
There Was a Father
Seen it?1942 | 93 min | Drama
Why it’s a Sunday Safe Bet
Critics loved it (100% on Rotten Tomatoes), though it had a box office flop and almost no lasting buzz. A safe bet when you want something reliable.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for anyone who loves a strong drama.
- The mood
- Thoughtful and character-driven.
- The pace
- Takes its time with its characters, at 1 hr 33 min.
- What might put you off
- It's in Japanese, so expect subtitles (or a dub).
- Made in 1942: an older pace and style.
Shuhei Horikawa, a poor schoolteacher, struggles to raise his son Ryohei by himself, despite neither money nor prospects.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsVery strong
100% on Rotten Tomatoes
- AudiencesNot counted
Not measured yet: not enough ratings
- AwardsNot counted
No major awards or nominations
- Reach & staying powerWeak
Streaming release that reached a small audience so far
- Buzz & cultural impactWeak
About 6K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Directed by Yasujirō Ozu
- Chishū RyūShuhei Horikawa
- Shūji SanoRyohei Horikawa
- Haruhiko TsudaYoung Ryohei
- Shin SaburiYasutaro Kurokawa
- Takeshi SakamotoMakoto Hirata
- Mitsuko MitoFumi
- Shinichi HimoriMinoru Uchida
- Seiji NishimuraPriest
- Reikō TaniTeacher of Chinese Literature
- Kanji KawaraTeacher of Junior High School