What a Wonderful Family! to be released nationwide on March 12, 2016

The movie What a Wonderful Family!, which Sumitomo Corporation participated in producing, will be released nationwide on March 12, 2016. The film comically depicts a family consisting of four couples. The action centers on a post-retirement age couple facing a sudden divorce crisis, and their three children and their partners. The story begins when the husband, enjoying his retirement life, is flabbergasted at his wife presenting him with a divorce form to put an end to long years of peaceful marriage. Shocked at the "out of the blue" event threatening their parents, the younger three couples run around to settle the situation, but they also begin squabbling with each other about their own issues, and the drama unfolds in an unexpected way.

This is the first comedy movie directed by Yoji Yamada in 20 years after completing the last episode of his signature series Otoko wa Tsuraiyo (It’s Tough Being a Man). The series ran to a total of 48 titles from 1969 to 1995, enjoying a long-lasting national popularity and establishing itself as a masterpiece in the history of Japanese cinema.

Director Yamada spoke thus about his newest creation: "The family can become a formidable cause of headaches that we sometimes wish to remove completely, but everyone is aware that it is vitally important. Many people are making a lot of fuss, struggling to overcome hardships related to family matters. I wished to highlight this funny and faulty aspect of basic human nature."

What a Wonderful Family! is coming soon, along with the spring weather, to hit screens across Japan. We hope that many people will go to see this newest presentation of a family-themed drama, which will both bring a smile to the faces of and touch the hearts of the audience.