OSCARS 2021: Minari (2020)

I tend to think of A24 as this small independent company, outside the mainstream, that is primarily beloved by Letterboxd junkies and Film Twitter types. The truth is, A24 has wracked up over thirty Oscar nominations since just 2015. That includes multiple wins, most notably the Best Picture statue for “Moonlight.” Even if A24 is well established by this point, the company can still be lauded for their ability to get people excited about unassuming movies. Director Lee Isaac Chung's first three features received good reviews but didn't exactly set the world on fire. Based on strong buzz coming out of Sundance, A24 took a chance on “Minari,” Chung's fourth film. It has since become the little movie that could, scooping up six Oscar nominations.

In the 1980s, father Jacob Yi moves his entire family out to the middle of Arkansas. Korean immigrants, Jacob and his wife Monica previously had stable jobs as chicken sexers in California. But it's Jacob's dream to start a farm. He buys a supposedly cursed slice of land, hires a religious fanatic farmhand, digs his own well, and attempts to grow crops. The story unfolds from the perspective of David, their sometimes sickly seven year old son. Soon, Monica's grandmother arrives from Korea to live with the family, sharing a room with David. This both adds to and subtracts from the family's struggles and achievements. 

“Minari” is a story with a lot of things on its mind, yet it never feels like a heavy-handed “issues” movie. We simply see these characters' lives, and all the complications that involves, unfold from the perspective of little David. This makes “Minari,” more than anything else, a simple coming-of-age story. David faces a lot of struggles of his own. He has some sort of heart condition, which his mother reminds him of often. He also struggles with bed-wetting. More than anything else, he is eager to find a place in his own family. He watches his parents' arguments and has trouble with his grandmother coming into his home. This is the story of a little boy trying to forge his own identity, aside from the problems he deals with. 

“Minari” is also a movie about a small businessman trying to establish himself. Jacob suffers through many difficulties. The well he digs soon runs dry, leaving both his crops and his home without water. He has to pay to use water from a neighbor, bleeding the family's finances. Despite the quality of the vegetables he grows, nobody in the city is interested in buying. Jacob has sunk every dollar he has into this farm. This is his dream. But realizing it is going to be a challenge. These kind of financial troubles, which so many hopes are tied in with, are something just about any one can relate to. 

Mostly, “Minari” is a story of family. Every day, the members of the Yi family have to make choices concerning each other. Monica questions whether her future truly lies with Jacob or not, considering the grim prospects of his farming dream. David has to make peace with his grandmother, an intrusion into the peaceful life the boy hopes for. (Some of his pranks against her are especially nasty.) Older child Anne too often is left to stand back and watch, pulled between the various goals. Despite all the conflicts they have, the Yi family ultimately depends on each other. “Minari” is most powerful as a story of familial love persevering in the face of hardships. 

The aspect of “Minari” that struck me as the most interesting is how it operates as a culture clash story. Most of the family, David especially, have attempted to integrate themselves fully into American culture. Despite that, and making friends with the local white kids, the older folks can't help but bring up the Korean War. While at church, a girl starts repeating Asian-sounding nonsense to Anne, until she stumbles upon an actual Korean word. Monica is a devout Christian and attempts to raise her children in the faith. Yet this is constantly tested by the farmhand Jacob hired. A mentally unstable religious fanatic, the man speaks into tongues and drags a cross around the road on Sundays. Later, the local kids mock the man, which causes David to feel very unusual indeed. The Yis are doing their best to fit in but are always outsiders in American culture.

“Minari” is a funny and charming story. It's told with a  relaxed hand, Chung's direction comfortably living with these characters and their world. (The film is, unsurprisingly, inspired by his own childhood.) The cinematography is softly gorgeous. The music is memorable and lovely.  The acting is wonderful all around, with Youn Yuh-jung being especially charming as the pro-wrestling loving grandmother. I can see why so many people have embraced this movie so warmly. It's a lovable experience. It feels simultaneously singular and unfocused to me, kind of minor while also tackling a dozen different themes. Yet I still totally understand why so many people love this one. [7/10]