Shounen wa tori ni natta (2001)

Also known as: The boy became a bird
Country: Japan
Genre: family, life&death, friendship
Format: movie
Cast: Yamashita Tomohisa, Kazama Shunsuke, Nishimura Risa, Asano Yuko, Furuoya Masato, Asai Erina, Tsugawa Masahiko,Takaoka Saki, Taguchi Junnosuke,
Synopsis: Ken is 15 year old boy, who was born with hole in his heart. Even though doctors did not give him any hope, he was able to live that long. But there are even more troubles beside disease - his friend Kira has always played piano and now is suddenly giving up on it and another friend Koiichi avoids him. Ken believes that seeing a Inuwahi (a great mountain eagle) will give strength to everyone as they struggle in life.
Rating: 2/5

It is another sad and slow movie. It more seems to be the mother's side of the story as she is the narrator. I think that mother had the hardest time there. She was the one who gave birth to Ken and yet no matter what she did, she actually can't help him.
The best part of the movie (in my mind) is Yamashita Tomohisa's acting. I think that playing a person with a disease is really hard and easy to over-do it, but he made it realistic. Also, even back then he had a great English, a little bit too abrupt, but still good.

What I did not like, was some lines in the script. Like how can Kira and Koichi envy Ken? More than that, I do not understand how can anybody envy someone else? Just accept your life and start smiling! You may think I am naive, but I believe that if a person really wants, he/she can see a small happy thing in everything. In addition, I do not understand Japanese schools anymore. I have seen it in "1 litre of tears" that school better gets rid of the student than tries to help him/her. My high school really tries to help them and I have not heard that someone is "expelled" for that, but it seems that in Japan it is more usual to wash ones hands of it. (That all reminds me that I must attend school year opening ceremony in 1,5 hours... and I am not even ready..).
I liked the sisters and beautiful scenery's. The mountains are amazing. I am living in a place where are no mountains... -.-
In the end, It is very heartwarming and sad movie. It makes you cry (especially Yamashita Tomohisa's fans xD). It actually looked like half-documentary movie as it has amazing bird shoots.
(PS! I have no idea in which scene Taguchi Junnosuke played, but I believe that he was a member of a class)