Minari (2020)

Directed by: Lee Isaac Chung | 115 minutes | drama | Actors: Alan S. Kim, Yeri Han, Noel Cho, Steven Yeun, Darryl Cox, Esther Moon, Ben Hall, Eric Starkey, Will Patton, Yuh-Jung Youn, Jacob M Wade, James Carroll, Jenny Phagan, Tina Parker, Chloe Lee

One afternoon, when Colorado native Lee Isaac Chung was compiling a list of fond memories from his childhood, the idea for “Minari” was born. That the end result was so well received—a Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film and two Sundance Film Festival awards, to name a few—was a pleasant surprise for the director. Especially since this was his last attempt as a filmmaker and he had already moved to South Korea to work as a professor. The Minari plant (Torkruid or Oenanthe in Dutch) can grow in places where few other plants grow, it cleans the soil and makes it fertile again. The plant is therefore a nice symbol for the film.

‘Minari’ is about a South Korean family, the Yi family, who move from California to rural Arkansas in the early 1980s to grow and sell Korean plants. However, trouble quickly crops up when Jacob’s wife, Monica (Yeri Han), is disappointed in their new home. She is also concerned about their son, David (Alan Kim), who has a heart condition and must live close to a hospital. This is not the life she imagined for herself. Jacob (Steven Yeun) doesn’t want to hear about this because he wants to make his dream as a farmer come true. Besides planting, he works with Monica as a chick sexer, where they have to separate the roosters from the hens. The monotony of this is an extra motivator for him to succeed as a farmer. While planting, he enlists the help of eccentric Korean War veteran Paul (Will Patton). They also have Monica’s mother, Soonja (Yuh-Jung Youn), come from South Korea so she can babysit the children while Jacob and Monica work at the chicken farm.

‘Minari’ is like an emotional diary from director Lee Isaac Chung. Various themes are explored, such as the love of a family, the importance of a dream and the price paid for it. Where the film initially seems to be about discrimination and racism, it soon becomes clear that this is minimal. The family pays little attention to this. After all, they are already challenged enough by other obstacles, such as the tensions within the family and how to face the daily challenges without breaking themselves. It is also a film about generation gaps and how they are overcome by the strength of the family.

Steven Yeun (‘Okja’, “The Walking Dead”) is convincing as Jacob who bites into his dream like a pit bull, and does so with a barely visible yet present anger to struggle out of being a chick sexer. It is perfectly complemented by Yeri Han who fluently expresses a wide range of emotional chords. The focus is mainly on Yuh-Jung Youn who, as grandmother, Soonja, claims the screen with her dominant presence. She is the symbol of the raw South Korean grandmother who disregards weak American conventions and is painfully honest. Little Alan Kim, as David, is the perfect answer for the grandmother, just as the grandmother is for David. The interaction between these two is natural and flawless. Noel Cho as Anne, David’s sister, is less present and her acting is slightly more artificial. Perhaps this stands out because everyone else is doing so well. Without Will Patton, as the very strange, pious and diligent Paul, the film would be a lot less colorful. His contribution is humorous and forms the necessary antidote to the tensions that can sometimes be cut.

It is clear from the way some scenes were filmed that Lee Isaac Chung has shaped his memories in green and gold. The plot of ‘Minari’ sounds boring but the depth and humor of the characters make the film a rich experience. The film is a mirror for everyone and makes people realize how important family is. That this is the pillow we lay our head on after a tiring day. It is about survival from the mundane as a result of both external and internal threats. And this is a theme that concerns us all, even if we sometimes don’t see it.