About King of California

Buster 2022-03-23 09:02:54

The film tells the story of a fifteen-year-old girl and her dad, who is thought to be mentally ill. Her mother ran away from home when she was very young, and she has lived with her father ever since. But she'd be better off by herself, because her "cynic, making fun of the whole world" dad would only make life a mess. She really had a good time while her father was in a mental hospital. Then Dad came out of the hospital and announced his intention to find the treasure left by the Spanish explorer Juan. She thought it was absurd, but in order to prevent her father from having an accident, she had to accompany him to fool around. Eventually they found a supermarket where Dad declared that there was a river under the floor of the warehouse where the treasure was buried. In order to make her father happy, the girl went to the supermarket and became a salesperson. Out of love for her father, she figured out the supermarket's topography, security measures, staffing, and even stole the manager's master key for him, even though he sold her car and their house without her consent. Secured tertiary loan. So one night, the girl and her father went to the supermarket and got through the cement and steel bars. Dad jumped into the river, came up again after a while, and said he had finally found the treasure. At this time the police also came. In order not to involve his daughter, the father pretended to tie up his daughter and jumped back into the river himself. His body was never found again.
The film sounds like a sentimental story, but the process is not sad. The whole film unfolds in soft jazz, filled with bright California sunshine. You will laugh knowingly while watching it, but cry at the end. Daughter and father play diametrically opposed roles. The daughter is very realistic, but the father is indulged in dreams, which are unrealistic. The two of them compromised each other because of love, but they could never reach an agreement. In the end, reality gave in to the dream, as the girl said, if Daddy didn't tie her up, she might jump in without hesitation, be with Daddy, forever with his fantasy treasure. After all, who doesn't want to pursue their dreams? It's just that in such a real world, the pure dream written in the book cannot survive. Pursuing it blindly will destroy yourself. So, without the father, the girl will still live strong, and for the elderly father, this may be the best ending for him.
"California" is said to have been taken by Spanish explorers, meaning a place with endless gold and beauties. This is an explorer's dream of California. At the end of the film, the daughter saw the naked Japanese climb up from the sea with her own eyes, reflecting the director's personal wish that in such a real world, the father who is still persistent in pursuing his dreams can be regarded as the real king of California.

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Extended Reading

King of California quotes

  • Charlie: Catastrophe equals opportunity.

  • Miranda: [first lines - narration] Technically what happened wasn't my fault. I'm a minor, I'm not responsible for my actions. Technically.

    [alarm sounds, everyone runs]

    Miranda: But these things should be taken on a case-by-case basis. In our case, I've always been the responsible party. Someone had to look out for him.