''Sunny'' () is a 2011 South Korean

comedy-drama film Comedy drama, also known by the portmanteau ''dramedy'', is a genre of dramatic works that combines elements of comedy and drama. The modern, scripted-television examples tend to have more humorous bits than simple comic relief seen in a typical ...

. The film is about a middle-aged woman who tries to fulfill her friend's dying wish of reuniting their group of high school friends. The film alternates between two timelines: the present day where the women are middle-aged, and the 1980s when they were in high school. It is the second film by writer-director

Kang Hyeong-cheol Kang Hyeong-cheol is a South Korean film director and screenwriter. His first two films '' Scandal Makers'' (2008) and '' Sunny'' (2011) have been the highest grossing Korean films of their respective years, and are both among the highest gro ...

, who previously directed ''

Scandal Makers ''Scandal Makers'' () is a 2008 South Korean film written and directed by Kang Hyeong-cheol and starring Cha Tae-hyun, Park Bo-young and Wang Seok-hyeon. This was director Kang's first film and the highest grossing Korean film of the year. The ...

'' (2008). Released on 4 May 2011, ''Sunny'' was the first film of that year to sell five million tickets in

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its eas ...

, and became the second highest-grossing Korean film by the end of the year. , it is the 13th best-selling film of all-time in South Korea. Kang Hyeong-cheol and

Nam Na-yeong Nam Na-yeong (; born 1970) is a South Korean film editor and negative cutter. She has edited films with directors Ryoo Seung-wan (''Arahan'', '' The City of Violence'', and ''Crying Fist''), Kim Jee-woon (''The Good, the Bad, the Weird'' and '' ...

won Best Director and Best Editing, respectively, at the Grand Bell Awards. Actress

Kang So-ra Kang So-ra (born February 18, 1990) is a South Korean actress. Career Kang made her acting debut in the 2009 thriller movie '' 4th Period Mystery'', but rose to fame when she starred in the 2011 blockbuster '' Sunny'', a coming-of-age film ab ...

won several awards for her role as the teenage girl Ha Chun-hwa.

Plot

Im Na-mi (

Yoo Ho-jeong You Ho-jeong (born January 24, 1969) is a South Korean actress. She made her acting debut in 1991 and has been starring in television and film since. Roles include a divorcee whose husband lives next door in daily drama Drama is the specif ...

), a wealthy housewife and mother, does her daily routine. While things look perfect on the outside (wonderful home, generous husband, beautiful daughter), she is depressed about her life. When she washes her face, she sees wrinkles on her skin. When she asks her husband to visit her mother at the hospital, he replies by giving her money to buy luxury bags, and her daughter expresses similar indifference and annoyance. Na-mi eats breakfast alone every morning while her husband and daughter head to work and school, respectively. She looks outside and notices a group of high school girls who are walking and laughing. After visiting her mother, Na-mi passes a patient's room with the sign "Ha Chun-hwa," and thinks about her high school life. She asks her chauffeur to take her to the all-girls high school she attended in Seoul. A teenage Na-mi ( Shim Eun-kyung) is revealed. In class, the girls are dusting records and admiring posters of American actors. Many of the girls are wearing American athletic shoe brands. The teacher enters and introduces Na-mi. The students make fun of her country accent, and she becomes embarrassed of her shoes and clothing. There, Na-mi meets Ha Chun-hwa (

), who introduces Na-mi to her group of friends: Kim Jang-mi (Kim Min-young) is a portly girl who is obsessed with her looks and desires cosmetic surgery for her eyes. Hwang Jin-hee (

Park Jin-joo Park Jin-joo (born December 24, 1988) is a South Korean actress. She starred in television series such as '' Jealousy Incarnate'' (2016), and ''Something About 1 Percent ''Something About 1 Percent'' () is a 2016 South Korean television seri ...

), the daughter of a Korean literature professor, swears profusely. Seo Geum-ok (

Nam Bo-ra Nam Bo-ra (; born November 27, 1989) is a South Korean actress. She appeared in '' Sunny'', ''Moon Embracing the Sun ''Moon Embracing the Sun'' (, also known as ''The Moon that Embraces the Sun'' or ''The Sun and the Moon'') is a 2012 South K ...

