The race toward award season is, still, very much alive. Now, the big distributors are unleashing their last bit of Oscar bait and so on, in hopes of making a big splash when the nominees are finally announced, which will be here in just about a month’s time from now.

So, what is the Academy looking for, exactly? Well, if the recent trend is to continue, there should be some surprises, depending on what sector of the movie-watching population you belong to. Although I knew some people who watched “Parasite” and I did not hear of one, solitary piece of negative feedback on the film, overall it was not a major hit in the United States. However, it was a worldwide success and performed unusually well, here, for an international movie.

Amid all of the talk about the Academy Awards being more inclusive toward minority groups, over the years, one, specific set of minorities, which has actually been underrepresented, is that of the Asian community. While blacks have risen to a high success rate, once the number of nominees compared to the number of victories has been accounted for, the pleas for more voices in other sectors of society have not been very noticeable. All I can say is that Asians have been amongst us for almost the same amount of time as any other race in this country and, so, there is no reason why they should not be present during award season if they have, in fact, earned the right to be there, which I am sure we all would agree, they have.

“Minari” is described on its Wikipedia page as an American comedy-drama, but allow me to clarify that it is most-certainly a drama first and a comedy second. In Korean, the term minari, itself, translates to ‘water dropwort.’ For ages upon ages the beneficial properties of various plants have been known to all corners of the world and this example is probably no different. The film was written and directed by Lee Isaac Chung (“I Have Seen My Last Born”) and he was, also, the movie’s Producer. According to my sources, the last time he took on all three of these roles for one of his films was with 2010’s “Lucky Life.”

At the opening of the movie, we see a family closing in on a small, empty property. There is a cargo vehicle, a station wagon and a mobile home. Setting out to view the land and the new surroundings is the Yi family, comprised of: Jacob, played by Steven Yeun (“Burning”); Monica, played by Han Ye-ri (“Champion”); David, played by Alan Kim and Anne, played by Noel Kate. Jacob has moved his family from an urban environment in California to a rural environment in Arkansas. He hopes to make a better life for everyone with the plan to become a successful farmer, catering to other Koreans, who are migrating, in spades, to America. In the meantime, he and his wife, Monica, are working at a chicken factory, where they separate the males from the females. Jacob soon explains to his son, David, that the males are considered useless because they cannot lay eggs and are quickly disposed of once they are separated from the females. Try to imagine Jacob’s mental state as he says this to David and encourages him to strive to make himself useful to others.

As the Yis insert themselves into their new community, they learn quickly about the adjustments they will likely need to become familiar with: heavy rain and tornadic activity; building one’s own water source and making sure that it stays readily available; deeply religious, but exceedingly friendly neighbors, who are mostly white; etcetera… Keep in mind that this all takes place in the 1980s, though there are very few references to that and only a handful of potential, nostalgic details (one of which was incorrectly used because it actually came from the 1990s). Before too long, you will probably find yourself caring for what happens to this family, which is the mark of showcasing great depth in the characters and is conveyed by a lot of fine acting and solid screenwriting, overall.

The only issue I seemed to have was that the story was moving along quite slowly, early on. It made me wonder if there were some moments that could have been shortened, without losing the impact of the great character developments, or if some additional story elements could have been included, somehow. In any case, the arrival of Monica’s mother, moving in from South Korea, significantly altered the rest of the story. Soon-ja, played expertly by Youn Yuh-jung (“Beasts Clawing at Straws”) is new to American cinema, but visibly experienced as an actress and carries most of the great, comedic timing, throughout the remainder of the film. However, she also carries the bulk of the weight in tragedy, as you will find out further down the road.

The best I can say about “Minari” is that it is an honest story that treats its prospective audience with respect. There is no preachy or condescending tone. The depictions and interactions of the characters are pleasantly positive, for the most part, which I find refreshing in today’s world. You can see the difference a mere two-generation of separation can make in just a single family. Some of those elements are good and some of them are bad, but the movie never tries to tell you what to think and I greatly appreciate that. I should add that there is one other character who plays an important role in the story: Will Patton (“Hammer”) as Paul. He is well-meaning, but eccentric and showcases the relative differences in a pluralistic society. He exists, in some form, in every aspect of our American lives and although he might make us feel uncomfortable, he is rarely ever a serious threat. Just make sure you are paying attention to what goes on in the final scene. The way that it connects to the rest of the story could make or break your opinion, as it did mine, on whether this is a good movie or a very good movie. It is very good!

Director: Lee Isaac Chung
Screenwriter: Chung
Music: Emile Mosseri (“Kajillionaire”)
Starring: Steven Yeun, Han Ye-ri, Alan Kim, Noel Kate Cho, Youn Yuh-jung and Will Patton
Distributor: A24
Release: January 26th, 2020 (Sundance) and February 12th, 2020 (United States)