[FILM REVIEW] MINARI (2021)

Written and directed by Lee Isaac Chung, the film Minari tells the tale of a family of Korean immigrants as they struggle to make a living in rural America. The film stars Steven Yeun, Han Ye-ri, Alan Kim, Noel Kate Cho, Youn Yuh-jung, and Will Patton. Minari had recently won the Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Film at the 78^th Golden Globe Awards. Even before that, the film had received the U.S. Dramatic Grand Jury Prize and the U.S. Dramatic Audience Award when it premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival. Minari means  “water dropwort” in English. It is a herb plant usually eaten as namul, prepared as a side dish. 

The American Dream

The film dives into the story of a family of immigrants who moved to Arkansas in hopes of living the American dream in the 1980s. Jacob (Steven Yeun) has dreams of growing and selling Korean produce, noting that the number of Koreans living in America is quite sizeable. With that in mind, he employs Paul (Will Patton) to help him with his crops. It is certainly not an easy feat.

Back in California, Jacob and his wife Monica (Han Ye-ri) make a living by determining the sex of chicks and grouping them accordingly. Even in Arkansas, they had to work in a nearby hatchery, in order for them to afford growing their own crops and also to sustain their family’s way of life. Not everything goes the way they would have liked things to be —  which leads to constant arguing between Jacob and Monica in the household.

Their son David (Alan Kim) has a heart condition, which worries Monica a lot. Soon, they realise that they needed someone to help take care of their children while they work. Monica suggests bringing in her mother Soon-ja (Youn Yuh-jung) from Korea to help with the kids.

Grandmother Soon-ja

With the arrival of Soon-ja comes a little bit of comedic relief in the middle of the drama. The couple’s children, David and Anne (Noel Kate Cho), were wary of Soon-ja at first. David thinks that Soon-ja does not act like a “real” grandmother, as she constantly does things which goes against the norms.

Soon-ja tries her best regardless, attempting to make herself at home and to get closer to her grandchildren. Several funny moments ensue as David tries his best to annoy his grandmother and chase her away. However, his actions only make Soon-ja find him even more endearing.

The eccentric grandmother teaches them card games, and even encourages David to challenge himself physically from time to time when they go on walks. Alas, not all good things last forever as something happens to Soon-ja overnight.

Minari by the Creek

While Jacob is busy planting his crops, Soon-ja instead plants minari seeds with David and Anne by the creek. The crops grow various types of Korean vegetables, which Jacob has planned to sell to Korean grocers in the city. While Jacob has always been giddy about his current endeavour and what the future holds, his wife does not see eye to eye with him. Monica has always wanted to go back to California and live a life without too much worries.

At one point, Monica suggests that they go to church as a family in the hopes of making friends with other Americans in the area. It is interesting to see the family members trying to assimilate into the American society by interacting with other people in the community and trying to keep up with them.

At the end of the day, it is all about survival. There is no doubt that in order to survive in a different environment, there is a certain level of assimilation required. However, where is the limit? And how much of your own culture and familial ties are you willing to sacrifice in the process?

The minari plant which symbolizes resilience serves as a message by the end of the film. While viewers may be taken aback, there are several underlying lessons to be learnt.

Minari showcases the realistic ups and downs that immigrant families in America go through as they struggle to survive in the 1980s. Avid film viewers may enjoy watching the film more than once to pick out the various subtle messages that director Lee Isaac Chung may have placed throughout the entire film.

Running Time: 115 minutes
The Seoul Story’s Ratings: 5/5

We would like to extend our huge thanks to Encore Films for the invite!

Written by: Aqilah