) is a bright student who wants to become a writer; she will hit anyone who messes with her friends. Ryu Bok-hee (

Kim Bo-mi Kim Bo-mi (born May 15, 1987) is a South Korean actress. Kim began studying ballet when she was 11 years old, and she later enrolled in Dance at Sejong University, with Ballet as her major subject. Then in 2008, she appeared in the cable show '' ...

) has dreams of becoming Miss Korea; she carries a small hand mirror and makes faces to herself. Jung Su-ji (

Min Hyo-rin Min Hyo-rin (; born Jung Eun-ran on 5 February 1986) is a South Korean actress, model and singer. Career Born in Daegu as Jung Eun-ran, she adopted the stage name Min Hyo-rin when she began modeling for the clothing brand Flapper in 2006. Sh ...

) is a quiet, mysterious beauty; whenever she speaks to Na-mi, it is always with disdain.At one point in the film, Na-mi confronts Su-ji and learns that Su-ji's stepmother is from

Jeollado Jeolla Province (, ) was one of the historical Eight Provinces of Korea during the Kingdom of Joseon in today Southwestern Korea. It consisted of the modern South Korean provinces of North Jeolla, South Jeolla and Gwangju Metropolitan City as w ...

, the same province Na-mi is from, making Su-ji automatically biased against Na-mi. The two make up after drinking

soju (; Hangul: ; Hanja: ) is a clear and colorless Korean distilled alcoholic beverage. It is usually consumed neat. Its alcohol content varies from about 12.9% to 53% alcohol by volume (ABV), although since 2007 low alcohol soju below 20% h ...

, and crying out their frustrations together. Na-mi is accepted into their group as their seventh member after she unexpectedly proves herself against a rival group from a different school when she uses her

diabetes Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level ( hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased ...

as a front for spirit possession. Chun-hwa suggests naming their group; they settle on "Sunny," after a night-time radio DJ responds to their letter on air. During this time Na-mi meets Han Joon-ho ( Kim Shi-hoo), a friend of Jang mi's brother. She is instantly enamored with him. Throughout the movie, there are flashbacks of the time the two spent together as he becomes Na mi's first love. Back at the present time, Na-mi returns to Chun-hwa's room and confirms it is indeed her high school friend. She learns that Chun-hwa (

Jin Hee-kyung Jin Hee-kyung (born September 7, 1968) is a South Korean actress An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such a ...

) became a successful businesswoman, but has

terminal Terminal may refer to: Computing Hardware * Terminal (electronics), a device for joining electrical circuits together * Terminal (telecommunication), a device communicating over a line * Computer terminal, a set of primary input and output dev ...

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...

with two months to live. Chun-hwa then tells her she would like to see Sunny reunited one more time before she dies. Na-mi hires a private detective to find the members of Sunny. Jang-mi (

Go Soo-hee Go Soo-hee (born July 18, 1976) is a South Korean actress. Filmography Film Television series Variety show References External links * * * 고수희at Naver Naver (Hangul: 네이버) is a South Korean online platform operated b ...

) is struggling as a life insurance sales agent. The foul-mouthed Jin-hee (Hong Jin-hee) married rich, but her husband cheats, and she pretends to be ladylike. Geum-ok (Lee Yeon-kyung) is unemployed and living in a cramped apartment with her overbearing sister-in-law, her sister-in-law's husband, and a newborn. After her mother's salon went bankrupt, Bok-hee (Kim Sun-kyung) had resorted to prostitution; her daughter lives at an orphanage. The detective notes that Su-ji has been exceptionally difficult to find; he recommends posting a newspaper ad. Na-mi also asks the detectives to search for Joon-ho. Eventually, he is found and Na mi goes to visit him. While on her way to see him, she flashes back to the time the group of friends went on a trip together. While on the bus Na-mi draws a portrait of Joon-ho; she later goes in search of him with the intention of giving him the drawing. When she finds him, she is shocked to see him and Su-ji kiss. She leaves in tears and never gives him the picture. Now as an adult, she goes to the record shop Joon-ho owns and sees Joon-ho's son (who looks exactly like the younger Joon-ho). She then gives the now-older Joon-ho (

Lee Geung-young Lee Geung-young (born December 12, 1960) is a South Korean actor. He graduated from the Department of Drama in Seoul. He debuted in 1977 and after completing his mandatory military service, he debuted in 1982 as the 10th public relations actor fo ...

