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Good Morning (1959)

Good Morning (1959)

The Very Best

8.3

Two boys go on strike for a new television in this lighthearted domestic comedy

Movie

Japan
Japanese
Comedy, Drama, Family
1959
imdb
rt
wiki

TLDR

Adorable!

What it's about

In order to convince their parents to buy a TV set, Minoru and Isamu Hayashi decide to go on strike– staying silent and refusing to answer any adult that talks to them.

The take

There’s something so delightful about watching Good Morning, the second of Yasujirō Ozu’s films in color. It’s easy to see why– the conflict is relatable, Ozu’s shots are immaculately framed in warm colors, and of course, the pouting children hoping to get a television of their own are just pinch-worthy adorable. But through the neighborhood conversations, the different generational concerns of each Hayashi,  and a surprising amount of fart jokes, Good Morning subtly ponders on social niceties, the consideration we learn to give to others in silence, as well as the freely given affection that becomes harder to share as adults. Good Morning may not be Ozu’s most famous feature, but it’s nonetheless one of his most delightful to watch.

What stands out

The children, of course. Sure, most of the plot and the subtleties move around them, but each of their funny scenes balance the more serious conversations the adults have with each other.

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