'How to Make Millions' puts life into perspective

“How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies” (“Lahn Mah”) (2024). Cast: Putthipong Assaratanakul, Usha Seamkhum, Sanya Kunakorn, Jear Sarinrat Thomas, Pongsatorn Jongwilas, Tontawan Tantivejakul, Duangporn Oapirat, Himawari Tajiri, Wattana Subpakit, Phichai Prommate, Sumalee Suteeratham, Buppa Suttisanon, Paachan Hiranprateep. Director: Pat Boonnitipat. Screenplay: Pat Boonnitipat and Thodsapon Thiptinnakorn. Web site. Trailer. 

There are things in life more important than money, but sometimes we lose sight of that, unwittingly allowing our perspectives to become seriously skewed. Unfortunately, this usually happens most often when family-related considerations are involved. And those flawed perceptions, in turn, can become even further distorted when money is tied up with those familial matters, particularly when inheritance concerns loom. Such is the case for a Chinese-Thai family facing the prospects of what will happen to the assets of its terminally ill matriarch, as seen in the endearing domestic comedy-drama, “How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies” (“Lahn Mah”). 

Twenty-something M (Putthipong Assaratanakul) leads a somewhat directionless life. The university dropout and aspiring video game streamer is low on cash, which has forced him to continue living at home with his mother, Sew (Jear Sarinrat Thomas). Mom tolerates M staying under her roof, but she would really like to see him do something with his life other than playing video games all day, especially since she’s unconvinced that his dream of someday making a fortune off of it as a professional streamer is unlikely to materialize. So, to give him a nudge toward doing something more productive, Sew suggests that he become the caretaker of Mengju (Usha Seamkhum), his 79-year-old maternal grandmother (“Amah”), who had recently been hospitalized after a fall. M is not thrilled at the prospect, but he’s quietly hopeful that he’ll inherit her estate for his efforts. 

However, even with this potential financial incentive, M does not look forward to caring for Amah given her demanding and often-blunt demeanor. Nevertheless, he proceeds to assume this role at the urging of his cousin, Mui (Tontawan Tantivejakul), who had worked in a similar capacity caring for their recently deceased wealthy paternal grandfather, an undertaking that paid off handsomely with a sizable inheritance. But, to help ensure he ends up like his cousin, M secretly lists Amah’s house for sale, a gesture that he hopes will aid in moving the process along. 

Not long after M begins working as Amah’s caregiver, he learns that, while she was hospitalized, she was diagnosed with late-stage intestinal cancer and given only a year to live. That revelation changes the tenor of the circumstances, especially when he learns from other family members that her diagnosis hasn’t been revealed to her (a common practice with elderly patients in Asian cultures, as seen in such films as “The Farewell” (2019)). As someone who has taken on the responsibility of looking after Amah’s well-being, M is troubled that the news has been purposely withheld from her, partly for her own sake and partly because he suspects his relatives may be hiding this information as part of their plans to position themselves as the beneficiaries of her estate, their seeming attempts at compassion notwithstanding. So, to hedge against these agendas, he decides to tell Amah about her illness, something that she already suspected herself anyway. And, as a result of this, M learns that Amah is not as naïve as she has often been made out to be, that she possesses a certain degree of savvy street smarts that M’s relatives either don’t recognize or are unwilling to believe. This development, in turn, takes the relationship between M and Amah in an entirely new direction. 

Before long, M and Amah become closer, and he feels increasingly protective of her, especially where other family members are concerned, worried about their motives behind their dealings with her. For example, Amah’s oldest son, Kiang (Sanya Kunakorn), a wealthy stockbroker, suggests that she move into his well-appointed home with him and his family, daughter-in-law Pinn (Duangporn Oapirat) and granddaughter Rainbow (Himawari Tajiri). It’s a proposal that Amah politely considers, but M can tell she has little enthusiasm for it. At the same time, M is also wary of the intents of his Uncle Soei (Pongsatorn Jongwilas), Amah’s youngest child, who’s saddled with a pile of gambling debts. M suspects that his uncle is looking to get his hands on the title to Amah’s house so he can sell it to pay off his obligations. And, through all this, M wrestles with his feelings for having put Amah’s house on the market without her knowledge, a point driven home when a stranger shows up at the property to inquire about the status of the sale listing. 

The questionable maneuverings within the family give M pause to consider how events are unfolding around him and Amah. That’s particularly concerning to him as Amah’s health steadily fails. He also questions the motives with which he launched into this endeavor now that he sees his grandmother slipping away and gains a new appreciation for the genuine love she holds for him, a far cry from the mean old lady that he thought she was. And so, with the end game increasingly coming into play, M struggles to come to terms with his own feelings, putting matters into perspective, especially since his original intents for engaging in this undertaking now seem like they’re a million miles away. 

So how will M and his family members come away from this scenario? That remains to be seen, but it’s a sure bet that he will at least come through the experience a changed person. And much of the credit for that will be attributable to his beliefs, a crucial consideration in light of the role they play in the manifestation of his existence thanks to the conscious creation process, the philosophy that makes such outcomes possible. M may not have heard of this school of thought, but, based on how his reality has unfolded, it’s apparent that his beliefs have undergone significant changes compared to where he began, thanks to the influence of Amah and the beliefs underlying her intents. That’s a valuable life lesson, to be sure, one that he will undoubtedly be able to draw from in reconciling his feelings and outlooks about not only this particular situation, but also any others that come along in his life in the future. 

Beliefs are truly powerful tools for shaping the existence we wish to create, despite their inherently intangible nature. Yet, when employed deftly, they can work wonders, especially when it comes to putting matters into perspective. And, even though Amah might not outwardly appear to be adept in this regard, she is quite skillful in making use of them to frame her existence, even if she herself may not be fully aware of her ability to do so or how such outcomes actually result. 

