Set during the 1980's the Korean American Yi family moves from California to a rural plot of fifty acres in Arkansas in search of their own American Dream. Arriving at the new home is husband and father Jacob Yi (Steven Yeun), his wife and mother Monica (Han Ye-ri), older daughter Anne (Noel Kate Cho) and younger son David (Alan Kim). Although Jacob has visited the property before, this is the first time that the other family members have clapped eyes on the place, and suffice to say there are none too pleased with the sight that greets them. There new home in the Ozarks hinterland is a mobile home propped up on wheels that seems to be a far cry from the comforts they enjoyed in California. But nonetheless Jacob is determined to make a go of it and live off the land, by cultivating Korean crops which he will sell to markets and shops in Dallas to sustain the 40,000 or so Korean immigrants to America every year.
To help mind the children throughout the day, they arrange for Monica's mother Soon-ja (Youn Yuh-jung) to travel from Korea to live with them. David, who only meets his grandmother for the first time, is forced to share his bedroom with her, and he goes out of his way to avoid her because she does not conform to his idea of how a grandmother should be - she swears a lot, doesn't bake cookies and smells are just some of his complaints. That said, Soon-ja attempts to adjust to life in the US and bond with her grandchildren.
In the meantime, Jacob's crops are growing well and plentiful, although one day he notices that the drip irrigation lines have stopped running. The well that Jacob dug some months earlier had run dry. He is reluctant to pay for county water, but ultimately is forced to do so. He also encounters additional challenges, such as the vendor in Dallas cancelling their order just as he was about to dispatch it. Still, he perseveres despite Monica's repeated wishes to return to California. This puts extra strain on their marriage.
One day Soon-ja takes David out walking on the property, and they come to a stream where she says to the young boy that they should plant minari seeds by the waters edge. She tells them of how resilient and useful the plant is, and predicts plentiful growth, using the seeds that she brought over from Korea. David gradually starts to bond with his grandmother after she teaches him card games, bandages a wound to his foot, and gently strokes him to sleep. She also encourages him to be more physical, suggesting he run more even though his parents discourage any form of physical activity that would put undue pressure on his already fragile heart, saying that he is stronger than they think he is.'Minari' moves along at a slow lumbering pace with nothing really by way of story line other that what goes down in the daily lives of this immigrant family that have moved from Korea to California to rural Arkansas in search of the great American Dream - and do the get there? Well kind of I guess, but not without hardship and anguish along the way. This is hardly an uplifting film, although at the end there is some light at the end of the tunnel as the family seem to have reconciled themselves to their fate. The positives are the performances from the principle cast most notably young Alan Kim and the family matriarch Youn Yuh-jung who is not afraid to speak her mind, uses profanity, plays practical jokes and makes decisions in isolation of others no matter the consequences. The full range of human behaviour and emotions are on display here which adds depth and heart to the otherwise thin story, and a poignancy to Director Chung's autobiographical film of his own upbringing in rural Arkansas.
'Minari' warrants four claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a potential five claps.
-Steve, at Odeon Online-
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