在这部我儿汉生家庭片中,改編自臺灣女作家蕭颯的小說。以一個母親的觀點，敘述孩子曲折而又充滿困惑的成長歷程。
漢生幼時極受父母寵愛，少年時代經常惹事生非，高中時期跟不良少年一起，帶濃厚的叛逆氣息，與父母有了疏離，到書店偷書，用父親的匕首刺殺玩幫裏小頭目，屢受學校處分，轉到市郊學校又因寫小字報揭老師貪臧而被開除。他對社會和家庭，多表不滿，連為慶賀他的妹妹漢琳考進大學外文系，一家到飯店吃頓牛排，都認為是奢侈。服兵役退伍後，追求獨立，有著一般青年那種憤世疾俗脾氣，事事不如意。女朋友見他一事無成，也與他分手。他只得去開計程車，為父親所反對，汉生乃负气离开家，不幸发生车祸，两老默然对望，感叹为人父母的艰难。说明台湾现代社会父母与子女的代沟，父母如何爱护和理解青少年，是青少年能健康成长的一个重要关键。
A low-keyed film about a mother's relationship with her growing son. The middle-class Mrs. Pan lives in Taipei, is married to a mainlander, and has two children, her son Han-sheng and a younger daughter Han-lin. She is always worrying about Han-sheng getting good grades, passing his university entrance exams, getting the right job, his love life, and his rebellion against his home and school.
