It's the 1980s. Jacob (Steven Yeun) and Monica Yi (Han Ye-ri) immigrated to America from South Korea. As the film opens, they settle with their kids, Anne (Noel Cho) and David (Alan Kim), in an Arkansas farm house. By day, Jacob and Monica work at a hatchery sorting chickens. By night, they argue over the future of their family. David has a weak heart and the hospital is quite far away. But Jacob believes the farm will work out after all.
Grandma Soon-Ja (Youn Yuh-Jung) moves in with the family. She doesn't fit the bill of what David thinks a Grandma should be. She's still got wisdom for her grandson, comparing him to the resilient minari (water dropwort, in case you're wondering). But will the Yi family bond survive their time in Arkansas?
We see the family bond tested for 115 minutes. They suffer setbacks including a terrible thunderstorm, agricultural disappointment and bedwetting. We also see them enjoy their quiet life in Arkansas. The characters they meet (including Will Patton as Jacob's devout farmer friend, Paul) welcome them even if some do it rather awkwardly. The minari analogy proves apt for David. Overtime, we clearly see Jacob and Monica's frustrations develop further. It takes one last misfortune to bring them closer together.
The Yi family make a nice ensemble. Jacob wants to make his dreams come true. Unfortunately, they conflict with his family's well-being. Monica's concerns are understandable. Yeun and Han's performances are great. Much of the film revolves around David adjusting to his new life. He's a likable and mischievous kid all the way. Anne is compelling as she looks out for David and deals with her parents' fights. But it's Youn who stands out the most. She's anything but uptight; a total riot. We feel it when her health goes bad.
We first see the Yi family as they drive to their new home. They're surrounded by lush Arkansas (actually Oklahoma) scenery photographed by Lachlan Milne. We hear Emile Mosseri's enchanting score at its most emotional here. It's almost as if the film's saying life is beautiful. We certainly feel it even before we learn of the family drama. Mosseri's score, and his end credit track, Rain Song, are also shortlisted for the Oscars. They are certainly deserving of whatever praise comes their way.
Minari means a lot of things and I'm not just talking about the plant. It's a strong family drama appealing to American and immigrant viewers. It's a story about a family sticking together in tough times. It's also quite funny at times. It's certainly worth the $20 I payed to stream it. It's enough to get me fully interested in Chung's forthcoming live-action remake of Your Name. Hope it gets through.
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