The Long Excuse
# The Long Excuse

The Long Excuse (永い言い訳) is a 2016 Japanese drama film directed by Miwa Nishikawa, starring Masahiro Motoki. It depicts the well-being and uncertainty of relationships through how people who suddenly lose their families restore their lives.

## Plot

Sachio (Masahiro Motoki) is a noted celebrity writer from the country, who has snobbishly dismissed his background and become somewhat arrogant. He has largely fallen out of love with his wife Natsuko (Eri Fukatsu), a hairdresser. When she dies in a bus crash, he is in bed with his mistress. Despite this, he feels no guilt, which disgusts his mistress, who, already racked with guilt, leaves him.

Sachio's wife was travelling on the bus with her friend Yuki (Keiko Horiuchi), who also died in the crash. He is contacted by her husband Yoichi Omiya, a truck driver who, with his wife's death, has been left to look after two small children and is not coping. Sachio offers to help, and assists with the raising of the children. When doing it, he ponders his own lack of grief for his wife, and realises that he is dealing with his own guilt by looking after the children. Sachio is forced to reevaluate his own life, including why he didn't have children of his own.

Yoichi too finds that he had become somewhat detached from his children. When Yoichi finds a new partner, Sachio has to leave the children. He ends up writing a new book about the experience, and plays an unexpected role in the children's lives, eventually finding some closure for the loss of his wife.

## Cast

* Masahiro Motoki as Sachio Kinugasa
* Eri Fukatsu as Natsuko Kinugasa
* Pistol Takehara as Yoichi Omiya
* Kenshin Fujita
* Tamaki Shiratori
* Keiko Horiuchi
* Sosuke Ikematsu
* Haru Kuroki
* Maho Yamada
* Izumi Matsuoka
* Shigeyuki Totsugi
* Hideto Iwai

## Awards

| Year | Award ceremony | Category | Recipients | Result |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 2016 | 41st Hochi Film Award | Best Picture | The Long Excuse | Nominated |
| 2016 | 41st Hochi Film Award | Best Director | Miwa Nishikawa | Nominated |
| 2016 | 41st Hochi Film Award | Best Actor | Masahiro Motoki | Nominated |
| 2016 | 41st Hochi Film Award | Best Supporting Actor | Pistol Takehara | Nominated |
| 2016 | 41st Hochi Film Award | Best Supporting Actor | Sosuke Ikematsu | Nominated |
| 2016 | 29th Nikkan Sports Film Award | Best Film | The Long Excuse | Nominated |
| 2016 | 29th Nikkan Sports Film Award | Best Director | Miwa Nishikawa | Nominated |
| 2016 | 29th Nikkan Sports Film Award | Best Actor | Masahiro Motoki | Nominated |
| 2016 | 29th Nikkan Sports Film Award | Best Supporting Actor | Pistol Takehara | Nominated |
| 2016 | 29th Nikkan Sports Film Award | Best Supporting Actress | Haru Kuroki | Nominated |
| 2017 | 71st Mainichi Film Awards | Best Film | The Long Excuse | Nominated |
| 2017 | 71st Mainichi Film Awards | Best Director | Miwa Nishikawa | Won |
| 2017 | 71st Mainichi Film Awards | Best Actor | Masahiro Motoki | Won |
| 2017 | 71st Mainichi Film Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Pistol Takehara | Nominated |
| 2017 | 40th Japan Academy Prize | Best Supporting Actor | Pistol Takehara | Nominated |
