Overview of My Tutor Friend

‘My Tutor Friend’ is a South Korean romantic comedy movie released on 7 February 2003. The movie directed by Kim Kyeong-hyeong features Kim Ha-neul, Kwon Sang-woo, Gong Yoo, Kim Ji-woo. It delves into the lives of a rich student, Kim Ji-hoon (Kwon Sang-woo) and his private tutor Choi Su-wan (Kim Ha-neul).

Profile

Cast

• Kim Ha-neul as Choi Su-wan
• Kwon Sang-woo as Kim Ji-hoon
• Gong Yoo as Lee Jong-soo
• Kim Ji-woo as Yang Ho-kyung
• Baek Il-seob as Kim Bong-man
• Kim Ja-ok as Su-wan’s mother
• Kim Hye-ok as Ji-hoon’s mother
• Oh Seung-geun as Su-wan’s father
• Seo Dong-won as Chang-hee
• Park Hyo-jun as Hyeok-jae
• Jung Woo as Thug
• Lee Seung-won as The priest
• Uhm Seong-mo as Kim Se-hoon

Synopsis

Choi Su-wan is a second-year university student who works as a part-time tutor for rich students to help her mother. Her mother owns a chicken shop and works hard to make ends meet in the family.

Her job as a personal tutor was not that successful due to her short-tempered nature with the snobby students. Her mother advised her to go as the personal tutor of her friend’s son on the same day when she lost her job for beating two students in a wealthy family. Obeying her mother’s words, she goes to her new student’s house.

To her disbelief, the house was large and lavish with all kinds of sophisticated facilities. While waiting for Kim Ji-hoon, her new student in his room, she overhears his conversation with his mother.

Kim Ji-hoon is of the same age as Choi Su-wan. However, he has not yet cleared his high school exams even after his two attempts. Though he is not interested in studies, he cannot disobey the decision of his father to make him study. His father threatened him to study by telling him that he would freeze his bank account if he disagreed with his father’s decision.

When he arrives at the room, Choi Su-wan starts to teach him. Nonetheless, he does not care to pay attention to the lessons that Su-wan reads out for him. He tells her that he is ready to pay her even without her teaching him.

Irritated with his attitude, Choi Su-wan decides to teach him despite his refusal. To make him obey her, she takes advice from her younger brother and best friend. They suggest her to stand firm in her decision to teach Kim Ji-hoon rather than letting him win every argument.

Su-wan starts behaving strictly with him, and he begins to give little attention to her. One evening he receives a call from his friend telling him that two of his friends have run into Lee Jong-soo, the high school student that Kim Ji-hoon has defeated in a fight. Hearing the news, Kim Ji-hoon runs out of the room, disobeying Su-wan.

However, he bumps into his father outside the room, and to escape, he says that he is going to grab an English book from the bookstore. To help him this time, Su-wan supports him. Therefore, his father tells them to send him a photograph after buying the book.

Later that day, Su-wan shows the photograph to her brother, and from him, she learns that Kim Ji-hoon is the most powerful student in the school who defeated the then-hero Lee Jong-soo.

The next day, she reached Kim Ji-hoon’s house to teach home. Since he is not in his room, she starts talking to his photograph, saying that she is scared to teach him and would like to quit her job since she covered most of the portions. That time, Kim Ji-hoon enters his room through the window after a fight. She becomes scared by seeing the wound in his stomach but helps him to dress his wounds. Soon the police arrive at his house and take him into custody.

Using his father’s influence and money, Kim Ji-hoon comes out of jail. However, his father forces him to go back to America to resume his studies there. Since he does not like to go to America, he runs away from his house.

One day he sneaks into his room and finds his mobile. He discovers that Su-wan has continuously sent him messages after the day of his arrest. In the meantime, Su-wan steps into his room. She teases him by telling him that she likes getting paid for not doing work. Interrupting their conversation, Kim Ji-hoon’s mother enters the room, and soon the duo gets submitted in front of his father.

