My Mother, the Mermaid (2004) - full transcript
Na-young works at a post office and is sick and tired of being around her shamefully unyielding mother and her pushover father who's excessively nice. The only thing that she can look forward to is her trip abroad in a few days. But one day, her father leaves home without any notice. Her mother doesn't care what happens to him and doesn't care to look for him. Na-young has no choice but to give up her dream trip abroad and to search for her father instead. Once she arrives at her parents' hometown, Na-young is shocked to meet someone she'd never expect, even in her dreams.
Say alright
Alright
Alright
Like that
Alright
Come on
- Alright
- Here we go!
Alright!
Bieub (b)
Shioat (c)
Eeung (d)
Jieut (e)
Chieut (f)
Ga, na, da, ra, ma, ba, sa!
(a, b, c, d, e, f, g)!
You see
I've got a favor to ask ya
I got a test tomorrow
You know, right?
It's a dictation test
But I'm so nervous
I can't even sleep
So please do me a big favor
and read anything
from here
To here
Please read it
to me, okay?
Three
Young-hee, Soon-yee
let's go to school
Young-hee
Soon-yee
let's...
Number eight
Teacher
Good morning
Teacher
Good
- morning
- morning
Nine
I am
greeting the elders
I...
I am
Am
Ting
Greeting the elders
Ting, It's ting
Greeting
It's okay, Pass the
ones you don't know
Getting a 60 for your
first time is very good
Ting, ting
Ting
If you go up to ten
I give you more time
Now, number ten
Ting!
The writing book!
If I had seen that
I could've gotten ting right
Dummy
20, Good work
Miss Jo
Good work
If you had gotten 100
do you think you'd study
harder next time?
So it worked out
for the better
If you try harder
and get 80 next time
I'll write Excellent job
on here next time
Why?
What is it?
Teacher
You teach me and test me
You're just like a teacher
Teacher
Miss Jo
Please call me Yeon-soon
Yeon-soon
Hello!
Come join us
for a drink
- I should go
- Come quench your thirst first
- Mr Kim, hurry over here!
- I'll have one drink then
You must be really busy!
Here you go
Mr. Kim is such
a nice man
A hell of a nice man
Yeon-soon!
Dangerous
Do
not
go in
I see, the waters deep
so it's too dangerous to go in
So that's what it means!
Tangerous
Obong Village, Ha Village
That's right were passing
Chunjin Village
Over there it's Obong
and
3000-mile bicycle
Oh, so this is
a 3000-mile bicycle
Yes
Beware of dog
Dog!
- Dog! Dog!
- Oh yeah! Dog! Dog!
Kim Jin-chul
is stupid
Jo Young
Wait, this is
Young-ho's name
My brother, Young-ho!
Jo Young-ho
- has a big penis
- Hey, wait wait, that's okay
I guess it's okay
since you're my friend
What the heck
I show it to you
Look at this
You probably know already
but a test isn?t easy
This is the first time
I got Excellent job
You like him, right?
What?
You know, Kim Jin-kook
No way!
He's just my teacher
He teaches me Korean
because he feels sorry for me
And buys all this for me
He knows a hell of a lot
His handwriting is
pretty, too
I'm no match for him
- He's nice, isn't he?
- Of course he's nice
He's very nice!
Yes, he's nice, That's why
it's harder on people
What?
No, I was just
Why do you cut yourself
off like that?
I just thought
that being nice can make it
harder on the family
Come to think of it
you're really strange
Of course people
should be nice
No, I wasn't talking about him
It's about
someone else I know
Someone else!
I don't get it
You shouldn't think that
I don't know who you're
talking about
but a person should
always be nice
Young-ho!
On no! Oh no!
Young-ho
you rotten bastard!
- Know what this is?
- It's a thick tag!
Yeah, this is a killer tag
for the slap-match game!
Build a perfect house
On that green plain
writing book I wanna
live there for 100 years
With my beloved
Young-ho
you rotten bastard!
Teacher
Alright!
Notebooks
I still have a lot left
You bought more?
- No, not really
- Then what?
- Let's see
- No, please
- Wait a minute
- Please, no
What's wrong?
- Miss Jo, why...
- The cover?
Young-ho tore it off
for his game
Doesn't your arm hurt?
