Faith is everywhere in Lee Isaac Chung’s semi-autobiographical pastoral drama about a Korean immigrant family moving from California to the Arkansas Ozarks. Christian faith, certainly, but also faith in reason, in the American dream, in magical thinking, in ourselves and one another. Faith—or lack of it. Jacob Yi (Steven Yeun) can eke out a living chicken-sexing, but his dream is to grow Korean crops to sell to Asian markets in the city—a dream he more or less unilaterally imposes on his family, despite his wife Monica (Han Ye-ri) not really understanding what it will entail until they arrive at a mobile home in the middle of nowhere. The arrival of Monica’s elderly mother (Youn Yuh-Jung) from Korea helps, but creates new issues for little David (Alan Kim, in a pivotal role). While the story’s bones are familiar, characters and relationships are compelling and fleshed out with arresting details, from the children throwing paper planes bearing “Don’t fight” messages at their quarreling parents to the Sunday cross-bearing ritual of an eccentric, big-hearted Pentecostal fundamentalist who becomes Jacob’s right-hand man. Named for a hardy Korean herb, Minari insightfully explores the fragility of happiness and the tenacity of hope. — Steven D. Greydanus (Decent Films)
Arts & Faith Lists:
2020 Ecumenical Jury — #2