Given A Chance, You Can Grow Anywhere

Minari (2020) – A Korean family moves to Arkansas in search for a
new start and a better life.  The dreams of the husband and wife are
different, however.  With the arrival of the children’s grandmother,
life on their remote farm begins to change.

Directed by Lee Isaac Chung

Starring Steven Yeun, Yeri Han, Yuon Yuh-jung

Why
I Liked It – This is the classic immigrants searching for the “American
Dream” story, but told from a different cultural point of view.

Nominated
for six Oscars, “Minari” took home three.  Both Steven Yeun (best known
for “The Walking Dead”), and Yuon Yuh-jung won (Actor in a Leading
Role, and Actress in a Supporting Role), while the movie itself took top
honors for Best Motion Picture.  I have no argument with any of those,
or the nominations for Directing, Screenplay, and Original Score.  The
movie is a charmer from the first minute.  Lee Isaac Chung both directed
and wrote the movie.  My confession is that I expected some tried and
true immigrant cliches to creep into the story.  In large part, they
didn’t.  Jacob Yi (Yeun) suffers from a little tunnel vision when it
comes to his dream of a farm.  He starts by thinking he’s smarter than
he is.  It’s a mistake that will echo loudly later in the story. 
Meanwhile, Monica (Han) is a wife struggling between dedication to her
marriage and the profound betrayal she feels about the farm.  Her
husband led her to believe that the dream was different from the remote
farm with a mobile home for a house.  Their two kids find their own
challenges, including young David’s heart issues.

The last ditch
effort to pull this off involves Monica’s mother, Soonja. Yuon Yuh-jumg
is well known in Korea and makes her Hollywood debut here.  Here’s where
the easy cliche could have appeared.  Soonja is neither modern, hip
grandmother, nor scolding old school.  She stands with an understanding
of both sides.  As she works to find her place in a house where her
grandchildren barely know her, she grows into what the family needs. 
She will bring the minari (a Korean watercress-type vegetable, that
grows almost anywhere you plant it) into the equation.  For me, it
becomes the symbol of the family.  Something that can grow strong if
given a chance.

There’s one other member of the cast that I have
to give a nod here.  Will Patton (probably best known as Chick in 1998’s
“Armageddon”) is amazing as the mystical, simple (in the best sense of
the term) farmhand, Paul.  It’s easy to dismiss him as a simpleminded
religious fanatic, but Patton, a Lutheran pastor, brings something pure,
and special to the character.  Truly, a standout performance in the
middle of so many good performances.

Just so you know, 80% of the dialogue here is in Korean.  Subtitles aren’t an issue for me.  I will say this, everything else in the movie is so wonderful, I almost forgot to mention this here.  This movie is that good.

“Minari” is a movie about
love, sacrifice, hope, friendship, faith, and yes, the American Dream. 
It is gentle story filled with all of those words above.  The story is filled with emotion that will touch your heart.  It’s a story
about coming together in hard times, which makes it the kind of movie we
all need these days.

Rating – **** Recommended