) the drawing, and by doing so she is able to let go of her first love. Chun-hwa passes away before the group manages to get together, but by finding each other, the women rekindle their passion for life and enjoy each other's company. At one point Chun-hwa, Na-mi, Jang-mi and Jin-hee get together to get revenge on the group of girls who are bullying Na-mi's daughter. At Chun-hwa's funeral, Sunny (minus Su-ji), is reunited, but not every woman knows about each other's present struggles. As they are about to leave, Chun-hwa's lawyer ( Sung Ji-ru) walks in and asks them if they are Sunny. He reads Chun-hwa's will, which bequeathes that Na-mi will be the leader of Sunny. Jin-hee is given the position of vice-president; she looks disappointed because she expected something monetary. To that, the lawyer explains, "You are already rich" from Chun-hwa. He then reads that, for Jang-mi, Chun-hwa had bought life insurance from her, in the names of all the members of Sunny. Jang-mi is elated that she will finally be number one in her sales for that month. To Geum-ok, Chun-hwa offers her a position at her publishing company, with a chance to become executive manager if she doubles her sales. Chun-hwa leaves Bok-hee a paid-for apartment, so that she may live with her daughter. And after she finishes rehab, she will also receive the ground floor of Geum–ok's building, with a large sum of money, so she can open a hair salon. After the conclusion of the reading, per Chun-hwa's last wish the women reprise their high school choreography by dancing to " Sunny" in front of Chun-hwa's funeral picture. As they celebrate, Su-ji (Yoon Jung) makes a surprise appearance. The film ends with flashbacks to their teenage selves.

Cast

;Present *

as Im Na-mi *

as Ha Chun-hwa *

as Kim Jang-mi *Hong Jin-hee as Hwang Jin-hee *Lee Yeon-kyung as Seo Geum-ok *Kim Sun-kyung as Ryu Bok-hee *Yoon Jung as Jung Su-ji *Baek Jong-hak as Na-mi's husband *

Ha Seung-ri Ha Seung-ri (born January 9, 1995) is a South Korean actress. Career In 1999, at the age of 5, Ha Seung-ri made her debut as Kang Hye-rim, the daughter of Shim Eun-ha and Lee Jong-won, in the SBS drama ''Youth Trap'', which recorded the highest ...

as Ye-bin, Na-mi's daughter *Jung Suk-yong as Jong-ki, Na-mi's older brother * Lee Jun-hyeok as Owner of private detective agency *

as Han Joon-ho * Kim Shi-hoo as Joon-ho's son *Kim Ji-kyung as Jin-hee's husband *Joo-ho as Insurance company manager *

Cha Tae-hyun Cha Tae-hyun (; born March 25, 1976) is a South Korean actor, singer, television personality, radio DJ and director. He is best known for his lead roles in the box-office hit comedies ''My Sassy Girl'' (2001), '' Scandal Makers'' (2008), ''Hello ...

as Model of insurance company * Kim Joon-ho as Private detective * Sung Ji-ru as Chun-hwa's lawyer ;1980s * Shim Eun-kyung as Im Na-mi *

as Ha Chun-hwa *

Kim Min-young Kim Min-young (born 26 January, 1990) is a South Korean actress. She is best known for her supporting roles in '' Hi! School: Love On'', '' Guardian: The Lonely and Great God'' and ''Plus Nine Boys''. Kim also appeared in the famous and popular ...

as Kim Jang-mi *

as Hwang Jin-hee *

as Seo Geum-ok *

as Ryu Bok-hee *

as Jung Su-ji * Kim Shi-hoo as Han Joon-ho * Kim Young-ok as Na-mi's grandmother *Jung Won-joong as Na-mi's father *

