Closer to Heaven (film)

Closer to Heaven
Theatrical release poster
Hangul
내 사랑 내 곁에
RRNae sarang nae gyeote
MRNae sarang nae kyŏt'e
Directed byPark Jin-pyo
Written byPark Jin-pyo
Produced byLee Eugene
StarringKim Myung-min
Ha Ji-won
CinematographyKim Tae-gyeong
Edited byKang Kyeong-hwa
Music byPark Ki-heon
Production
company
Distributed byCJ Entertainment
Release date
  • 24 September 2009 (2009-09-24)
Running time
121 minutes
CountrySouth Korea
LanguageKorean
BudgetUS$3.3 million
Box officeUS$13.3 million[1]

Closer to Heaven (Korean: 내 사랑 내 곁에; RR: nae sarang nae gyeote; lit. 'My Love by My Side') is a 2009 South Korean romantic drama film written and directed by Park Jin-pyo, starring Kim Myung-min and Ha Ji-won.[2][3][4][5]

Plot

Lee Ji-soo is a twice-divorced funeral director, and no stranger to death or loss. She reunites with old friend Baek Jong-woo when he arranges for funeral services for his deceased mother. Jong-woo has been battling Lou Gehrig's disease since he was a teenager. The two fall in love and get married. As Jong-woo's symptoms continue to worsen and he begins to lose control over his body, he lashes out at Ji-soo. Despite her hurt, all Ji-soo wants is to stay by his side and hope for a cure.

Cast

Release

Closer to Heaven was released in South Korean theaters on 24 September 2009, and it topped the box office chart for 3 consecutive weeks.[6] It was the first melodrama to surpass the 2 million admissions mark since Maundy Thursday in 2006.[7] Closer to Heaven received a total of 2,153,068 admissions at the end of its run, making it the 10th highest grossing film of 2009.[8]

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Recipient Result
2009 46th Grand Bell Awards Best Actor Kim Myung-min Won
Popularity Award Won
Best Supporting Actress Nam Neung-mi Nominated
30th Blue Dragon Film Awards Best Leading Actor Kim Myung-min Won
Best Leading Actress Ha Ji-won Won
Popular Star Award Won
Best Music Park Ki-heon Nominated
2010 46th Baeksang Arts Awards Best Actress Ha Ji-won Won
7th Max Movie Awards Best Actor Kim Myung-min Nominated

References

  1. ^ "Closer to Heaven (2009)". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on 2014-05-28. Retrieved 2009-11-11.
  2. ^ Yi, Chang-ho (19 December 2008). "PARK Jin-pyo casts KIM Myung-min". Korean Film Biz Zone. Retrieved 2015-01-06.
  3. ^ Lee, Hyo-won (25 August 2009). "Kim Myung-min Sheds 20 Kilos for Role". The Korea Times. Retrieved 2014-11-04.
  4. ^ "Kim Myung-min Struggles after Losing 20 kg". KBS Global. 27 August 2009. Archived from the original on 2015-01-07. Retrieved 2015-01-06.
  5. ^ Lee, Hyo-won (17 September 2009). "Closer Doesn't Get Close Enough". The Korea Times. Archived from the original on 2018-01-22. Retrieved 2014-11-04.
  6. ^ "Heaven tops box office for third week". Asiae. 12 October 2009. Archived from the original on 2014-11-05. Retrieved 2009-11-11.
  7. ^ "'내사랑 내곁에', 전국 200만 관객 돌파" Archived 2009-10-26 at the Wayback Machine. MK News (in Korean). 19 October 2009. Retrieved 2009-11-11.
  8. ^ "The Best Selling Films of 2009". Koreanfilm.org. Archived from the original on 2012-07-04. Retrieved 2009-11-11.