The coming-of-age movie “Punch” portrays a special mentor-mentee relationship between a timid teenager who turns his back on the harsh world around him and a nosy teacher trying to defy the unfair society he lives in.

Seventeen-year-old Wan-deuk lives with his father, who is a deformed hunchback, and a man Wan-deuki calls uncle who has a mental disability. They live in a rundown house in a poor village, suffering from acute poverty. The troublesome high schooler does poorly in his studies and is embroiled in fisticuffs occasionally. He has nothing to lose, and has no dreams or motivation for the future. His only wish is to be free from his home room teacher Dong-joo who lives in a rooftop house next door to him and is always meddling in every single thing he does. It becomes a common thing for the free-spirited, eccentric teacher to suddenly visit Wan-deuk’s place in the middle of the night and have drinks with his father and uncle. The teacher embarrasses him in front of his class by disclosing details of his personal life, which he doesn’t want to share with anyone. Wan-deuk thinks his teacher troubles him day and night. Sick and tired of the nasty teacher, the boy even goes to church to pray, ‘Please take the jerk’s life.’

One day, Wan-euk tries to run away from home to avoid Dong-joo, when the teacher informs him of the surprising news that Wan-deuk’s birth mother was actually from the Philippines. The son didn’t even know whether his mother existed, but the teacher suggests to him that they look for his long-lost mother. To Wan-deuk, the teacher’s constant, unwanted attention is just annoying. Although the two are always bickering with each other, the situation entangles their relationship and they slowly become like family. Wan-deuk’s life begins to change when he is motivated to take up kickboxing after his talent in fighting is recognized. He also opens his mind to his Filipino mother, who comes to see him and brings him food she cooked herself. Now the once-aimless boy pictures a normal, happy family with both parents and starts to nurture his own dream of becoming a kickboxer.

The movie is based on Kim Ryeo-ryeong’s novel “Wan-deuk-i,” which has sold over 700-thousand copies since its publication in 2008. Set in a multiethnic family facing poor circumstances, the story delivers a hopeful message, “You can do it no matter how hard life may be.” The film “Punch” sends the same message to its audience, not through a typical rags-to-riches figure but through a troublemaking teenager and his idiosyncratic teacher. The film does not have dramatic twists or spectacular computer graphic images. But the heartwarming movie does have emotional scenes to move the audiences to tears as well as hilarious scenes to crack up the viewers. The scenes of Wan-deuk carrying his disabled father on his back and hugging his long-lost mother for the first time in his life are truly touching. On the other hand, the scene of the teacher’s father suddenly jumping up from his wheelchair and walking out of the room in anger is pretty funny. It turns out the old father just pretended to be sick in the wheelchair to draw sympathy from his defiant son.

In reality, it may be hard to find such a special relationship between a boy and his teacher as the one depicted in the film. But the audience members will feel the movie warms their hearts and find themselves hoping for a brighter future once again.