At the core of her belief palette is her faith in the power of love to transform reality in the lives of others, and it’s a tool that can take on myriad forms. For example, she can see that her grandson is very much in need of getting his life on track, and it’s a project that he doesn’t seem particularly committed to tackling himself. He’s often unwilling to put in the effort and constantly looks for shortcuts to get himself to where he thinks he wants to be. Clearly, he needs guidance and mentoring, particularly in matters of perspective, and that’s where Amah comes in. 

For starters, Amah can see that M would benefit from a hefty dose of tough love as a way for learning how to take on personal responsibility, and his service as her often-demanding caregiver provides the means for this. It also provides a valuable lesson in helping M to shift his prevailing perspective on what truly matters most in life, namely, his relationships with others and what he contributes to them instead of robotically pursuing a love of money and material success at all costs. Amah never overtly lectures M about these subjects, but her deeds speak volumes in bringing about these changes, adjustments driven by the beliefs underlying her intents and actions. Admittedly, Grandma may seem a bit old-fashioned in some of her thinking and outlooks (especially when M first begins caring for her), but it’s also obvious that she’s no naïve dullard, either. She’s amassed a lifetime of experience, wisdom and insights, and, through her beliefs, she’s learned how to employ those abilities in coaching M. She’s determined to use this opportunity to not only get her own needs met, but also to give her often-lost grandson valuable lessons in finding much-needed direction in life. And, as events unfold over time, it’s apparent that the message sinks in given M’s noticeable change in outlook, intents and behavior. 

At the same time, Amah’s belief in love is also reflected in the generous (and unexpected) compassion she sometimes shows others. This surfaces over time as her relationship with M evolves, but it’s also apparent in her treatment of an undependable, self-serving family member whom many might say is wholly undeserving of her empathy, kindness and support. Indeed, some would contend that this individual needs a potent dose of tough love even more than M. However, in her infinite wisdom, Amah recognizes that there’s a difference between assertively but lovingly guiding someone through the errors of his ways (as with M) and unleashing a course of a cold, vicious punishment on a wrongdoer who commits shameful acts but who is also truly lost and in need of a lifeline (as with her wayward relation). In turn, this is where a sense of (and belief in) judicious discernment comes into play, an attribute that can ultimately make a big difference in terms of how events ultimately play out and over which Amah appears to have a firm grasp. 

These undertakings are particularly important to Amah herself given the state of her health and the dimming prospects for her future. She realizes that her time is running short but that she has tasks to complete before she passes. And her willingness to devote her time, energy and manifestation resources to them when she could just as easily allocate them to other pursuits reveals just how crucial they are to her. This is both a selfless act toward others, as well as one that respectfully honors one’s belief in living out one’s authentic nature and fulfilling one’s destiny. This is a practice sometimes referred to as value fulfillment, the act of being one’s best and truest self for the betterment of oneself and one’s familiars. Indeed, what better way is there to show respect for oneself than embracing beliefs that make such honorable and noble outcomes possible? 

In addition, by freely undertaking ventures like these, one can plant seeds that leave a legacy that’s carried forward through their impact on others. When Amah’s influence rubs off on M, she makes it possible for a part of her to live on through him in the time after her transition. That’s quite a gift to leave behind, not only for those directly affected, but also to the wider world in general. And that’s a result that money can’t buy. 

Determining what matters most in life can be challenging for many of us, but, with suitable, insightful guidance, it’s possible to come to meaningful realizations that can help us figure things out. In that regard, writer-director Pat Boonnitipat’s debut feature represents an impressive big screen premiere, one that’s thoughtful, sensitive, incisive and touching without becoming schmaltzy, manipulative or overly sentimental. The picture’s finely constructed narrative and superbly written screenplay – one that wisely went through a number of rounds of revisions on its way to reaching its final version – tell an engaging story with a skilled hand, quite an accomplishment for a first-time filmmaker, yielding a production that’s evenly paced and knows precisely when to employ its dramatic and comedic touches for maximum effect. This offering’s gifted ensemble (including several newcomers in key roles), gorgeous cinematography and suitably atmospheric background score all combine to make the most out of the well-crafted foundation underlying this material. If there’s anything that could use some improvement, it might be in tweaking the picture’s slightly stretched-out closing act, which could have benefitted from some modest editing, but that’s an easily overlooked shortfall in light of all of the film’s other outstanding attributes. 

“How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies” is truly a cinematic gem that has somehow flown well below many moviegoers’ radar, despite its international success, eventually becoming the all-time highest-grossing Thai film worldwide. Its critical acclaim also helped it be selected as one of 15 pictures for last year’s shortlist in the Academy Awards’ Best International Feature category, the first film from Thailand ever to receive such an honor (and one that should have earned the picture a slot on the final list of nominees compared to some of the other candidates that actually made the cut). Thankfully, this release is now widely available for streaming online, one of those pictures genuinely worth a look, though you might want to keep the hankie handy while watching it. Boonnitipat’s initial outing truly serves up meaningful observations for those times when we might be on the verge of losing perspective and how to rectify matters. 

In the crush of everyday living, with its myriad everyday challenges just to get by, it can be easy to lose sight of what’s really most important. Sometimes it takes a splash of cold water across the face to get our attention and to force us into refocusing, difficult though it might be. In the end, though, there’s a good chance that we’ll emerge from such circumstances as better people, wiser than we might have thought possible. And, because of that, we may also find ourselves rewarded in various ways, some of which could be beyond our imagination. Grandmothers seem to have a particular knack for generating such outcomes, and we should be thankful for their gift – and the many other gifts they may end up bestowing upon us as a result. 

Copyright © 2025, by Brent Marchant. All rights reserved.