It doesn't hurt
It was no big deal
No pain at all
Miss Jo, throw away
used notebooks
I have an eraser
and the papers still fine
Regardless, throw away
the notebooks you used up
Okay?
Okay?
I'll buy them for you
But its still
Understand me?
You must promise me!
Yup
2nd Grade, Jo Yeon-soon
Second grade?
Yes, You studied very
very hard
so now you?re
in second grade
Here
It really feels
like I'm going to school
Kim Jin-kook
I shouldn't have written it
My writings terrible
compared to yours
Not at all
Miss Jo
Your writing
I told you to
call me Yeon-soon
Okay, but since
it's class time
When a person writes
neat and big like you do
then the writing
will get better
and prettier later
Does it taste good?
Have some of mine, too
This island is huge
- You do all this alone?
- Yes
Darn, I thought the job here
would be easy
Good job
You did a good job
The water's cold right?
You hungry?
Good job
I made you a warm and
delicious meal
Yeon-soon
Yeon-soon!
I like you! I like you
a hell of a lot!
Jo Young-ho, get away
Number five
The scent of the sea
The scent
smells bland
of
the
sea
Number six?
Number six
Number six
Number six
Yeon-soon is
Yeon...
nice
and pretty
Liar
Yeon-soon is
I'll miss you a lot
Number seven
I'll miss you
You see
I've been transferred
To the mainland
You can study well
without me, right?
I really wanted
to hear you read this
Read it after
you finish studying
You have to study first
When?
- Miss Jo...
- Soon?
Yes
I understand
Miss Jo
The Little Mermaid
Wow, they have buses here
Yes, it hasn't been
that long
If you follow
the coastline
Wait, you mentioned
a deaf old lady
Was her name Bae Soon-rae?
Bae Soon-rae?
It?s Sun-rae
Bae Sun-rae
Bae Sun-rae
- Yes
Yeon-soon is drowning!
She's drowning!
Yeon-soon!
Mom!
Mom!
Well
Please take good care of
Yeon-soon
Please
It feels good
It feels good
doesn't it?
Mom
Mom
Being a patient isn't
that bad
Sleep some more
Thank you, sis
Please call me Na-young
I'd feel better that way
I saw my mother in my dream
I was picked off the streets
I didn't know that before
but I overheard
the ladies talk
I was surprised at first
I felt upset
and empty sometimes
and really sad
because of that
Because I was an abandoned child
That's what I thought it was
but I was wrong
It was because
I missed her a lot
Because I missed
my mothers face a lot
You see
If I were to be
born again
I wouldn't want to be apart
from my mother
I wouldn't want to be a diver
Id just want
to go to school like the others
Thank you, sis
Thank you very much
My mother is a rubber
Everyday she rubs down
women?s bodies at a public bath
10,000 won
for each person
Ten people
for 100,000 won
Money is the most important thing
to my mother
She curses
a lot, too
She doesn't get ashamed
She gives my father
a hard time
That's my mother
I don't like my mother
I said to myself
over and over again
that I'd never
become like my mother
But what's happening to me
I feel pity for her
And I feel sorry
for my mother
And I keep missing my mother
Even though I'm looking at you
I still keep missing
my mother
Young-ho
To Kim Jin-kook
From Jo Yeon-soon
I am doing fine
I am eating well
I also went in
the water today
Thank you for teaching me
how to read and write
Thank you for
buying me
the notebooks, erasers
and pencils
There was something
I could not tell you then
I miss you very much
The word love
If you turn it over
It becomes hate
The world is tricky
Uncle Young-ho!
You naughty girl
If you came all the way here
you should've seen your dad
He's worried to death
You couldn't be found
for a few days
You came out dressed
like this?
You truly are incredible
Your dad would be upset
if he saw you wandering in this
Where's my father now?
At the hill over there
Is this the best place
you could think of?
I don't know myself
Why didn't you go?
It was a good chance
I don't know myself
I know that you're
just being stubborn
Mom, you know
you'll come
You know you're
a kind person
Mom
Mom!
Please have some coffee
So you're a deliverer?
Yes, maam
What do your parents do?
They passed away
When?
Well, when I was young...
Both of them?
Yes, maam
You're not fit to
get married
Make a lot of money
if you like Na-young
Yes, maam
What would you two
know about life?
Let's go inside, okay?
Then why'd you come
all the way here?
