{{Infobox film |name = Late Blossom |image = File:Late_Blossom_poster.jpg |native_name = {{Infobox Korean film name|hangul=^그대를 사랑합니다}} |director = Choo Chang-min |producer = Kim Sung-jin <br/> Lee Gun-seon <br/> Yoon Ki-chan <br> Nam Hyun |writer = Choo Chang-min<br/>Lee Man-hee<br/>Kim Sang-su<br/>Kim Yong-deok |based_on = {{based on|''I Love You''|Kang Full}} |starring = Lee Soon-jae <br/> Yoon So-jung <br/> Song Jae-ho <br/> Kim Soo-mi |music = Kang Min-guk |cinematography = Choi Yun-man |editing = Choo Chang-min<br/>Go Ah-mo |distributor = Next Entertainment World |released = {{Film date|2011|2|17}} |runtime = 118 minutes |country = South Korea |language = Korean |budget = |gross = {{USD|8.2 million}} }}
'''''Late Blossom''''' ({{Korean|hangul=그대를 사랑합니다|lit=I Love You}}) is a 2011 South Korean film written and directed by Choo Chang-min about the love story of two elderly couples.<ref>{{cite web|last=Cha|first=Hyo-jin|title=''I Love You'', The Most Beautiful Confession|url=http://www.worldyannews.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=1384|work=Worldyan News|accessdate=2013-02-10|date=14 February 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140606214250/http://www.worldyannews.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=1384|archive-date=6 June 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Cho|first=Jae-eun|title=Old fools fall in love in syrupy film version of Web cartoon|url=http://koreajoongangdaily.joinsmsn.com/news/article/article.aspx?aid=2933282|work=Korea JoongAng Daily|accessdate=2013-02-23|date=11 March 2011|url-status=usurped|archiveurl=https://archive.today/20130411045955/http://koreajoongangdaily.joinsmsn.com/news/article/article.aspx?aid=2933282|archivedate=11 April 2013}}</ref>
After opening quietly to little fanfare, the indie slowly gained positive word-of-mouth and critical praise, and eventually became a box office success with over 1,645,505 ticket sales,<ref name=series /> as well as a cultural darling among industry peers.<ref>{{cite web|last=Wheeler|first=CJ|title=''Late Blossom'': Ageless Beauty with Cinematic Sensibilities|url=http://www.hancinema.net/hancinema-s-film-review-late-blossom-ageless-beauty-with-cinematic-sensibilities-34563.html|accessdate=2012-11-18|work=Hancinema|date=22 October 2011}}</ref>
The film is based on the manhwa ''I Love You'' by Kang Full. It was serialized online in 2007 and later published in three volumes. In 2008, it was turned into a play and drew audiences of more than 120,000 by 2010.<ref name=twilight />
==Plot== The movie revolves around four senior citizens living in a hillside village. Kim Man-seok is a cranky milkman with a short fuse and a foul mouth. He wakes the village early each morning with his noisy, battered motorcycle. He meets Song Ee-peun, who scavenges for scrap paper while roaming around the town at daybreak. As they meet again and again, they slowly develop feelings for each other.
Ms. Song parks her handcart at a junkyard and sees Jang Kun-bong, the caretaker of the parking lot next to the scrap yard. One day, Kun-bong wakes up late and forgets to lock his door and asks Ms. Song to fasten it for him. Meanwhile, Jang's Alzheimer's-afflicted wife Soon-yi wanders around the town, ending up on the back of Man-seok's motorbike.<ref name=twilight>{{cite web|last=Kwon|first=Mee-yoo|title=Blossom portrays love in twilight years|url=https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/art/2011/03/141_80850.html|accessdate=2012-11-18|work=The Korea Times|date=6 February 2011}}</ref>
==Cast== *Lee Soon-jae - Kim Man-seok *Yoon So-jung - Song Ee-peun *Song Jae-ho - Jang Kun-bong *Kim Soo-mi - Jo Soon-yi *Shin Soo-yeon - Hwang Min-ji *Oh Dal-su - Dal-su *Song Ji-hyo - Kim Yeon-ah *Kim Hyung-jun - Jung Min-chae *Lee Sang-hoon - Duk-bae *Lee Moon-sik - Scratch *Gil Hae-yeon - Kun-bong's daughter-in-law 1 *Jo Jae-yoon - Kun-bong's brother-in-law *Kwon Bum-taek - Man-seok's wife's doctor *Lee Chae-eun - young Ee-peun *Kang Hyun-joong - young Sang-tae *Lee Jun-hyeok - photographer *Ra Mi-ran - nurse *Lee Bong-ryun as Dong Office employee *Jeon Bae-soo - public officer of small neighborhood office *Lee Moon-su - Duk-bae's father *Kim Hyang-gi - street light kid
==Box office== Initially difficult to finance due to ageism, the film was shot with a {{SK won|1 billion}} (US$900,000) budget, and then marketed with another {{SK won|1.1 billion}} (a small amount compared to most Korean mainstream films). The sleeper hit eventually recouped four times its cost in just a few weeks, attracting 1,645,505 admissions and grossing more than {{USD|8,189,246}} domestically.
