Good Morning (1959)
Kernel Score: 88% · 307 ratings
Genres: Comedy, Family, Drama
Released: 1959-05-12
Runtime: 94 minutes
Where to watch Good Morning
- Stream: The Criterion Channel, HBO Max
- Free with ads: Plex
- Rent: Apple TV, Google Play, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy: Apple TV, Google Play, YouTube, Fandango At Home
US availability, updated 2026-10-23.
Overview
A lighthearted take on director Yasujiro Ozu’s perennial theme of the challenges of intergenerational relationships, Good Morning tells the story of two young boys who stop speaking in protest after their parents refuse to buy a television set. Ozu weaves a wealth of subtle gags through a family portrait as rich as those of his dramatic films, mocking the foibles of the adult world through the eyes of his child protagonists. Shot in stunning color and set in a suburb of Tokyo where housewives gossip about the neighbors’ new washing machine and unemployed husbands look for work as door-to-door salesmen, this charming comedy refashions Ozu’s own silent classic I Was Born, But . . . to gently satirize consumerism in postwar Japan.
Good Morning parents' guide: all ages
Parents need to know that Good Morning is a gentle Japanese family comedy about two boys who stop speaking to protest their parents' refusal to buy a television.
- Products & purchases: Moderate — The film gently satirizes postwar consumerism, with neighbors gossiping over new appliances and the boys demanding a TV.
Fresh Kernels AI-assessed from publicly documented content. A guide for families, not an official rating.
Movies like Good Morning
If you liked Good Morning, these are the movies we'd watch next.
- War of the Buttons (1962) — 81%
- My Neighbors the Yamadas (1999) — 77%
- The Boy and the Beast (2015) — 86%
Director
Cast
- Keiji Sada as Heiichiro Fukui
- Yoshiko Kuga as Setsuko Arita
- Chishū Ryū as Keitaro Hayashi
- Kuniko Miyake as Tamiko Hayashi
- Haruko Sugimura as Kikue Haraguchi
- Kōji Shitara as Minoru Hayashi
- Masahiko Shimazu as Isamu Hayashi
- Kyōko Izumi as Midori Maruyama
- Taiji Tonoyama as Pushy Man
- Toyo Takahashi as Shige Okubo
Good Morning FAQ
Is Good Morning good?
Good Morning has an 88% Kernel Score on Fresh Kernels from 307 audience ratings.
Where can I watch Good Morning?
In the US you can stream Good Morning on The Criterion Channel and HBO Max, watch it free with ads on Plex and rent it from Apple TV, Google Play, YouTube and Fandango At Home.
Is Good Morning OK for kids?
Fresh Kernels suggests all ages. Parents need to know that Good Morning is a gentle Japanese family comedy about two boys who stop speaking to protest their parents' refusal to buy a television.
What movies are like Good Morning?
If you liked Good Morning, try War of the Buttons, My Neighbors the Yamadas and The Boy and the Beast.