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Stars: Steven Yeun, Yeri Han, Yuh-Jung Youn, Will Patton, Alan Kim, Noel Kate Cho
Director: Lee Isaac Chung
Writer: Lee Isaac Chung
Rated: PG-13
This semi-autobiographical film by Chung is an immigration story about a family adjusting to life in America but it is also a tale of human behavior as a family tries to make it through the ups and downs of life while their love for one another is tested in many ways.
The focus of the movie is on a married couple named Jacob and Monica who leave Korea in the 1980’s for California to make a better life for themselves. While working as chicken sexers (identifying male and female chickens once born), they raise two children but cannot afford to live in the expensive Golden State so they move their young family to Arkansas in hope of success.
When they arrive in their new home, Monica is shocked to find out that Jacob has spent their life’s saving to purchase a small bit of land to realize his dream of becoming a farmer. The land comes with a broken-down old trailer where the family will need to live while continue their jobs as chicken sexers until they can get the farm going.
Overwhelmed with their new responsibilities, the couple realizes they need help with their two children so they send for Monica’s mother who still lives in Korea. With the arrival of Soon-ja (Yuh-Jung Youn) things change dramatically. She is a loving but foul-mouthed grandmother and her relationship with young David (played by Alan Kim) is a funny and tender one to behold. Soon-ja also brings with her a Minari plant and finds a place by the river to plant it unknown to her son-in-law. Minari is a plant that grows in Eastern Asia. It is a plant that has crisp stems with leafy tops that taste a little like parsley. It needs to grow by water. I realized towards the end of the movie why the film is named after this plant. It is a symbol for this brave, tough family who are willing to grow if just given enough water to live.
Minari won several awards including the Grand Prize in 2020 at Sundance and it is nominated for six Academy Awards including Best Picture which will be help later in April in 2021.
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