by Hal Erickson
synopsis
The Daphne refers to Hariko Sugimura, a widow with four daughters. Two of the girls still live at home; the other two are married, with lives of their own. The film chronicles the shifting-sand relationship between mother and daughters, with happiness and heartbreak coming out even. The cast of The Daphne was impressive by Japanese film-industry standards, though few of the stars are recognizable names to western audiences. Released in a 106-minute version in the US, The Daphne ran nearly three hours in its original Japanese version, which went out under the title Jinchoge.
characteristics
- Widower
- Slice-of-life
- Mother