through love and life.
The film is divided into three different 'family' portraits. The first two take place at roughly the same time.
In part one, restaurateur Mi-ra (Moon So-ri) is satisfied with her ordered, if solitary, life until her ex-con brother Hyung-chul (Uhm Tae-woong) suddenly appears with his much older new wife Mu-shin (Go Doo-shim) in tow. Mi-ra reluctantly allows them to stay a time with her at the family home, but friction builds over a short time and with the unexpected arrival of Mu-shin's young stepdaughter Chae-hyun, the three adults quickly reach a breaking point.
Part two concerns a quick-tempered young woman Sun-kyung (Gong Hyo-jin) and her relationship with her estranged mother (Kim Hye-ok).
Sun-kyung's resentment toward her mother is exacerbated by an affair the latter is having with a married man (Ju Jin-mo). Sun-kyung diligently tries to find employment in Japan, but once her mother dies of cancer, she must care for her young half-brother Gyeong-suk and abandon her expatriation.
Part three brings together the first two story lines with the relationship of Chae-hyun (Jung Yoo-mi) and Gyeong-suk (Bong Tae-gyu) some years later. Gyeong-suk, now a college student, is extremely jealous of Chae-hyun's openness to other men in her life and their compatibility is tested as a result of what he considers her "easy" behavior [her promiscuity is neither confirmed or denied]. The film ends with Gyeong-suk being accepted by Chae-hyun's adopted family from part one.
