Overview of Kim Ji-young, Born 1982

‘Kim Ji-young, Born 1982’ is a movie directed by Kim Do-young based on the novel ‘Kim Ji-young, Born 1982’ written by Cho Nam-joo. The movie features Jung Yu-mi and Gong Yoo. The film, distributed by Lotte Cultureworks, was released on 23 October 2019.

It portrays the struggles of a mother to balance her family and work life. Jung Yu-mi plays the female lead role of Kim Ji-young, and Gong Yoo plays the role of Jung Dae-hyun, Ji-young’s husband.

Profile

• Name: Kim Ji-young, Born 1982
• Genre: Drama
• Starring: Jung Yu-mi, Gong Yoo
• Director: Kim Do-young
• Screenplay by: Yoo Young-ah
• Produced by: Mo Il-young
• Production Company: Spring Wind Film Company
• Cinematography: Lee Sung-jae
• Music by: Kim Tae-sung
• Edited by: Shin Min-gyung
• Running time: 118 minutes
• Distributed by: Lotte Cultureworks
• Release date: 23 October 2019
• Language: Korean
• Country: South Korea

Cast

Synopsis

Ji-young is the mother of a toddler and the wife of Daehyun. Before her child’s birth, she used to work for a marketing firm. Though she was appreciated for her hard work, her working environment was not woman-friendly. Therefore, she resigns from her job to raise her daughter.

The mundane work of a housewife and the duty of raising her toddler make her feel trapped inside her house. In addition to her trapped situation, she starts to develop postpartum depression. The new role as a mother and the consequent responsibility confused her identity.

Slowly, she starts to imitate her mother and late grandmother, who already have experience as expert homemakers and mothers. At times of extreme stress, she imitates the sounds of her mother and grandmother and acts like them.

When she starts to act like her mother and grandmother more often, Daehyun notices the abnormality in his wife’s behavior. He approaches a psychiatrist with the video clip of Ji-young acting weird. As per the psychiatrist’s instructions, Daehyun insists Ji-young visit the psychiatrist after making an appointment.

On the contrary, Ji-young refuses to visit the psychiatrist due to the high cost it will cause. To overcome the stress, Ji-young decides to start working. As the primary step, she decides to seek a part-time job in a bakery. Nonetheless, she decides to test her luck by calling her superior officer, Kim. Leaving her previous company, Kim has established her own marketing company.

Daehyun notices the cause of Ji-young’s stress is sitting at home without being productive. Therefore, he encourages her to pursue her career in the marketing field. To let her fully focus on her career, Daehyun decides to take his one-year parental leave. After starting her job, he identifies a significant improvement in Ji-young’s condition, although it is not completely cured.

Daehyun’s decision to take a break from his job provokes his mother. She calls Ji-young to accuse her of restricting Daehyun from progressing in his career. She orders Ji-young to stay at home and look after the child. To make her aware of the situation, Daehyun calls his mother, explaining the psychiatric problem that Ji-young is facing after quitting her job.

Ji-young’s condition is unknown to her. Therefore, Daehyun’s interest in sending her to a psychiatrist makes her question him. Upon her insistence, he showed her the previously taken videos of her acting abnormally. The new realisation makes her see the doctor. She quits her job for the betterment of her health condition.

The psychiatrist agrees with her decision to quit her job, but on the condition that she should record her emotions in a journal. Slowly, she starts to notice the neglected feeling of unhappiness that she gets from her workplace due to sexual discrimination. Although Ji-young is a strong and dedicated employee at work, her colleagues mock her, saying that she is a leech who feeds on Daehyun.

The thought of falling behind others is the main source of her insecurity. The psychiatric sessions help her to point out the things that scare her the most. Also, it gives her the confidence to speak for herself. As part of her healing, she started her journey as a writer by publishing small write-ups about the discrimination that working mothers face at their workplaces in magazines. Finally, the movie ends by showing Ji-young’s new attempt to become an author.

Theme

Identity Crises

Ji-young, the heroine, becomes confused when she gets the new role as a mother and a homemaker. Before the birth of her child, she used to work for a marketing firm. Overcoming the obstacles in her working environment, she receives the appreciation of her senior for showcasing her best performance. Nonetheless, her colleagues consider her as a parasite who feeds on her husband.

The comments from her colleagues negatively affect Ji-young, who craves an independent life. The pressure from her family and workplace puts her in a crisis where her mind starts to imitate her mother and grandmother.

The movie shows the struggle of Ji-young to regain herself with the help of her psychiatrist. The therapy sessions give her a chance to take notes on the up-and-down waves of her emotions. Thereby, she figures out her true self in every aspect of her life.

Awards

• 41st Blue Dragon Film Awards 2021
  Popular Star Award – Jung Yu-mi
• 56th Grand Bell Awards 2020
  Best Actress – Jung Yu-mi
• 25th Chunsa Film Art Awards 2020
  Best Supporting Actress – Kim Mi-kyung
  Best New Director – Kim Do-young
• 56th Baeksang Arts Awards 2020
  Best New Director – Kim Do-young
• 29th Buil Film Awards 2020
  Best Actress – Jung Yu-mi
• 40th Korean Association of Film Critics Awards 2020
  Best Actress – Jung Yu-mi
  Best Supporting Actress – Kim Mi-kyung
• 20th Women In Film Korea Festival 2019
  Best Actress – Jung Yu-mi
• 16th Hong Kong Asian Film Festival 2019
  Cineaste Delights

Interesting Facts Kim Ji-young, Born 1982

1. The novel ‘Kim Ji-young, Born 1982’ is the inspiration for filming the movie.
2. The theatre release of the movie was announced on 12 October 2019.
3. The film was a box office hit in October 2019.

FAQs

1. Who is the director of ‘Kim Ji-young, Born 1982’?
   Kim Do-young.
   
2. When was the movie ‘Kim Ji-young, Born 1982’ released?
   23 October 2019.
   
3. What is the Instagram ID of Gong Yoo?
   @gongyoo_official.