The Road Home
1999 · Movie · G · 89 min · ★ 7.5 · 80% critics
After his father dies, a man returns to his rural village and faces his mother’s insistence on honoring old customs. As he helps with the funeral, he’s drawn into memories of a quiet, steadfast romance and the deep respect a community holds for love, tradition, and learning.
Where to watch
Not currently available to stream in the US.
1 hour to watch.
Streaming availability and prices may be inaccurate or change — verify with the provider before subscribing.
unSUB's subscription recommendations are informational only, not financial advice.
More value for your money
Similar titles, ranked by watch-hours per subscription dollar.
Details
- Years
- 1999
- Release date
- 1999-10-16
- Language
- Chinese
- Rated
- G
- Runtime
- 89 min
- Critic score
- 80/100
- TMDB rating
- 7.5/10 (227 votes)
About
You’ll likely enjoy this if you want a gentle, emotionally rich romance rooted in tradition and everyday life, closer in spirit to To Live than a modern love story; Not for you if you need fast pacing or big drama.
Pros: tender, understated romance; heartfelt family themes; beautiful rural atmosphere | Cons: very slow pace; minimal dialogue; simple, low-stakes plot
Themes
- china
- businessman
- funeral
- loss of loved one
- coffin
- village
- flashback
- grief
- death
- burial
Awards & recognition
- Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize · 2000
- Golden Rooster Award — Best Picture
- Huabiao Award — Outstanding Film
- Hundred Flowers Award — Best Picture
Cast & crew
Zhang Ziyi
as Young Zhao Di
Zheng Hao
as Luo Changyu
Yulian Zhao
as Zhao Di
Sun Honglei
as Luo Yusheng
Li Bin
as Grandmother
Song Yuncheng
as Village Chief
- GC
Guifa Chang
as Mayor
- WS
Wencheng Sung
as Young Mayor
- LQ
Liu Qi
as Carpenter Xia
Ji Bo
as Young Carpenter Xia
Directed by Zhang Yimou