The Story of My Son

1990 1h 15m CN

🙌

8.0

BANGER

★8.0TMDB · 2

Drama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Li Tzu-Liang is returning to Hong Kong with the ashes of his wife. He now has to bring up his two sons on his own. Though he is quite well-off, he his plagued by debts and when he loses a large sum of money betting on horses, he has to turn to dangerous loan-sharks. Here starts a spiral which gets him and his two sons deeper and deeper into trouble.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Damian Lau Chung-Yan
Lee Chi-Leung
Cheng Pak-Lam
Lee Wing-Hong
Wong Kwan-Yuen
Lee Wing-Kin
Louise Lee Sze-Kei
Lee's Wife
Richard Ng Man-Tat
Paul He
Lau Siu-Ming
Lee's Father-in-law
Sunny Fang Kang
Loan Shark
Anna Ng
Auntie

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Johnnie To
Writers: Wai Ka-Fai, Johnnie To
Languages: Cantonese
Countries: Hong Kong

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Tight 75-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

36 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

AWARDS

Did you know

Directed by Johnnie To, shot by Horace Wong Wing-Hang. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Lo Ta-Yu. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Chiang Hsing-Lung shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

AWARDS

Did you know

Damian Lau Chung-Yan and Cheng Pak-Lam and Wong Kwan-Yuen carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0099001 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

Only 2 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Johnnie To directs. Horace Wong Wing-Hang behind the camera. Lo Ta-Yu scores. Chiang Hsing-Lung cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Hong Kong. Dialogue in Cantonese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 75-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
236 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3Directed by Johnnie To, shot by Horace Wong Wing-Hang. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Lo Ta-Yu. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Chiang Hsing-Lung shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Damian Lau Chung-Yan and Cheng Pak-Lam and Wong Kwan-Yuen carry the top of the cast.
7IMDB entry: tt0099001 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Only 2 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.