Baseball Girl (Korean: 야구소녀; RR: Yaguseonyeo) is a 2019 South Korean drama sports film written and directed by Choi Yoon-tae, starring Lee Joo-young, Lee Joon-hyuk, Yeom Hye-ran, Song Young-kyu and Kwak Dong-yeon. It was released in theaters on June 18, 2020.[1][2]
| Baseball Girl | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Hangul | 야구소녀 |
| Revised Romanization | Yaguseonyeo |
| Directed by | Choi Yoon-tae |
| Written by | Choi Yoon-tae |
| Produced by | On Jung-joon |
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | Hwang Seung-yoon |
| Edited by | Choi Yoon-tae |
| Music by | Peterpen Complex |
Production company | Korean Academy of Film Arts |
| Distributed by | M-Line Distribution |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 105 minutes |
| Country | South Korea |
| Language | Korean |
The film had its world premiere at the 24th Busan International Film Festival on October 4, 2019, in the "Korean Cinema Today - Panorama" category.[3]
Plot edit
The story of Joo Soo-in who is determined to become the first female baseball player to join a professional team.
Cast edit
- Lee Joo-young as Joo Soo-in
- Lee Joon-hyuk as Choi Jin-tae
- Yeom Hye-ran as Shin Hae-sook
- Song Young-kyu as Soo-in's father
- Kwak Dong-yeon as Lee Jung-ho
- Joo Hae-eun as Han Bang-geul
- Lee Chae-eun as Teacher Kim
- Kim Jong-soo as Coach Park
- Yoo Jae-myung as Head
Production edit
Development edit
Choi Yoon-tae was inspired to write this film in 2017 after he watched the interview of a female baseball player. He added that "when [he] told [his] wife that there is no current rule banning women from playing on a professional baseball team, she seemed surprised; so [he] thought it would be interesting to write a story on an aspiring female baseball player."[4]
Casting edit
On November 16, 2018, Lee Joo-young was cast as the protagonist of Baseball Girl.[5] On November 20, Lee Joon-hyuk's agency confirmed that the actor would be starring in the film, playing a high school baseball coach who helps Joo Soo-in achieve her dream.[6] On November 28, Yeom Hye-ran joined the main cast in the role of Soo-in's mother.[7] Kwak Dong-yeon was confirmed on January 4, 2019, for the role of a high school baseball player,[8] followed by Lee Chae-eun on January 15 for the role of Soo-in's Japanese teacher.[9]
Filming edit
Principal photography began in January 2019 and filming ended in February, a period during which baseball players usually cannot train due to the cold weather, which made filming more difficult in addition to the small budget.[3]
Release edit
Baseball Girl premiered at the 24th Busan International Film Festival on October 4, 2019, in the presence of director Choi Yoon-tae and actors Lee Joo-young, Lee Joon-hyuk and Yeom Hye-ran.[10] GV screenings took place on October 4 and 5 at Lotte Cinema Centum City and a general screening was held on October 9 at Lotte Cinema Daeyoung. Tickets were sold out soon after they went on sale for both screenings.[11]
The film hit theaters on June 18, 2020.[12]
Reception edit
Critical response edit
At the Busan International Film Festival, the media, critics and audience praised Lee Joo-young's acting as well as Soo-in's passion, her determination to keep running towards her dream and not giving up despite prejudice against her gender.[13]
Accolades edit
| Year | Award | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 45th Seoul Independent Film Festival | Independent Star Award | Lee Joo-young | Won | [14] |
| 2020 | 29th Buil Film Awards | Best Actress | Nominated | [15] | |
| 41st Blue Dragon Film Awards | Best New Actress | Nominated | [16] |
See also edit
References edit
- ^ Park, Jung-sun (May 14, 2020). "Lee Joo-young promises amazing transformation as baseball player in new movie". JTBC Plus. V Live. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
- ^ Choi, Ji-won (June 9, 2020). "Lee Joo-young goes to bat for hope in 'Baseball Girl'". The Korea Herald. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
- ^ a b Cho, Yeon-kyung (October 4, 2019). "[24회 BIFF] '야구소녀' 이주영 "한겨울 혹독한 훈련 덕에 진심으로 연기"". JoongAng Ilbo (in Korean). Retrieved May 19, 2020.
- ^ Kwak, Yeon-soo (June 9, 2020). "'Baseball Girl' presents how to break glass ceiling in sports". The Korea Times. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
- ^ Ryu, Dong-woo (November 16, 2018). "이주영, 영화 '야구소녀'서 천재 야구 소녀 '변신'". BizEnter (in Korean). Retrieved May 19, 2020.
- ^ Kang, Seo-jung (November 20, 2018). "이준혁, 영화 '야구소녀' 출연확정..브라운관·스크린 '열일 행보'[공식입장]". Osen (in Korean). The Chosun Ilbo. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
- ^ Cho, Yu-kyung (November 28, 2018). "염혜란 '야구소녀' 출연…'증인'·'걸캅스' 이은 스크린 점령". Sports Donga (in Korean). Retrieved May 19, 2020.
- ^ Chae, Yi-seul (January 4, 2019). "곽동연, 영화 '야구소녀' 캐스팅... 프로야구 선수로 변신". Beff Report (in Korean). Retrieved May 19, 2020.
- ^ Ryu, Dong-woo (January 15, 2019). "이채은, 영화 '야구소녀' 출연 확정 '일본어 교사 김선생 役'". BizEnter (in Korean). Retrieved May 19, 2020.
- ^ Cho, Yeon-kyung (October 4, 2019). "[현장IS·BIFF] "모든 꿈 응원" 이주영X이준혁X염혜란 '야구소녀' 청춘에 보내는 찬가(종합)". JoongAng Ilbo (in Korean). Retrieved May 19, 2020.
- ^ Kim, Hyo-jin (September 25, 2019). "이주영-이준혁-곽동연 '야구소녀', 2019 부산국제영화제(BIFF) 예매 매진…기대작·화제작 등극". Top Star News (in Korean). Retrieved May 19, 2020.
- ^ Jung, Yoo-jin (May 25, 2020). "[N컷] '야구소녀', 메인 포스터 2종…천재 야구소녀 이주영". News1 (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
- ^ Kim, Ji-won (May 13, 2020). "이주영 주연 '야구소녀', 6월 개봉 확정…'이태원 클라쓰' 이은 열연". The Korea Economic Daily (in Korean). Retrieved May 19, 2020.
- ^ Kim, Joo-won (December 9, 2019). "이주영, '제 45회 서울독립영화제' 독립스타상 수상". Sedaily (in Korean). Retrieved May 19, 2020.
- ^ "'House of Hummingbird' wins two prizes at 29th Buil Film Awards". The Korea Times. October 23, 2020. Retrieved October 28, 2020.
- ^ "[공식]제41회 청룡영화상 후보 발표…'남산의부장들' 10개 부문 최다 노미" (in Korean). November 11, 2020.