- Mom!
- Stop it, you wench!
Bring your father outside
Let's go inside, okay?
Stop being so stubborn
and go inside
Why'd you come anyway?
Came to see me then?
You came to see your husband
Now go inside
- Stop being so stubborn
- Stop it, you wench!
Just bring your father outside!
You didn't come here to see him?
Wrong question
Let's go inside
Please, mom
You're pathetic
I'm sorry
It's all because of me
I'm sorry! I'm sorry!
Stop saying that, okay?
You're sorry?
Then you shouldn't
have done that
What the heck is this?
We couldn't live a decent life
like everyone else
And since we don't even
have a son like others
we should at least
outlive others
We should live much, much longer
So why die now?
What have you left behind
to die now?
That's why I didn't want
to see you like this
All you heard was
me giving you a hard time
Look here
Guess who this is?
- Daddy
- And here?
- Mommy
- Mommy? Good job
- Grandma
- Grandma?
Long time ago
your daddy hid to take
a picture with mommy
Funny, huh?
So-young, wanna see
grandpas picture?
Know what he looks like?
You do?
Let's see if you can find
grandpa in the photo
Where?
Where's grandpa?
Good job
There he is
Grandpas photo
Is he laughing?
- Hello?
- Mom
What?
Mom, you know
that old picture
with you and
the people on the bus
Do you remember?
What about it?
Is dad in it or not?
You dumb wench
You called to ask me that?
I'm busy as hell
Of course he's in there
Instead of coming out
in the open
he hid in the back
like an alley cat
So you knew that, too
Stop talking gibberish
Hang up
You have a customer
- I have to go
- Mom, wait!
- What now?
- Is dad smiling or not?
You wench, I'm busy!
Smiling, probably!
Think he cried to get
his picture taken?
I'm busy! Hang up!
- Mom, wait!
- Now what?
Please stop cursing
You wench how can
I stop if you make me?
Come home early
Today is dads memorial ritual
You wench
Oh my!
You've got some
real white skin
It's enough to
make Cleopatra cry
Want a massage?
For only 5,000 won more
I'll polish your skin
with a yogurt massage
A perfect finishing touch
Please don't move!
Here I go!
One, two
Wait a minute!
Hey, Yeon-soon!
Don't move!
Don't blink either
Okay, here I go for real
Please don't move!
One, two
Three!
It's taken!
That dumb girl
Think he'd be crying then?
Alright
Alright
Like that
Alright
Come on
- Alright
- Here we go!
Alright!
Bieub (b)
Shioat (c)
Eeung (d)
Jieut (e)
Chieut (f)
Ga, na, da, ra, ma, ba, sa!
(a, b, c, d, e, f, g)!
You see
I've got a favor to ask ya
I got a test tomorrow
You know, right?
It's a dictation test
But I'm so nervous
I can't even sleep
So please do me a big favor
and read anything
from here
To here
Please read it
to me, okay?
Three
Young-hee, Soon-yee
let's go to school
Young-hee
Soon-yee
let's...
Number eight
Teacher
Good morning
Teacher
Good
- morning
- morning
Nine
I am
greeting the elders
I...
I am
Am
Ting
Greeting the elders
Ting, It's ting
Greeting
It's okay, Pass the
ones you don't know
Getting a 60 for your
first time is very good
Ting, ting
Ting
If you go up to ten
I give you more time
Now, number ten
Ting!
The writing book!
If I had seen that
I could've gotten ting right
Dummy
20, Good work
Miss Jo
Good work
If you had gotten 100
do you think you'd study
harder next time?
So it worked out
for the better
If you try harder
and get 80 next time
I'll write Excellent job
on here next time
Why?
What is it?
Teacher
You teach me and test me
You're just like a teacher
Teacher
Miss Jo
Please call me Yeon-soon
Yeon-soon
Hello!
Come join us
for a drink
- I should go
- Come quench your thirst first
- Mr Kim, hurry over here!
- I'll have one drink then
You must be really busy!
Here you go
Mr. Kim is such
a nice man
A hell of a nice man
Yeon-soon!
Dangerous
Do
not
go in
I see, the waters deep
so it's too dangerous to go in
So that's what it means!