Kim Hye-ok Kim Hye-ok (born May 9, 1958) is a South Korean actress An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as fil ...

as Na-mi's mother *Park Young-seo as Jong-ki, Na-mi's older brother *

Chun Woo-hee Chun Woo-hee (born April 20, 1987) is a South Korean actress. She made her acting debut in 2004, but first drew attention with her supporting role as a rebellious teenager in the 2011 box-office hit '' Sunny''. In 2014, Chun received critical ac ...

as Sang-mi * Kim Ye-won as Leader of rival gang "Girls' Generation" *

Ryu Hye-rin Ryu Hye-rin is a South Korean actress and model. She is known for her roles in dramas ''How Are U Bread'', '' Two Cops'' and '' The Game: Towards Zero''. She also appeared in movies such as '' Sunny'', ''Big Match Big Matches are annual cr ...

as Member of band "Girl's Generation" *

So Hee-jung So Hee-jung ( born on 28 May 1973) is a South Korean actress. She made her acting debut in 1994 in theater, since then, she has appeared in number of plays, films and television series. She got recognition for her supporting roles in '' The K2' ...

as Homeroom teacher *

Kim Won-hae Kim Won-hae (born April 6, 1969) is a South Korean actor. He is best known as a former cast member of ''SNL Korea'' (season 1–4). Personal life In August 2020, it was reported that Kim tested positive for COVID-19 Coronavirus dis ...

as Student liaison teacher * Park Hee-jung as Young-jin *Han Seung-hyun as Jang-mi's older brother *Kang Ji-won as Su-jin's stepmother *

Kang Rae-yeon Kang Rae-yeon is a South Korean actress and model. She is known for her roles in dramas such as '' The Time We Were Not in Love'' and '' Gogh, The Starry Night''. Early life Kang was born an only child and a third-generation South Korean; her f ...

as Jong-ki's girlfriend *

Yang Hee-kyung Yang Hee-kyung (born December 3, 1954) is a South Korean actress An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such ...

as Jang-mi's mother

Allusions

The flashback scenes juxtaposed the fun and silly, drama-filled lives of high school students with the

Gwangju Uprising The Gwangju Uprising was a popular uprising in the city of Gwangju, South Korea, from May 18 to May 27, 1980, which pitted local, armed citizens against soldiers and police of the South Korean government. The event is sometimes called 5·18 (M ...

that took place in May 1980. In the film, Na-mi's brother is a university student who participates in the protests. The scenes where Sunny fights the rival gang are backgrounded with the violent clash between the protestors and the military. The movie's release was timely with the entertainment industry's focus on 1980s musicals, films, and pop music. Western brands and products were abundantly present in the flashback portions of the film. The trendy high school students all wore

Nike Nike often refers to: * Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory * Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment Nike may also refer to: People * Nike (name), a surname and feminine give ...

and Adidas. A billboard for ''

Rocky ''Rocky'' is a 1976 American sports drama film directed by John G. Avildsen and written by and starring Sylvester Stallone. It is the first installment in the ''Rocky'' franchise and stars Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weathers, and Burge ...

'' was visible in the background of the fight between Sunny and their rivals. The music also referenced songs from the 1980s including "Touch by Touch" by

Joy The word joy refers to the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune, and is typically associated with feelings of intense, long lasting happiness. Dictionary definitions Dictionary definitions of joy typically include a sense of ...

, "

Girls Just Want to Have Fun "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" is a song written, recorded and performed by American musician Robert Hazard, who released it as a single in 1979. It is best known for the version of American singer Cyndi Lauper, who covered the song in 1983. I ...

" by

Cyndi Lauper Cynthia Ann Stephanie Lauper Thornton (born June 22, 1953) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and activist. Her career has spanned over 40 years. Her album ''She's So Unusual'' (1983) was the first debut album by a female artist to achi ...