==Spin-off== A same-titled 16-episode television series spin-off starring Kim Hyung-jun aired on SBS Plus from April to June 2012. Of the movie cast members, only Lee Soon-jae reprised his role.<ref name=series>{{cite web|last=Hong|first=Lucia|title=Kim Hyung-jun's TV series to begin air on April 16|url=http://www.asiae.co.kr/news/view.htm?idxno=2012032610290393888|work=10Asia|accessdate=2012-11-24|date=26 March 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Hong|first=Lucia|title=Kim Hyung-jun scores 2nd acting role in SBS Plus drama|url=http://www.asiae.co.kr/news/view.htm?idxno=2012031408550845942|accessdate=2012-11-18|work=10Asia|date=14 March 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Suk|first=Monica|title=Kim Hyung-jun goes on date with Kim Yoon-seo for ''Late Blossom'' shooting|url=http://www.asiae.co.kr/news/view.htm?sec=ent5&idxno=2012052210325684851|accessdate=2012-11-18|work=10Asia|date=22 May 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Suk|first=Monica|title=Kim Hyung-jun's ''Late Blossom'' soundtrack to go on sale in Japan|url=http://www.asiae.co.kr/news/view.htm?idxno=2012052210295353857|accessdate=2012-11-18|work=10Asia|date=22 May 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Sunwoo|first=Carla|title=Kim Hyung-jun takes part in drama event|url=http://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/article/article.aspx?aid=2963384|work=Korea JoongAng Daily|accessdate=2013-07-05|date=5 December 2012}}</ref>
==Awards== *2011 Blue Dragon Film Awards: Best Supporting Actress - Kim Soo-mi<ref>{{cite web|last=Hong|first=Lucia|title=Korean pic ''The Unjust'' wins big at the 32nd Blue Dragon Awards|url=http://www.asiae.co.kr/news/view.htm?idxno=2011112716001524542|work=10Asia|accessdate=2012-11-24|date=28 November 2011}}</ref> *2011 China Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Film Festival: Best Actor, International Film category - Lee Soon-jae<ref>{{cite web|last=Choi|first=Min-ji|title=Lee Soon Jae Wins Best Actor Award at Major Chinese Film Awards|url=http://enewsworld.mnet.com/enews/contents.asp?idx=1254|accessdate=2012-11-18|work=enewsWorld|date=28 October 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Hong|first=Lucia|title=Lee Soon-jae wins best actor award at Chinese film fest|url=http://www.asiae.co.kr/news/view.htm?idxno=2011102810401935785|accessdate=2012-11-18|work=10Asia|date=28 October 2011}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist|2}}
== External links == <!-- per WP:ELMINOFFICIAL, choose one official website only --> * {{Official website|http://www.iloveyou2011.co.kr}} {{in lang|ko}} * {{kmdb film|12600|Late Blossom}} * {{IMDb title|1862020|Late Blossom}} * {{Hancinema film|Late_Blossom|Late Blossom}}
{{Kakao Webtoon}} {{Choo Chang-min}}
Category:2011 films Category:2011 romantic drama films Category:South Korean romantic drama films Category:Films about suicide Category:Films shot in Incheon Category:Films based on manhwa Category:Films based on works by Kang Full Category:Films directed by Choo Chang-min Category:Next Entertainment World films Category:2011 Korean-language films Category:Live-action films based on comics Category:2011 South Korean films