When his father starts to compel him to go abroad, Su-wan pleads with him to give one more chance to Kim Ji-hoon, but cutting into their discussion, Kim Ji-hoon challenges his father that he will score above fifty marks for the coming exam. From that day on, Kim Ji-hoon diverts his complete focus to his studies. However, he scores only eighteen marks on the test that Su-wan conducts. Provoked by her teasing, Kim Ji-hoon challenges her that he would score above fifty marks and she challenges him back by saying that she would dance in his school if he wins in his challenge.

To pass the exam Kim Ji-hoon bribes the class toppers to prepare questions that would come in the exam. Later, he passes the exam with good marks and takes Su-wan to his school to make her dance. But she surprises him by dancing in front of the students. Kim Ji-hoon starts to feel jealous by seeing the students cheering and enjoying her dance.

He realises that he has started to love her. One day evening, he calls Su-wan after waiting a long time for her in his room. That time she was at a bar, drinking in the heartbreak of ending her relationship with her boyfriend.

The next day, he beats Su-wan’s boyfriend for breaking up with her, but her boyfriend says him that he broke up with her to become a priest.

On his ordination day, both Su-wan and Kim Ji-hoon attend the ceremony. After the ordination ceremony, Kim Ji-hoon takes her to skydiving. While flying on the parachute, Kim Ji-hoon confuses his love. Nonetheless, Su-wan does not give a positive response to his feelings.

Finally, after their last class, they go to a park to wish each other farewell. At the park, Ji-hoon gives her a gift. When Su-wan hesitates to accept the gift, he throws it into a nearby fountain.

A few days later, Su-wan runs into Lee Jong-soo and his friends when she is on her way to deliver a parcel. After capturing her, Lee Jong-soo calls Ji-hoon and blackmails him. However, Su-wan escapes from them on her scooter but confronts Yang Ho-kyung, the girl who loves Ji-hoon. By that time Lee Jong-soo and his friends come to the scene, claiming Su-wan. Before Lee Jong-soo takes her into his custody, Ji-hoon comes to rescue her.

Meanwhile, the leader of a thug group was waiting with his men for Ji-hoon. It was with him that Ji-hoon had a fight and went to jail. Ji-hoon tries to run away with Su-wan, but they get trapped when the villains surround them at a beach where there is no way to run.

Ji-hoon fights down all the villains except the main fighter in the thug gang. When he is about to lose the fight, Su-wan kicks the villain, and they win the fight.

The movie ends by showing Su-wan teaching Ji-hoon’s younger brother in Ji-hoon’s presence, but this time Ji-hoon is her lover who sits with her to assist her in teaching.

Theme

‘My Tutor Friend’ is the love story of a private tutor and her same-year-old student. The movie discusses themes like family, friendship, and love. In addition, it shows the transformation of a person when he is influenced by other people who enter into his life.

In the case of Ji-hoon, it is Su-wan who helps him to transform. Ji-hoon’s parents appoint Su-wan as the last hope to guide him on the right path and prepare him to graduate from high school. They would have sent him to America if he failed to clear his high school examination.

Luckily, Su-wan’s intrusion into his life teaches him new feelings and values. Initially, Ji-hoon decides to sit in Su-wan’s classes under his father’s strict orders, but later it changes. He starts to spend time studying and eventually clears his exams. Gradually, his emotional attachment towards Su-wan grows and they end up in a romantic relationship.

The movie also shows the fake friendships and love that come into a person’s life when he has money and power.

Awards

No information is available.

Interesting Facts about My Tutor Friend

1. ‘My Tutor Friend’ received plenty of critical responses and it was compared to the 2001 movie ‘My Sassy Girl’.
2. The story of ‘My Tutor Friend’ was originally released as episodes on the internet. It was uploaded by a teacher sharing their teaching experience.
3. The Internet story later appeared in different forms of comic series and as a movie in 2003 in front of the viewers.
4. ‘My Tutor Friend’ has a spin-off movie named ‘My Tutor Friend 2’ released in 2007.

FAQs

1. Who is the director of ‘My Tutor Friend’?
   Kim Kyeong-hyeong is the director of ‘My Tutor Friend’.
   
2. When was the movie ‘My Tutor Friend’ released?
    ‘My Tutor Friend’ was released on 7 February 2003.
3. What is the Instagram ID of ‘Kim Ha-neul’?
   @haneul_jin.
4. What is the Instagram ID of Gong Yoo? 
   @gongyoo_official.