{Movie Poster: 200 Pounds
Beauty}
200 Pounds Beauty is a 2006
South Korean romantic comedy musical film written and directed by Kim Yong-hwa.
He based the plot on the Japanese manga Kanna’s Big Success, in which an
overweight ghost singer who becomes a pop sensation after going through a
full-body plastic surgery. 200 Pounds Beauty hit a commercial success and won
the third best-selling domestic film of in the year.
Plot Summary:
Han-na, the main character, is
an overweight phone sex operator and a ghost singer for Amy, a famous pop
singer who actually lip syncs to hide her inability to sing well.
{Han-na's usual day as a phone sex operator}
Han-na feels
neutral about her position until one day when Amy humiliates Han-na in front of the music company director, Sang-jun.
{The woman on the left is Amy and right, Han-na}
Because Han-na has a huge crush on Sang-jun, the
humiliation drives to attempt suicide but is interrupted by a phone call from
one of her phone sex regulars who happens to be a top plastic surgeon.
Therefore, she decides to get head-to-toe plastic surgery instead.
{The plastic surgeon and Han-na on the surgery bed}
Because Han-na has a huge crush on Sang-jun, the
humiliation drives to attempt suicide but is interrupted by a phone call from
one of her phone sex regulars who happens to be a top plastic surgeon.
Therefore, she decides to get head-to-toe plastic surgery instead.
{Han-na's result of successful head-to-toe surgery}
Sang-jun is not only impressed with this new girl’s
talent but also her stunning looks. Receiving Amy’s envy, “Jenny” quickly makes
her way up to her stardom while meticulously hiding her identity. In the
meantime, Amy, oblivious just like everyone else of Han-na’s new identity, is
afraid of a possible competition with Jenny for her album sales and distressed
to find Han-na to finish recording her album. Hoping to find Han-na, Amy
volunteers at Han-na’s grandfather’s hospital to find out where she could find
her. The grandfather has a mental problem—possibly Alzheimer’s. Unsuccessful at
getting clues to Han-na’s whereabouts, Amy decides to stop volunteering at the
hospital.
{Han-na's Alzheimer Patient Father}
Meanwhile, Jenny’s debut single “Maria” becomes a hit
and the recording company holds a party to celebrate its release, pushing Amy
even farther away from her stardom.
{Jenny's debut hit}
On top of that, the romance begins to
blossom between Jenny and Sang-jun, but whenever he tries to get close to her
and make a move on Jenny, Jenny pushes him away because she is afraid he might
find out her identity. Sang-jun becomes suspicious of her actions, but his
hunch is quickly blurred by Jenny’s beauty.
{Sang-jun making a move on "Jenny"}
However, Amy finally stumbles
across a critical clue from the grandfather that she ascertains that Jenny and
Han-na are the same person. The grandfather unconsciously slipped out a phrase
that he uses often and Amy had recalled Jenny reciting the same phrase to her
previously. Exhilarated and furious at the
same time, Amy schemes to reveal Jenny’s identity to the world. Amy writes on
Jenny’s van, “You are so FAKE” for all her fans to see.
{Infuriated Amy}
She even brings Han-na’s
grandfather to her concert. When the grandfather recognizes his daughter’s
singing voice, he approaches her; however, Han-na claims to have never seen the
man. Han-na’s heart breaks as she watches her grandfather get arrested for attempting
to touch his daughter.
Unable to pretend to be
someone else anymore, Han-na decides to stop her show and be truer to her fans,
her grandfather, Sang-jun, and herself. During one of Han-na’s stage
performance, she asks Sang-jun to put up her picture of her past-self behind
her.
Her fans’ jaw drops as they listen
to “Jenny” revealing her true identity. She was a 200 pound ghost singer! The
audience is startled at this news, but one of the men from the crowds shouts in
encouragement. This man had an appearance previously in the movie; mesmerized
by Jenny’s beauty, he unintentionally stalked her. When Sang-jun tried to call
the police on the stalker, Jenny stopped him by saying that she understands the
man’s innocent intention. Ever since, the man has been in love with Jenny’s
looks and warm personality.
Along with the man’s cheer of
encouragement, the crowd chants, “It’s Okay” because they are moved by her sincere
confession.
In the end, Han-na rekindles
her relationships with her father, continues her romance with Sang-jun, gains
even more fans, and most importantly, changes her name back to “Han-na”.
Although this movie does not
have involve much of Korean’s history or literature, it remains as an
innovative and touching film as it put an importance of having true identity in
the lives of many Koreans. Also, it would not be an exaggeration to say that almost
everyone who watched this movie knows the song “Maria”(Jenny’s debut single)
because it was that powerful.
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