Our Wonderful Years (1966)
A tender multigenerational portrait of a selfless Japanese mother and her family, spanning four remarkable decades of love, hardship, and change.
Our Wonderful Years - Movie Information
- Original Title: かあちゃんと11人の子ども
- Release Year: 1966
- Directed by: Heinosuke Gosho
- Type: Movie
- Genres: Drama
- Runtime: 1h 46m
- Original Language: Japanese
- Spoken Languages: Japanese
- Release Date (Theatrical): September 30, 1966 (Japan)
- Alternative Titles: Kaachan to 11-nin no kodomo (JP)
- Production Companies: Shochiku
- Production Countries: Japan
Our Wonderful Years - Plot
The story of a selfless mother and her family throughout the decades, from the 1920's to the 1960's.
Our Wonderful Years - Cast & Crew
Director(s)
- Heinosuke Gosho
Main Cast
- Sachiko Hidari
- Kiyoshi Atsumi
- Chieko Baisho
- Hiroshi Fujioka
- Tokie Hidari
- Kazuko Inano
- Shizuko Kasagi
Writers
- Kenichi Horie
Our Wonderful Years - FAQs
Who directed Our Wonderful Years?
Our Wonderful Years was directed by Heinosuke Gosho, one of the pioneering figures of Japanese cinema. Gosho was notably the first Japanese director to make a sound film, and he was celebrated for his warm, humanistic portrayals of everyday family life throughout his long career.
What is Our Wonderful Years about?
Our Wonderful Years follows a selfless, devoted mother named Tora Yoshida and her large family across four transformative decades in Japan, spanning the 1920s through the 1960s. The film is a multigenerational portrait of resilience, sacrifice, and the enduring bonds of family amid sweeping social and historical change.
Who are the main actors in Our Wonderful Years?
The film stars Sachiko Hidari as the matriarch Tora Yoshida, alongside Kiyoshi Atsumi as her husband Teiji, Chieko Baisho as Fumiko, Hiroshi Fujioka as Tsutomu, Tokie Hidari as Miyako, Kazuko Inano as Asako, and Shizuko Kasagi as Saku.
When was Our Wonderful Years released?
Our Wonderful Years was released in Japan on September 30, 1966. The film was produced by Shochiku, one of Japan's oldest and most prestigious film studios, and represents one of director Heinosuke Gosho's later works in his distinguished career.
Is Our Wonderful Years based on a true story?
Our Wonderful Years is not directly based on a single documented true story, but it draws deeply from the collective lived experience of Japanese families navigating the turbulent decades from the 1920s to the 1960s. The screenplay by Kenichi Horie grounds the narrative in historically authentic social and domestic realities of the era.
What language is Our Wonderful Years in?
Our Wonderful Years is entirely in Japanese. It is a Japanese-language production made by Shochiku studio in Japan, and viewers watching outside Japan will typically require subtitles to follow the dialogue and story.
How long is Our Wonderful Years?
Our Wonderful Years has a runtime of 1 hour and 46 minutes (106 minutes). The film uses this running time to trace the Yoshida family's journey across four decades, balancing intimate domestic moments with the broader sweep of twentieth-century Japanese history.
Who wrote the screenplay for Our Wonderful Years?
The screenplay for Our Wonderful Years was written by Kenichi Horie. The script charts the multigenerational story of the Yoshida family under the guiding hand of their devoted matriarch, weaving personal drama against the backdrop of Japan's dramatic social transformations from the 1920s to the 1960s.
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