"Minari" -- Movie Review

 

This week, I streamed A24 Film’s drama “Minari”. 

Synopsis

When a family of Korean immigrants move to Arkansas to start a new life, will they be able to remain intact as they pursue their definition of success?

Story

In the early 1980’s, Jacob (Steven Yeun) and his wife Monica migrated to the United States from Korea.  Initially, they lived in California, where they had two children:  Anne, the oldest and David, who lives with a serious heart condition.  Together, the couple just barely eked out a living there, but couldn’t get ahead.  Jacob’s ambition spurred him to buy a home in Arkansas and move his family there.  The plan is to start his own farm where he can grow Korean produce.  Why Korean?  His research tells him that with thousands of Korean immigrants flocking to America each year, they will likely be homesick and want foods familiar to them.  

Once Monica and their children move to Arkansas, they are shocked by the new home in which they will now be forced to live:  it turns out to be a trailer rather than an actual house.  Monica is particularly upset about this, especially given the fact that they have no neighbors because they are in the middle of nowhere; this is of special concern due to David’s condition as they are at least an hour’s drive away from a hospital.  Nevertheless, Jacob and Monica work at a chicken ranch sexing baby chicks in order to earn a subsistence living; in his spare time, Jacob builds the farm.  He purchases a tractor from Paul (Will Patton), an eccentric old coot whom he later hires him as a farmhand.   

Eventually, Soonja, Monica’s elderly mother, leaves Korea to move in with them.  This somewhat upsets the family balance as she and David don’t get along at all.  This is exacerbated by the fact that the two now have to share the same bedroom -- not to mention her personality is a bit on the crusty side to begin with.  Over time, Jacob is forced to overcome a wide variety of obstacles when attempting to make a go of his farm.  With Monica unhappy anyway, this causes a strain in their marriage.  When an unforeseen accident occurs which threatens the viability of his farm, can Jacob still make his farm work or will Monica and her mother take the kids and leave him?

Review

The title “Minari” references a type of water plant that is common in Korea; it’s similar to watercress, but with a much stronger flavor.  Without giving away too much, it’s used as the title because it plays a significant part in the story.  As far as “Minari” the movie is concerned, it is one of the most heartfelt tales of humanity imaginable.  It would be easy to characterize this as about Korean immigrants, but that’s an egregious oversimplification.  In fact, it is a truly American story that just happens to be told through the eyes of Korean immigrants. 

This family aspires to The American Dream – but what the movie reminds us is that the dream can only be attained through hard work, sacrifice and the ability to be resilient in the face of setbacks.  But “Minari” is so much more than merely that; it is a film that is rich in both allegory and significance.  Additionally, it forces us to remember that the sense of community – whether it comes in the form of family, religion or friends – is vitally important to much of society.  Community serves as the glue that binds us all together.  Lastly, it should not be lost on anyone the timeliness of this story, given the uptick of anti-Asian sentiment resulting from the pandemic.

Following the movie, there was an interview with writer/director Lee Isaac Chung and the cast.  Chung talked about the deeper meaning of the title, stating that minari is a plant capable of growing virtually anywhere – even under poor conditions.  Also, minari has the curious benefit of purifying both the surrounding soil and water in the area in which it has grown.  This in and of itself is a powerful symbol for the impact of immigration, as an influx of an unfamiliar culture can have a positive impact on society; sadly, since this is a so-called “art-house” film, this concept is probably preaching to the choir and the people who need to see it likely won’t.