Closer to Heaven

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Movie: Closer to Heaven
Revised romanization: Nae Sarang Nae Gyeote
Hangul: 내 사랑 내 곁에
Director: Park Jin-Pyo
Assistant Director: Guk Dong-Suk
Writer: Park Jin-Pyo, Guk Dong-Suk
Producer: Lee Eugene, Lee Tae-Hun
Cinematographer: Kim Tae-Kyung
Release Date: September 24, 2009
Runtime: 121 min.
Genre: Romance / Illness / Tearjerker
Production Company: Zip Cinema
Distributor: CJ Entertainment
Language: Korean
Country: South Korea

Plot

"Closer to Heaven" tells the love story between Jong-Woo (Kim Myung-Min) and Ji-Soo (Ha Ji-Won). Although Jong-Woo suffers from Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's Disease), he is still a bright and cheerful person. Ji-Soo works as a co-ordinator in a funeral home. She deals with death everyday and doesn't think twice about Jong-woo's disease. The couple then falls in love.

Notes

Filming period: 10 February to 25 May 2009.
[[[Park Jin-Pyo]] previously directed You Are My Sunshine, a love story that involved a woman with AIDS.
Kwon Sang-Woo was originally cast for the role of Jong-Woo, but backed out. Kim Myeong-Min took over.
Actor Kim Myung-Min lost 20 kilograms (44 pounds) to play the role of a man afflicted with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
"Closer to Heaven" opened #1 at the South Korean box office selling 292,379 tickets on 546 screens (37.4% of all ticket sales) during its opening September 25th - September 27th weekend.
Through its theatrical run "Closer to Heaven" sold a total of 2,146,243 tickets and stayed in the weekend top ten for 4 consecutive weeks.

Cast



Kim Myung-Min	Ha Ji-Won
Jong-Woo	Ji-Soo



Lim Ha-Ryong	Lim Sung-Min	Son Ga-In	Shin Shin-Ae	Lim Hyung-Joon
Park Keun-Suk	Chun-Ja	Seo Jin-Hee	Jin-Hee's mother	Bae Seok-Won



Lim Jong-Yun	Nam Neung-Mi	Kang Shin-Il	Kim Kwang-Kyu	Song Young-Chang
Bae Seok-Jung	Ju Ok-Yeon	Lee Hak-Chun (Ji-Soo's dad)	Kuk Dong-Suk (funeral service)	Therapist

Additional Cast Members:

Choi Jong-Ryul - Ju Ok-Yeon's husband
Jung Eui-Chul - Yoo Seung-Wook (funeral service)
Choi Yo-Han - Jae-Ho (Jung-Woo's friend)
Kim Young-Pil - Jung-Woo's friend
Kim Yeo-Jin - Dr. Son Young-Chan
Yoo Seung-Mok - Kim Eun-Ho (ex-husband)
Park Hyun-Young - elderly man Son's daughter
Hong Suk-Youn - elderly man Son (6 bed hospital room)
Shin Chi-Young - elderly man Son's son
Jeon Su-Ji - Kim Jong-Do's wife
Sol Kyung-Gu - Kim Jong-Do
Seo Hyo-Rim - reporter
Son Young-Soon - Jung-Woo's mother
Kim Young-Hoon - Gwan-Young
Yoo Ji-Yeon - head nurse
Kim Mi-Hee - nurse 1
Park Ji-Yeon - nurse 2
Jo Yong-Hyun - physiatrists 3
Choi Dae-Woong - elderly man 2

Trailers

Image Gallery

Awards

2009 (46th) Daejong Film Awards - Nov. 6th
- Best Actor Kim Myeong-Min
- Popularity Award Kim Myeong-Min
2009 (30th) Blue Dragon Film Awards - Dec. 2nd
- "Best Actor" (Kim Myeong-Min)
- "Best Actress" (Ha Ji-Won)

Comments

수산 Aug 16 2016 9:11 pm Agree with yen_nguyen

ceegee Feb 25 2016 6:12 pm Watching the trailer made me cry. What more of the movie. Gotta watch this! Wanna cry a bucket full.

Eskimo May 28 2014 10:16 pm A linear sad tale about the love of a dying man and a funeral manager. I love the set up of their character design because it really pays off much at the third act when Jong Woo started to feel like Ji Soo is treating him like just another corpse. While the story is character driven, it feels a little draggy along the second act. The ending is predictable, but the emotional scenes were very well executed by our two leads. While this isn't the best tearjerker, it did stirred up something in my heart, although just for a good few seconds (I am thinking about the scene where Jong Woo who can't speaks mentally told Ji Soo not to leave him alone with Jin Hee, because he knows Ji Soo will cry when she is alone. And she really cried as soon as she turns.) Another one else who wants to have a good cry and some warm fuzzy feeling can try films like A Millionaire's First Love, More Than Blue, Windstruck, A Moment to Remember and the more recent Miracle in Cell no. 7.

Clarkdale44 Jan 16 2014 11:07 am Well although the story is very beautiful and the ending is obvious, it felt more like torture. As soon as they got married, my heart was crying out loud that they will have to be apart.

I will give it 6/10 (For great casting and beautiful story)

nonsibi Mar 31 2013 9:01 am I watched again today... what a beautiful story, great actors, beautiful songs, beautiful lyrics. I do not understand Korean, but I trust the subs..

kumon Mar 04 2013 1:05 pm kudos to ha ji won for the emotional scenes. she did a very good job. [my opinion, in a viewer's perspective]

SisterB Nov 21 2011 12:31 pm What an absolutely beautiful love story. Even though you expected a sad ending, the wondering telling of a relationship between two people overshadows the sad ending. Great job by both actors!

non sibi Jul 15 2010 1:54 pm Huh... what a story of life. Thanks to this movie which has reminded me to always be grateful. I know, HE makes all things beautiful in HIS time...

MuKo Sep 01 2009 3:50 pm Of course Kim Myung Min will do A LOT better than Kwon Sang Woo. Who is kwon sang woo? You can't compare someone like him with a great actor as KMM.

yen_nguyen Jan 01 2009 11:30 am Kim Myung Min has taken the role that Kwon San woo left. I do believe that KMM can do better than KSW

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