
Shining Boy & Little Randy
Seen it?2005 | 113 min | Romance, Family, Drama
Why it’s a Monday Morning Maybe
With a box office flop and almost no lasting buzz, this one could be a tough watch. Keep your phone handy.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- If you count yourself among people who'll be looking things up afterwards and book lovers, this one's for you. Based on real events, so expect to go down a research rabbit hole afterwards. Fans of Into the Wild or A Bridge Too Far should feel right at home. Adapted from a book, so readers can compare notes.
- The mood
- Warm and romantic, feel-good.
- The pace
- Paced for all ages, at 1 hr 53 min.
- What might put you off
- No age rating on record, so check it first for young kids.
- It's in Japanese, so expect subtitles (or a dub).
- Skip it if romance makes you roll your eyes.
Tetsumu, an introverted youth, realizes he has a natural ability of communicating with elephants. This prompts him to leave for Chiang Mai in Thailand to become Japan's first elephant trainer. Having found his place in the world, Tetsumu develops into a strong, confident young man. He returns to Japan with the dream of building a green "paradise" for his ivory-tusked friends. Meanwhile, he starts a career as an elephant trainer for touring shows. He meets Emi, a woman seven years his senior and falls in love.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsNot counted
Not enough reviews on record yet
- 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
Not enough engagement data yet
Trailer
More like this
The Jungle BookSunday Safe BetAnother family film, and a safe bet for a quiet night.
Water for ElephantsSunday Safe BetAnother drama, and a safe bet for a quiet night.
Into the WildFriday Night FlickAnother much-loved true-story drama.
Black BeautyWeeknight WatchAnother family film, though it's more of a weeknight watch.
A Bridge Too FarSaturday SpecialAnother true-story drama, and a Saturday Special.
Want more like this, picked just for you? Get my picks
Cast & crew
Directed by Shunsaku Kawake
- Yuya YagiraTetsumu Ogawa
- Takako TokiwaSario Ogawa
- Katsumi TakahashiKosuke Ogawa
- Yu AoiEmi Murakami
- Mitsuko BaishoAsako Fujisawa
- Kazuyuki Aijima
- Tetsuya Takeda
- Takehiko OnoShinsuke Iwamoto
- Natsuki Okamoto
- Jaran PetcharoenMahout