Tangerous
Obong Village, Ha Village
That's right were passing
Chunjin Village
Over there it's Obong
and
3000-mile bicycle
Oh, so this is
a 3000-mile bicycle
Yes
Beware of dog
Dog!
- Dog! Dog!
- Oh yeah! Dog! Dog!
Kim Jin-chul
is stupid
Jo Young
Wait, this is
Young-ho's name
My brother, Young-ho!
Jo Young-ho
- has a big penis
- Hey, wait wait, that's okay
I guess it's okay
since you're my friend
What the heck
I show it to you
Look at this
You probably know already
but a test isn?t easy
This is the first time
I got Excellent job
You like him, right?
What?
You know, Kim Jin-kook
No way!
He's just my teacher
He teaches me Korean
because he feels sorry for me
And buys all this for me
He knows a hell of a lot
His handwriting is
pretty, too
I'm no match for him
- He's nice, isn't he?
- Of course he's nice
He's very nice!
Yes, he's nice, That's why
it's harder on people
What?
No, I was just
Why do you cut yourself
off like that?
I just thought
that being nice can make it
harder on the family
Come to think of it
you're really strange
Of course people
should be nice
No, I wasn't talking about him
It's about
someone else I know
Someone else!
I don't get it
You shouldn't think that
I don't know who you're
talking about
but a person should
always be nice
Young-ho!
On no! Oh no!
Young-ho
you rotten bastard!
- Know what this is?
- It's a thick tag!
Yeah, this is a killer tag
for the slap-match game!
Build a perfect house
On that green plain
writing book I wanna
live there for 100 years
With my beloved
Young-ho
you rotten bastard!
Teacher
Alright!
Notebooks
I still have a lot left
You bought more?
- No, not really
- Then what?
- Let's see
- No, please
- Wait a minute
- Please, no
What's wrong?
- Miss Jo, why...
- The cover?
Young-ho tore it off
for his game
Doesn't your arm hurt?
It doesn't hurt
It was no big deal
No pain at all
Miss Jo, throw away
used notebooks
I have an eraser
and the papers still fine
Regardless, throw away
the notebooks you used up
Okay?
Okay?
I'll buy them for you
But its still
Understand me?
You must promise me!
Yup
2nd Grade, Jo Yeon-soon
Second grade?
Yes, You studied very
very hard
so now you?re
in second grade
Here
It really feels
like I'm going to school
Kim Jin-kook
I shouldn't have written it
My writings terrible
compared to yours
Not at all
Miss Jo
Your writing
I told you to
call me Yeon-soon
Okay, but since
it's class time
When a person writes
neat and big like you do
then the writing
will get better
and prettier later
Does it taste good?
Have some of mine, too
This island is huge
- You do all this alone?
- Yes
Darn, I thought the job here
would be easy
Good job
You did a good job
The water's cold right?
You hungry?
Good job
I made you a warm and
delicious meal
Yeon-soon
Yeon-soon!
I like you! I like you
a hell of a lot!
Jo Young-ho, get away
Number five
The scent of the sea
The scent
smells bland
of
the
sea
Number six?
Number six
Number six
Number six
Yeon-soon is
Yeon...
nice
and pretty
Liar
Yeon-soon is
I'll miss you a lot
Number seven
I'll miss you
You see
I've been transferred
To the mainland
You can study well
without me, right?
I really wanted
to hear you read this
Read it after
you finish studying
You have to study first
When?
- Miss Jo...
- Soon?
Yes
I understand
Miss Jo
The Little Mermaid
Wow, they have buses here
Yes, it hasn't been
that long
If you follow
the coastline
Wait, you mentioned
a deaf old lady
Was her name Bae Soon-rae?
Bae Soon-rae?
It?s Sun-rae
Bae Sun-rae
Bae Sun-rae
- Yes
Yeon-soon is drowning!
She's drowning!
Yeon-soon!
Mom!
Mom!
Well
Please take good care of
Yeon-soon
Please
It feels good
It feels good
doesn't it?
