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A Movie that I Watched Impressively

“Like father, like son” is a Japanese movie edited, written, and directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda. The main character is played by Masaharu Fukuyama, a famous actor, who is in his first role as a father. In this movie, he plays a role as an elite succeeding in his career, marriage, and life. However, he is not satisfied with his only son, a five-year-old child. While he often considers that his son is not as smart as him, he still spends a lot of effort to train him. One day, he is notified by the hospital that they accidentally switched their sons. In fact, his son is another child raised by another family. At that time, there is a certain idea coming through his mind: “no wonder.” No wonder he usually believes that his son should be as brilliant as him. In the beginning, he is happy for exchanging children. He finds that his real son is just like him in some ways, such as intelligence and appearance. Nonetheless, after spending many times together, both families have difficulty accepting their real sons. The father starts to miss his previous son. In his mind, although his real son is smart enough, there are still some differences between them. Through the photos taken by the previous son, he discovers a different himself. In the view of his previous son, he is a serious but tender father. He now understands that he makes a big error. He returns his real son to the original family, apologizes to his previous son, and strives to make amends. Finally, the movie ends with a perfect ending that both families make friends and will keep in contact with each other.


To me, I always take a fancy to this kind of movie. It not only explores the difference between traditional and modern Japanese conceptions of family, but also discusses the importance of blood-related. Generally speaking, people value the genetic connection. It is hard for us to accept a child who has nothing to do with you. But in here, we can obviously see that you don’t need to be like your father. Like father, or like son is just a stereotype. As long as you love this child, you can also be his father. I am wondering whether the child will regret one day for being exchanged. But as we can see in the movie, at least now he is happy. Moreover, the father eventually realizes how to be a good father, knowing the real meaning of being a father is to love the kid and educate him.

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