Overview of Miss Granny
‘Miss Granny’ is a South Korean comedy movie released in 2014. Through the direction of Hwang Dong-hyuk, the film tells the story of an old woman named Oh Mal-soon.
Oh Mal-soon gets a chance to live in her 20s again at the age of 74. With the new young body that she gets, she starts to achieve her unfulfilled dreams. However, at a point, she makes a critical decision to go back to her real body to save her grandchild.
The character of old Oh Mal-soon is performed by Na Moon-hee and Shim Eun-kyung handles the role of young Oh Mal-soon/Oh Doo-ri.
Profile
- Name: ‘Miss Granny’
- Genre: Fantasy, Comedy-drama
- Directed by: Hwang Dong-hyuk
- Written by: Shin Dong-ik, Hong Yun-jeong, Dong Hee-seon
- Produced by: Jeon Jae-sun, Park Ji-seong, Lee Jae-pil, Im Ji-young
- Starring: Na Moon-hee, Shim Eun-kyung
- Cinematography: Kim Ji-yong
- Music by: Mowg
- Distributed by: CJ Entertainment
- Release date: 22 January 2014
- Running time: 124 minutes
- Country: South Korea
- Language: Korean
Cast
- Shim Eun-kyung as young Oh Mal-soon / Oh Doo-ri
- Na Moon-hee as Oh Mal-soon
- Park In-hwan as Mr. Park
- Kim Soo-hyun as young Mr. Park
- Hwang Jung-min as Ae-ja
- Kim Seul-gi as Ban Ha-na
- Lee Jin-wook as Han Seung-woo
- Sung Dong-il as Ban Hyun-chul
- Jinyoung as Ban Ji-ha
Synopsis
Oh Mal-soon is an old widow grandmother. She lives with her son and his family. The long 74 years of her life made her a rude mother-in-law but also a sweet granny. Ae-ja, Mal-soon’s daughter-in-law, is stressed due to the relationship that she has with Mal-soon.
One day, overloaded by stress, Ae-ja suddenly collapses. As a treatment for her illness, the doctor recommends her to stay away from Mal-soon. Prioritising the mental health of his wife, Mal-soon’s son makes a plan to send Mal-soon to a nursing home.
The choice made by her son to shift her to a nursing home breaks her heart. Apart from the unhealthy relationship that she has with Ae-ja, the rest of the family members are very dear to her. The agitated Mal-soon roams through the streets at night and stops in front of a photo studio.
She enters the studio to take a pretty portrait of herself foreseeing her expected death. The studio she reached is a magical one which can turn old people into their 20s by capturing the moments of their youth.
Seeing the dismay in the eyes of Mal-soon, the photographer promises to gift her youth. She steps out of the studio as a young girl in her 20s. Nonetheless, she did not recognise the change that happened in her body and continues to behave like the old granny that she actually is.
When she notices the transformation that had happened in her body, she hurries to the street in search of the studio. However, all that she could find is a restaurant in its place.
She names herself Oh Doo-ri to hide her new identity and starts her life as a mysterious and talented girl. Mal-soon was an exceptional singer in her youth but she was unable to fulfill her dream as a singer. Her life as Oh Doo-ri catches the attention of her grandson, Ji-ha and a music producer after singing a melody in a pensioners meeting. Ji-ha requests her to join their band.
With her involvement, the band makes progress. Mal-soon makes up her mind to make use of the golden opportunity by brushing up her passion for music which she left behind for ages.
On the day her band booked their show, Ji-ha meets with an accident. Nonetheless, the show went well and Doo-ri goes to the hospital to tell about the appreciation that they got for Ji-ha’s song.
By the time Doo-ri reaches the hospital, Ji-ha is in need of a blood transfusion. Doo-ri and Ji-ha have matching blood types, but a blood transfusion brings back her old body. Taking up the risk, she agrees to the transfusion and leaves the hospital as the old Mal-soon.
After she returns to her old self, Mr. Park finds the magical photo studio and gets a transformation. Mr. Park is an old man who loved Mal-soon throughout his entire life.
The movie ends with a scene that shows Mr. Park as a young and handsome man who comes to pick up the old Mal-soon. He surprises her with his new form and they go for a ride together.
Theme
The movie ‘Miss Granny’ displays the life of a granny when she is given the chance to live in her 20s again. Besides, the film discusses the serious theme of sending old parents to old age homes. When Oh Mal-soon was young, she was in a rush to build her family and give her son a good education. When the son marries, the friction in the relationship between his wife and mother compels him to send his mother to a nursing home.
The feelings of Mal-soon were never considered when the decision is made. An overwhelmed Mal-soon leaves the house. However, she soon overcomes her dismay when she pursues her dreams with the new life that she got from the photo studio.
Though ‘Miss Granny’ is a fantasy-comedy about an old woman who chases her dreams when a miracle happens in her life, the character Mal-soon never loses the motherly affection that she has for her family. She gives up her life as Oh Doo-ri to save her grandchild.
Awards
- 19th Chunsa Film Art Awards 2014
Best Actress – Shim Eun-kyung
Best Screenplay – Shin Dong-ik, Hong Yun-jeong, Dong Hee-seon - 5th Okinawa International Movie Festival 2014
Uminchu Prize Grand Prix, Peace category – Miss Granny - 50th Baeksang Arts Awards 2014
Best Actress – Shim Eun-kyung - 18th Fantasia International Film Festival 2014
Audience Award, Best Asian Film – Gold - 14th Director’s Cut Awards 2014
Best Actress – Shim Eun-kyung - 23rd Buil Film Awards 2014
Best Actress – Shim Eun-kyung - 34th Korean Association of Film Critics Awards 2014
Critics’ Top 10 – Miss Granny - 51st Grand Bell Awards 2014
Best Music – Mowg - 15th Women in Film Korea Awards 2014
Best Producer – Im Ji-young
Best Marketing - 1st Korean Film Producers Association Awards 2014
Best Actress – Shim Eun-kyung - 10th Max Movie Awards 2015
Best Supporting Actress – Na Moon-hee
Interesting Facts about Miss Granny
- The film was placed second to Frozen, the Hollywood animation movie on the blockbuster list according to records in South Korea.
- 106% of the movie tickets were sold through the publicity that it got through word of mouth in the second week after its release.
- Internationally, the movie ‘Miss Granny’ accumulated a profit of US$59.6 million when it premiered on various screens.
- The title ‘Miss Granny’ was originally named ‘Susanghan Geunyeo’.
- ‘Miss Granny’ is also available in Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese, Indonesian, and Japanese versions.
FAQs
- When is the movie ‘Miss Granny’ released?
‘Miss Granny’ was released on 22 January 2014. - Who is the director of the movie ‘Miss Granny’?
Hwang Dong-hyuk directed ‘Miss Granny’.
- Are Oh Mal-soon and Oh Doo-ri the same person in the movie?
Oh Doo-ri is the fake name given by Oh Mal-soon to herself when she turns younger again at her old age. - Who acted as the young Oh Mal-soon/Oh Doo-ri in ‘Miss Granny’?
Shim Eun-kyung acted the role of young Oh Mal-soon/Oh Doo-ri in ‘Miss Granny’.
- What is the Instagram ID of Shim Eun-kyung?
- Who acted the role of young Mr. Park in ‘Miss Granny’?
Kim Soo-hyun acted the role of young Mr. Park in ‘Miss Granny’. - What is the Instagram ID of Kim Soo-hyun?
@soohyun_k216.
