The Way Home
Paramount Classics | Release Date: November 15, 2002 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
63
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 19 Critic Reviews
Positive:
12
Mixed:
7
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
91
Seattle Post-IntelligencerEllen A. Kim
It's an uncluttered, resonant gem that relays its universal points without lectures or confrontations. Read full review
88
New York Daily NewsJami Bernard
Life-affirming story of love, kinship and sacrifice. Read full review
88
Philadelphia InquirerSteven Rea
Charming is such an overused, film critic-y designation, but The Way Home is that, and more. Read full review
80
Chicago ReaderJ.R. Jones
The plot of the picture is familiar, but it's realized with such delicacy and affection for the characters that it seems as fresh and warm as its verdant setting. Read full review
80
Washington PostMichael O'Sullivan
Simple without being slight, and profoundly moving without dipping into mawkishness. Read full review
75
Chicago TribuneMichael Wilmington
Director Lee has a true cinematic knack, but it's also nice to see a movie with its heart so thoroughly, unabashedly on its sleeve. Read full review
75
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Rick Groen
If you ever doubted the power and scope of silent film, watch The Way Home. The narrative arc is as broad as any chattering feature, the emotional depth is greater than most, and it's all achieved with virtually no dialogue. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleEdward Guthmann
A sweet, unabashedly sentimental tale. Read full review
70
VarietyDerek Elley
Utterly unsentimental but profoundly moving,The Way Home" is a tiny gem from South Korea. Read full review
70
Los Angeles TimesKevin Thomas
Has inherent sentimental appeal, but Lee balances it with considerable humor and an unblinking eye toward the realities of a primitive way of life. Read full review
63
New York PostV.A. Musetto
The film is worth watching if only for Kim, who before this had never seen a movie, let alone acted in one. Read full review
63
Miami HeraldMarta Barber
The film has good actors and enough quirky moments to keep it interesting. Read full review
60
The New York TimesDana Stevens
The story, touching though it is, does not quite have enough emotional resonance or variety of incident to sustain a feature, and even at 85 minutes it feels a bit long. The premise, too, is a little thin. Read full review
60
L.A. WeeklyPaul Malcolm
A conventional if appealing tear-jerker, The Way Home would like to grandmother us all. Read full review
60
Film ThreatDarrin Keene
It’s not hard to see why The Way Home has become such a hit in its native South Korea. The story is a plaintive moral tale, adding the requisite doses of humour and sentimentality where it’s required. Read full review
58
Portland OregonianKim Morgan
There are many merits to the picture -- it's wonderfully shot and boasts a beautiful performance by Eul-Boom, who acts in gestures of subtle dignity and compassion. But it's questionable how we're to take actor Seung-Ho. Read full review
50
Austin ChronicleSteve Davis
There’s also something to be said for wanting a little bit more. Read full review
50
Wall Street JournalJoe Morgenstern
Affecting, even touching, provided you can put up with its sclerotic pace.
40
The A.V. ClubScott Tobias
It's telling that this slice of milquetoast is the first to get picked up by a major studio boutique. Put in the most euphemistic terms possible, the film's banal premise contains "universal themes," meaning that its sentimental clichés translate readily to all continents and cultures. Read full review
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