About+the+film

Currently televised in Japan, "The Happy Family Plan" is a television game show where the father of the participating family is given an extraordinarily difficult performance task and one week to practice before performing it on the show. In order to win their requested "dream", the father must perform the task flawlessly on- air, in front of a live audience. The slightest mistake results in failure, making for nail-biting and nerve-wracking game show. The family must also document their progress during the week on video to convey their emotional struggle to the viewers during the on-air performance. Due to its success, "The Happy Family Plan" program has also been adopted in many other countries around the world and consistently achieves high viewer ratings.

This is the story of the Kawajiri family and their participation on "The Happy Family Plan". Fujio, the father of the Family, who has so far lived an unremarkable life as a "salaryman", is suddenly advised that his job no longer exists due to a company restructure. As the Kawajiri family are kicked out of the house provided by Fujio's company, they wind up staying at the house of his wife's parents. With no apparent prospects of re-employment for Fujio, the family loses sight of all their hopes and dreams. Until they unexpectedly receive an invitation to be contestants on the popular TV game show "The Happy Family Plan" for the chance to win 3 million yen and make their dreams come true.

Fujio's designated task is to perform a piano recital of the song "Home Sweet Home" without mistakes on-air in exactly one week. Having never even touched a musical instrument before, Fujio is tormented by the frustrating challenge of forcing his clumsy fingers to learn the piece by heart with the added pressure of knowing that this is his last chance to save his family from imminent poverty. He accepts the challenge and their week of laughter and tears begins. Days pass and Fujio is still fumbling hopelessly with the first bar of the music. How will he complete his task successfully and save his family against such small odds? Will he break under the pressure on the night?

2000 / Colour / 104min / © Shochiku Co. Ltd / PG classified