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As soon as “Minari” starts taking shape, it becomes clear that there is a disconnect between Jacob Yi’s goal of achieving his American Dream and the doubts his wife Monica has on what it will cost.

Jacob (Steven Yeun) is enthusiastic about his family’s new start harvesting Korean vegetables on a 50-acre farm in Arkansas, while Monica (Han Ye-ri) is hesitant about their decision to uproot their family’s life in California.

Writer and director Lee Isaac Chung’s Academy-Award-nominated semi-autobiographical film reflects a simple, yet emotional story of a family trying to survive in a world not designed for them to succeed. The audience can tell how near and dear to Chung’s heart this project was. Chung uses his own experiences growing up on a farm to showcase the struggles the Yi family have to endure to ensure any potential success at finding their American Dream.

The film runs at a meditative pace that allows you time to reflect and learn. “Minari” is down-to-earth — never trying to be gaudy or showy — and Chung relied on subtle features to get his message across.

Jacob stays optimistic about his chances with the farm, buying into the mindset as a prototypical 20th century American farmer. Jacob is often seen sporting a flat baseball cap, with cigarettes almost always present in his breast pocket, trying to assimilate to rural culture.

In Arkansas, Jacob tries to create the life he always wanted to live. But despite constant struggles that hinder his chances at achieving his dream, he still is unwilling to let it die.

Monica, on the other hand, hasn’t fully bought into the same type of mindset since she saw a clear risk in her family making the move. She was accustomed to her old life back in Los Angeles despite consistent struggles to make ends meet.

In Arkansas, she longs for any semblance of her culture and life, bursting into tears when her mother brings her anchovies from Korea later in the film. She tries to make it work on her own at first, but her isolated life and her lack of faith in her husband’s farm strains the couple’s relationship. This tension brews throughout the film and leads to a heartbreaking tipping point.

The performances in the film are strong throughout, with special praise going to Monica’s mother, Soonja (Yuh-Jung Youn), as she takes over the film once she enters the picture. Soonja brought comedic undertones, an unfiltered mindset and a heartwarming performance.

The entire family, especially the family’s son, David, feels obstructed by Soonja’s presence when she arrives. David does not believe she’s a “real grandma” because she does not adhere to traditional American grandmother mannerisms. She often walks around in male underwear, constantly swearing and, most importantly to David, she doesn’t know how to bake cookies. But through time, their relationship evolves subtly into a loving one, executed without it feeling forced.

Yuh-Jung Youn’s performance has garnered her a well-deserved Oscar nomination, and Steven Yeun, who was also nominated for his role, brings desperation and heartache to a character that would be easy to root against if it was given to the wrong actor. And outside of the Oscars, Will Patton’s performance as Paul, a Jesus-touting neighbor of the Yi’s, also stood out.

Chung does an excellent job at subverting expectations. Many directors would often highlight cultural generalizations or prejudices, but Chung stays away from them for the most part. While David and his older sister Anne (Noel Kate Cho) are reminded that they are different — including a young boy at church asking David, “Why is your face flat?” — the movie doesn’t allow race to overshadow the story Chung is trying to tell.

Published on April 12, 2021 at 7:50 pm