Overview
A charming exploration of suburban life in post-war Japan, where small talk holds the community together.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Mild
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- witty
- warm
- gently ironic
- lazy sunday
- family movie night
What critics said
Critics broadly regard Ozu's sharply observed, brightly composed comedy as a delightful and incisive examination of family communication, social restraint, and postwar Westernization.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The film explicitly treats small talk and oral communication as forces that regulate daily community life.
The suburban community's desire for television and changing communication habits reflects postwar Japan's Westernization and consumer culture.
The brothers' protest against adult small talk turns parent-child communication into the film's central comic tension.
Ozu's carefully composed images and brightly hued suburban interiors frame mundane interactions with formal precision.
Films like Good Morning, and why
I Was Born, But...
shared domestic comedy, parent-child friction, and affectionate critique of social convention
Tokyo Story
shared Ozu-style family drama, restrained humor, and tensions between tradition and modern life
The Flavor of Green Tea over Rice
shared postwar Japanese neighborhood setting, conversational comedy, and generational conflict
An Autumn Afternoon
shared westernization theme, everyday domestic observation, and warm ensemble comedy
Movie Details
- Director
- Yasujirō Ozu
- Release Date
- 1959-05-12
- Runtime
- 94 min
- Rating
- 7.7 / 10 (332)
Cast
- Keiji Sada
- Yoshiko Kuga
- Chishū Ryū
- Kuniko Miyake
- Haruko Sugimura
- Kōji Shitara
- Masahiko Shimazu
- Kyōko Izumi
- Taiji Tonoyama
- Toyo Takahashi
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- HBO Max Amazon Channel, Criterion Channel, HBO Max
- Rent
- Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Good Morning about?
- Two brothers' vow of silence turns a postwar Japanese suburb's polite small talk, gossip, and consumer desires into a wry family comedy.
- What is Good Morning like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Good Morning as measured, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Good Morning violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Good Morning.
- What did critics think of Good Morning?
- Critics broadly regard Ozu's sharply observed, brightly composed comedy as a delightful and incisive examination of family communication, social restraint, and postwar Westernization.
- Which films are like Good Morning?
- Films with a similar feel include I Was Born, But..., Tokyo Story, The Flavor of Green Tea over Rice, and An Autumn Afternoon.
- How long is Good Morning?
- Good Morning runs 94 minutes.
- Where can I watch Good Morning?
- In United States, Good Morning streams on HBO Max Amazon Channel, Criterion Channel, HBO Max.
