MINARI

US, 2020, 115 minutes, Colour.
Stephen Yuen, Yeri Hahn, Alan S.Kim, Yuh- jung Youn, Will Patton.
Directed by Lee Isaac Chung.

Arkansas. The 1980s. The Reagan era and hopes for prosperity.

Into the countryside with a family, Korean migrants who have been living and working in California, labouring with 16 chickens. The father Jacob (Steven Yeun)) has bought a property and is determined to support his family and live the American dream . The mother, Monica (Yeri Han) is sceptical, especially when she sees the trailer like dwelling. They have a daughter, Anne (Noel Cho), and a little boy, David and Alan Kim), who has a heart condition requiring him to be near a hospital. Jacob is single-minded. Monica is argumentative. The children are upset by the fights.

We know that this is going to be a struggle for survival. Jacob is independent, not wanting to pay for a water diviner, digging a well which may not supply sufficient water for his crops, Korean vegetables that he hopes to sell to Korean-Americans?. Bank loans, Monica working full-time with chickens, Jacob working part-time, buying a tractor. He also becomes friends with a local character, Paul (will Patton), hard-working, religious, eccentric as he carries a large cross along the roads every Sunday. The family are welcomed into the local church.

One solution for coping with problems is for the family to enable Monica’s mother to come from Korea to join them. Audiences may have been expecting a sweet old lady, but… She is tough, not against rough language, is unable to cook, snores, and David is forced to share his room with her. He is not pleased.

The strange thing about the drama is that while there is a great deal about the work on the farm, the work with the chickens, so much of the drama, with comic touches, is devoted to the relationship between the grandmother and David. In some ways, this makes the screenplay lopsided, many audiences much more interested in the story of grandmother and grandson rather than the problems on the farm.

As might be expected, in real life as well is in the drama like this, disaster looms. And there are complications with Monica thinking about leaving, Jacob becoming determined, more determined, testing his choices about family and farm. There is bad news with grandmother’s health. There is better news with David’s health. And, then, fiercely shown in the trailer, perhaps unfortunately, a fire.

And the title? The grandmother has brought with her and her from Korea (amongst some other local produce her drink which David detests, throwing it out and being into the glass and testing out his grandmother). She planted near a water hole where it thrives. A symbol.

Audiences have been very moved by this story and its characters, the struggle for survival, the hopes for success. Golden Globe winner for Best Foreign Language Film.



1. Awards and acclaim? A piece of Americana? Asian migrants in the 1970s and 1980s? Heritage?

2. The setting, the mention of the Reagan era and optimism? Arkansas, the countryside, the fields, the woods, waterhole? Farming? The home on wheels, the barns? The church? The visit to the city, hospital and doctors, Korean vegetable dealers? The musical score?

3. The story of a family, the background in Korea, but Monica, their names, courtship, marriage, their children? The dreams of settling in America, prospering? California, the years of chicken sexing? Jacob’s decision to buy the property, ambitions? To care for the family? Monica and her criticisms, disappointments, argumentative, the fights?

4. The home, the arrival, settling in, Jacob and his hopes? A larger property, development? The plan for Korean vegetables for the migrants? The need for water, the experience of the water diviner and his costs, not wanting to pay, finding a waterhole and digging? The encounter with Paul, the tractor, the deals, ploughing the fields, the vegetables? Working with Paul? The seasons, the rains?

5. The work for chicken sexing, Monica and the years of doing this work, Jacob doing this work throughout the day to get money, the friendly lady with Monica, and the pace of the work in Arkansas is slower than California? Monica and her patience with the work, bringing the chickens home, practising? The burning of the male chicks? Jacob, arms weary, dropping the box of chickens of the work?

6. The visit to the church, their being welcomed? Later visits to the church, the food afterwards, David and the encounter with me and his blunt question about his flat face? The
growing friendship, the sleepover, David teaching Johnny cards, the bond between the two? And, older than David, some teasing, making friends?

7. David, his health, his heart, blood pressure, his mother and the stethoscope? Not being able to run? His feeling this hindrance? His age, touch of mischief, relationship with each parent?

8. Financial issues, borrowing the bank? The decision to invite Monica’s mother? Her arrival, her manner, tough, not able to cook, the touch of the swearing, playing cards, David disapproving?

9. Paul, religious, the previous owners and the suicide, his wanting to exorcise the fields in the house, the image of him carrying his cross along the street, his religious practice every Sunday, Pentecostal, talking in tongues, prayer? The kids and their reaction? Jacob later bringing him into the house and allowing him to pray? His being welcomed for the meal?

10. The crops, the variety of vegetables, satisfaction? The lack of water, joining the local water distribution, the cost, running out?

11. David and his grandmother, sleeping in the same room, her snoring? Playing tricks with her, her liking Mountain dew, making the brew which she didn’t like, his being in the cup and her drinking? His father’s severity, the sticks and the punishment, holding his arms up?

12. The background of Jacob and Monica bickering, the heavy arguments, the effect on the children?

13. The grandmother, her/, the hospital, returning home, disabled yet participating?

14. The visit to the city, to the doctor, the good results, David’s heart and the hole lessening? Able to run? The visit to the food distributor, his welcoming the vegetables, the possibility of further contracts?

15. Jacob and Monica, Monica and her desperation, confronting her husband, wanting to make choices, her wanting to move, to leave, his options? His going to the dealer, her anger that he was making a decision for the farm? The farm over family?

16. Grandmother, at home, putting rubbish in the fire, it’s spreading, the burning of the barn? The family arriving, trying to save some of the produce? The collapse? The grief, walking away, David want him back, his running to catch her?

17. The grandmother and David going to the waterhole, Min Ari, her planting the seeds, the abundant growth, Jakob going with David, picking the Min Ari, a suitable crop?

18. Tragedy leading to some kind of hope, regrowth, bonding the family, finding a place in society, Koreans in the United States?