,Although the movie displays events from the democratization movement in 1980, it also features the Cyndi Lauper song that was released in 1983. "

Reality Reality is the sum or aggregate of all that is real or existent within a system, as opposed to that which is only imaginary. The term is also used to refer to the ontological status of things, indicating their existence. In physical terms, r ...

" by

Richard Sanderson Richard Sanderson (born 5 March 1953 in Taplow) is an English singer, best known for his hit songs "Reality", "So Many Ways" and "She's a Lady". Career Born in England to a Scottish drum-playing father and a French accordionist mother, Sander ...

, and

Boney M. Boney M. was a German-Caribbean vocal group that specialized in disco and funk created by German record producer Frank Farian, who was the group's primary songwriter. Originally based in West Germany, the four original members of the group's o ...

's 1976 cover of

Bobby Hebb Robert Von Hebb (July 26, 1938 – August 3, 2010) was an American R&B and soul singer, musician, songwriter, recording artist, and performer known for his 1966 hit entitled " Sunny". Biography Hebb was born in Nashville, Tennessee. His par ...

's song " Sunny," as well as the Korean pop songs "In My Dreams" by Jo Duk-bae and "I See" by Nami. Especially the song use in the first and ending scene is "Time after time", sang by Tuck & Patti, original version of Cyndi Lauper.

Original soundtrack

The album is comprised by instrumentals composed by music director Kim Jun-seok that express the characters' emotional state. The film also featured a mix of 1980s Korean and Western pop music to evoke nostalgia, and to signify the Western "fad" that swept over students in Korea at the time.

Release

The film was released on 4 May 2011 in South Korea. It also received a limited release in the United States in July 2011, screening in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

, Torrance,

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

Washington D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, Na ...

Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...

and

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only state ...

Film festivals

The film has been shown in film festivals worldwide:

Reception

Box office

In 2011, the movie sold 7,375,110 tickets, and grossed (), making it the year's second highest grossing Korean film and fourth highest grossing overall film in South Korea. At the end of the movie's run, it had sold 7.38 million admissions, with an additional 90,555 from a director's cut.

Awards and nominations

Remakes

Hong Kong television series ''

Never Dance Alone ''Never Dance Alone'' (); filmed under the working title "Aerobic Girls" (), is a Hong Kong television modern inspiration comedy-drama series produced and broadcast by domestic broadcaster TVB in 2014, starring Carman Lee, Rachel Lee, Fennie Yu ...

'', which aired on

TVB Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB) is a television broadcasting company based in Hong Kong SAR. The Company operates five free-to-air terrestrial television channels in Hong Kong, with TVB Jade as its main Cantonese language service, and ...

in 2014, is reportedly inspired by this movie. The remake is not official. A Hollywood remake of the movie was announced to be in production since 2016. A Vietnamese remake of the movie, titled ''Tháng Năm Rực Rỡ'' (''Go Go Sisters'') was released on 9 March 2018. It topped the Southeast Asian country’s box office in its opening weekend (collected 490,000 views) and received overwhelming positive feedbacks from the media, movie reviewers, and public audiences. A Japanese remake of the movie, titled ''Sunny: Our Hearts Beat Together'' (''Sunny: Tsuyoi Kimochi Tsuyoi Ai'', lit. ''Sunny: Strong Mind Strong Love'') was released on 31 August 2018. An Indonesian adaptation remake of the movie, titled ''Bebas'' (''

Glorious Days Glorious Days () is a Hong Kong based Thoroughbred racehorse. In the season of 2013–2014, he won the Hong Kong Mile The Hong Kong Mile is a Group 1 flat horse race in Hong Kong which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is ...

'') was released on 3 October 2019.

Notes

References

External links

*
''Sunny''
at Naver * * * {{Hancinema film, Sunny_-_2010, Sunny 2011 films South Korean buddy films 2010s teen comedy-drama films South Korean comedy-drama films South Korean teen comedy-drama films Films set in the 1980s CJ Entertainment films 2010s Korean-language films Films about cancer Films about death Films about friendship Films directed by Kang Hyeong-cheol 2010s buddy comedy-drama films 2011 comedy films 2011 drama films 2010s South Korean films