MINARI – A Review by John Strange
Many people have the dream to own land and grow crops to feed themselves and the world. We have seen many stories written about them. This dream has no race, creed, or color. Minari is one of these stories, told from the viewpoint of the Korean-American family who move from California to a farm near a small Arkansas town in the 1980s.
The greatest of the obstacles, summer heat with no rain, beats on the family. This adds to the family tensions already inflamed by the move away from her family.
The parents, Jacob (Steven Yeun) and Monica (Yeri Han), start work at the local chicken plant sexing chicks (determining the sex of the chicks – females go to farms, males are destroyed). This leaves them with no one to watch their kids, Anne (Noel Cho) and David (Alan S. Kim). Jacob lets Monica bring her mother to the farm. Soonja (Yuh-jung Youn) arrives from Korea with gifts of Korean chili powder and other delicacies.
David hates this as Grandma is put in his room to sleep. And she, at least to his way of thinking, doesn’t act much like a real grandmother as she doesn’t cook but she sure does cuss!
Into this mix comes a man who is different than most people you will meet in your lifetime, one who is uniquely suited to living in rural Arkansas. Paul (Will Patton) is generally disheveled and tends to break into prayers that include speaking in tongues. His religious beliefs are a bit off plumb, highlighted by how he worships on the Sabbath, every Sunday. With Paul’s help, Jacob manages to bring in a crop despite adverse conditions.
The adversities the family endure add to the tension of the story. This is a story that could be told about families of any ethnic background, but writer/director Lee Isaac Chung tells us a story that is more than just the story of a family striving to make a living off the land. The family must find a way forward as they reconcile their way of life within the constraints of living in the rural Ozarks.
The story is very well-written. Paul gives us a great contrast with the rest of the locals while Soonja’s attitude towards life contrasts brilliantly with Jacob and the family as they try to find their bearings in an almost alien Ozark world. This is a story with truth and heart that bring its level of quality well above the crowd.
Much like the plant that gives its name to the movie, Minari eventually cleans the players souls and makes them better people.
Director: Lee Isaac Chung
Cast: Steven Yeun, Yeri Han, Alan Kim, Noel Kate Cho, with Yuh-Jung Youn and Will Patton
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for some thematic elements and a rude gesture)
Selig Rating: 4.5 Stars
Runtime: 115 Min.
Movie Site: MINARI Official Site
Trailer: MINARI Official Trailer HD – A24
Release Date: Austin, DFW, and Houston theaters on Friday, February 12, and on-demand Friday, February 26, 2021
The Selig Rating Scale:
5 Stars – Excellent movie, well worth the price.
4 Stars – Good movie
3 Stars – OK movie
2 Stars – No need to rush. Save it for a rainy day.
1 Star – Good that I saw it on the big screen but wish I hadn’t paid for it.