Mom
Mom
Being a patient isn't
that bad
Sleep some more
Thank you, sis
Please call me Na-young
I'd feel better that way
I saw my mother in my dream
I was picked off the streets
I didn't know that before
but I overheard
the ladies talk
I was surprised at first
I felt upset
and empty sometimes
and really sad
because of that
Because I was an abandoned child
That's what I thought it was
but I was wrong
It was because
I missed her a lot
Because I missed
my mothers face a lot
You see
If I were to be
born again
I wouldn't want to be apart
from my mother
I wouldn't want to be a diver
Id just want
to go to school like the others
Thank you, sis
Thank you very much
My mother is a rubber
Everyday she rubs down
women?s bodies at a public bath
10,000 won
for each person
Ten people
for 100,000 won
Money is the most important thing
to my mother
She curses
a lot, too
She doesn't get ashamed
She gives my father
a hard time
That's my mother
I don't like my mother
I said to myself
over and over again
that I'd never
become like my mother
But what's happening to me
I feel pity for her
And I feel sorry
for my mother
And I keep missing my mother
Even though I'm looking at you
I still keep missing
my mother
Young-ho
To Kim Jin-kook
From Jo Yeon-soon
I am doing fine
I am eating well
I also went in
the water today
Thank you for teaching me
how to read and write
Thank you for
buying me
the notebooks, erasers
and pencils
There was something
I could not tell you then
I miss you very much
The word love
If you turn it over
It becomes hate
The world is tricky
Uncle Young-ho!
You naughty girl
If you came all the way here
you should've seen your dad
He's worried to death
You couldn't be found
for a few days
You came out dressed
like this?
You truly are incredible
Your dad would be upset
if he saw you wandering in this
Where's my father now?
At the hill over there
Is this the best place
you could think of?
I don't know myself
Why didn't you go?
It was a good chance
I don't know myself
I know that you're
just being stubborn
Mom, you know
you'll come
You know you're
a kind person
Mom
Mom!
Please have some coffee
So you're a deliverer?
Yes, maam
What do your parents do?
They passed away
When?
Well, when I was young...
Both of them?
Yes, maam
You're not fit to
get married
Make a lot of money
if you like Na-young
Yes, maam
What would you two
know about life?
Let's go inside, okay?
Then why'd you come
all the way here?
- Mom!
- Stop it, you wench!
Bring your father outside
Let's go inside, okay?
Stop being so stubborn
and go inside
Why'd you come anyway?
Came to see me then?
You came to see your husband
Now go inside
- Stop being so stubborn
- Stop it, you wench!
Just bring your father outside!
You didn't come here to see him?
Wrong question
Let's go inside
Please, mom
You're pathetic
I'm sorry
It's all because of me
I'm sorry! I'm sorry!
Stop saying that, okay?
You're sorry?
Then you shouldn't
have done that
What the heck is this?
We couldn't live a decent life
like everyone else
And since we don't even
have a son like others
we should at least
outlive others
We should live much, much longer
So why die now?
What have you left behind
to die now?
That's why I didn't want
to see you like this
All you heard was
me giving you a hard time
Look here
Guess who this is?
- Daddy
- And here?
- Mommy
- Mommy? Good job
- Grandma
- Grandma?
Long time ago
your daddy hid to take
a picture with mommy
Funny, huh?
So-young, wanna see
grandpas picture?
Know what he looks like?
You do?
Let's see if you can find
grandpa in the photo
Where?
Where's grandpa?
Good job
There he is
Grandpas photo
Is he laughing?
- Hello?
- Mom
What?
Mom, you know
that old picture
with you and
the people on the bus
Do you remember?
What about it?
Is dad in it or not?
You dumb wench
You called to ask me that?
I'm busy as hell
Of course he's in there
Instead of coming out
in the open
he hid in the back
like an alley cat
So you knew that, too
Stop talking gibberish
Hang up
You have a customer
- I have to go
- Mom, wait!
- What now?
- Is dad smiling or not?
You wench, I'm busy!
Smiling, probably!
Think he cried to get
his picture taken?
I'm busy! Hang up!
- Mom, wait!
- Now what?
Please stop cursing
You wench how can
I stop if you make me?
Come home early
Today is dads memorial ritual
You wench
Oh my!
You've got some
real white skin
It's enough to
make Cleopatra cry
Want a massage?
For only 5,000 won more
I'll polish your skin
with a yogurt massage
A perfect finishing touch
Please don't move!
Here I go!
One, two
Wait a minute!
Hey, Yeon-soon!
Don't move!
Don't blink either
Okay, here I go for real
Please don't move!
One, two
Three!
It's taken!
That dumb girl
Think he'd be crying then?