KUNR entertainment reviewer Robin Holabird finds strong family dynamics in the movie Minari, currently playing in theaters.
A little movie with big themes, Minari crosses paths with Grapes of Wrath and other stories about a derailed American dream. Set in Arkansas during the 1980s, Minari follows a family who flees economic hardship in Korea to find a better life farming their own land in the United States. So hopes Jacob Yi, who steadfastly refuses to accept the unrelenting challenges of nature and other inequities of life.
Requiring a day job to support the farm, Jacob and his wife work with other Koreans at a factory where they determine the sex of newly hatched chicks. Writing the story from some of his own experiences, director Lee Isaac Chung recalls such details from his past with heartfelt accuracy that makes his project feel both specific and universal. Not all families spend their day separating boy and girl chicks, but many do work hard jobs in the hope of improving their world.
Chung also expertly examines family dynamics, pulling together a mother, father, daughter, son, and grandma whose interactions feel natural in any language. Facial expressions, rather than dialogue, tell much of the story. Steven Yeun, famous for his role in The Walking Dead, silently captures Jacob’s obstinance and frustration as he deliberately puts his family through hardships that seem unnecessary to them. Alan Kim proves engaging as the family’s youngest, a boy suffering from a heart condition. Meanwhile, Yuh-jung Youn stands out as the kind of grandmother many may recognize, a woman whose life experience makes her try to correct areas where the kids go wrong.
Grandma’s input includes harvesting minari, an herb with a parsley flavor used to spice Korean food. Like the minari grandma plants, the Yi family can take root and flourish in a challenging environment. As a film, Minari absolutely flourishes, emanating a sweet freshness that sets it apart as a distinct reminder that the world is full of many flavors. Minari opened in theaters, with a Feb. 26 streaming date.
Robin Holabird is KUNR's entertainment reviewer, author and former film commissioner for the Nevada Film Office. Catch her commentaryFridays during Morning Edition at 6:42 a.m. and 8:42 a.m. PT.
