Marathon is a moving story about an autistic
boy, Cho Won, and his co-dependent relationship with his
mother. The mother is so frustrated by the fact that Cho
Won isn’t normal, that one day in his young life,
she tries to lose him at an outing to the zoo. She’s
guilt-ridden at her own insensitive actions and when she
finds him again, she vows to always protect him and stay
by his side. As he grows up, she becomes extremely overprotective
of him. She feels like it’s them against the world
and she defends him mercilessly against anyone who dares
to insult him. Their lives become so intertwined, that she
can’t live without him, and he can’t live without
her. One day, the mother realizes that Cho Won has a talent
for running, so she sets a goal for him to run the Chuncheon
Marathon.
In order for him to reach this goal, he needs someone to
coach him. She finds a man who used to be a professional
marathon runner on the Korean circuit. Unfortunately, his
glory days are long gone, and he has now turned into an
irresponsible alcoholic. This doesn’t stop the mother
from begging him to coach her son. He reluctantly agrees
and important relationships develop between the three characters.
Their efforts send them on an emotional rollercoaster and
eventually the mother realizes she has to let her son lead
his own life.
The son is played by actor Jo Seung-Woo and he does an amazing
portrayal of someone sufferning from autism. Some people
may think autists are mentally insane, but they just can't
express themselves the way they want to. This movie heightens
the audience's awareness of the diease.Marathon is a refreshing
change from all the typical Korean movies out there about
gangsters and macho men. It's a true story about love, relationships
and succeeding against all odds. Bring your tissues. It’s
a tear-jerker.
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