When Monica asks Jacob which family the move was really for, what does she mean? Why does Jacob mention that he's the eldest son? Demonstrate personal and collective agency. Soon-ja repeatedly tells her daughter to let David be a normal child. I' ve had the feeling of following the film Minari around for a few months now since the first time I saw the trailer last year. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. Minari DRAMA A tender and sweeping story about what roots us, Minari follows a Korean-American family that moves to an Arkansas farm in search of their own American Dream. Reflect on their own role in promoting personal, family, and community well-being. (7:56-9:40), Clip #2: A thunderstorm is in full swing, and everyone's scared. What are our options when our priorities are fundamentally different from a loved one's? What unfolds from there may read like a normative immigrant tale of three generational differences, but it felt much more unique than that. Heres how it works. What are the challenges of maintaining a culture while being a part of another one? Beyond the tornado, why is she angry? One theme I take away from "Minari" is strength, specifically the perseverance people demonstrate in the face of hardship. We see this theme of strength played out with David's character. Though she's not avery dynamiccharacter, she plays a huge role in holding everything together. Please refresh the page and try again. In Minari, writer-director Lee Isaac Chung (Munyurangabo) documents a South Korean immigrant familys pursuit of happiness in rural Arkansas. It feels so authentic and deeply personal, but also universal in a way that many can see themselves and their family in one or all of these characters. Jacob hires a dowser to find water. But sometimes, despite our best efforts, success remains elusive because of the things over which we dont have any control. 'Minari' is about immigrants who speak Korean. Soon-ja, who has recently suffered a stroke, accidentally sets fire to the barn where Jacob keeps his produce. Beyond the tornado, why is she angry? People often fall into roles in families: The peacemaker, the comedian, the caretaker, etc. When she's not putting on a spontaneous vaudeville show with her daughter, Christine loves nature,music, and almost any form of dark chocolate. When it comes to representation, its hard not to feel the lack of differences and experiences onscreen. To access over 90 analyses of previous movie scripts we have read and discussed at Go Into The Story, go here. A24. Beyond the snake, what does Soonja mean about things that hide? -- that illustrates this time. Students can write down responses individuallyand then discuss in pairs, small groups, or as a whole class. Lists with This Book This book is not yet featured on Listopia. What are some examples to support your idea? They'll also considerhow this might play out for others who aren't like themselves. The movie taps into common family dynamics that most students will connect with,while complicating those dynamics through a story of migration and cultural displacement. (1:31:41-1:35:41), Clip #15: Soonja accidentally sets fire to the produce shed. How do priorities seem to shift during the fire? Why do you think the filmmakers linger on the shot of the smokestack at the end of this scene? Jacob explains that the male chicks are discarded, so it's important to be useful. (1:12:32-1:18:35), Clip #13: Monica tells Anne she's so grown up, taking care of everyone. So we have to push back on the idea that it is a universal immigrant story about the American dream. But Chung's brilliance is in how he adds depth and complexity to those foundational ideas - it's in the spaces in between that we find love, loss, hope,. Minari is a semi-autobiographical drama film about a Korean-American family growing up in rural Arkansas during the nineteen-eighties. Minari Endoh 4.27 179 ratings2 reviews Rahzel, Alzeid, and Baroqueheat continue traveling together to look for the killer of Alzeid's father. Is she what David expected? Use this lesson to help students consider how they can: If you only want to show brief parts of the film and discuss them with students, use these helpful clips to get you started. Apr 22, 2021, 7:22 AM. Thats because something momentous is happening when one more, in just a handful of Asian American narratives, is released. Rahzel runs into an old acquaintance in a small town where they quickly learn that a deadly new drug called "Text of Angel" has surfaced among the youth. Minari is wonderful, wonderful!". If you haven't seen Minari yet, queue this one for your next movie night. Why or why not? Thank you for signing up to CinemaBlend. Spent most of my life in various parts of Illinois, including attending college in Evanston. We also see the Yi family sleeping on the floor together. How would you describe the behavior of the people at church toward the Yi family? He adamantly thinks that Soon-ja is not a real grandmother because she doesnt cook or bake cookies. That doesn't make it 'foreign.' The film's categorization rests on a narrow definition of what makes a story American Perspective by Viet Thanh. You can use all of the questions and activities or pick and choose, depending on how much time you have. (27:40-31:25), Clip #6: Grandma (Soonja) makes David a special tea, and he complains about a "Korea" smell in his room. New York, Is there a "right"? The kids go to church so they can call their mother. ONLINE MEETING INFO: Join us for a discussion of Minari and Asian American representation! They frame the overall domain of insights you hope to uncover. If you've seen the film, please rate it at this poll, If you haven't seen the film but would like to see the result of the poll click here, Click here to see the rankings of 2021 films, Click here to see the rankings for every poll done. Be the first to contribute! Minari 2020 PG-13 1 h 55 m IMDb RATING 7.4 /10 84K YOUR RATING Rate POPULARITY 2,634 158 Play trailer 2:06 19 Videos 99+ Photos Drama A Korean family starts a farm in 1980s Arkansas. You might also want to discuss some of the learning objectives or the concept of active viewing. Show a few specific clips along with discussion questions. CAVEATS What scene, and why does it stick out in your mind? Speaks to the strength David exhibits, but also by extension the entire family. Jacob sees the minari and says, It's growing well on its own." Can you identify a choice the filmmakers made about music, camera angles, etc. Its a commentary on the future that the Yis might experience. Not everything that happens in Minari is a reflection of reality, but the film is the semi-autobiographical story of writer/director Lee Isaac Chung. After the Dallas deal falls through, Jacob realizes that he will face financial ruin if he doesnt find another buyer for his produce before it starts to rot. Make sure to pause periodically (feel free to use the timestamps above) and give kids a chance to write or draw responses to the prompts on their handouts. Major kudos to Aditya Raute for doing this weeks scene-by-scene breakdown. It grows anywhere, like weeds. The book has little in the way of a conventional plot, but it still forms a cohesive whole. He saw this as an overall analogy for the immigrant experience, which he shared in a Filmmaker Magazine interview: Later, you know, I started to see a lot of those connectionsto immigration itself, and to the stories of the people who came over and planted themselves in the worst soils and started to thrive and grow. After all is said and done, the fact Monica helps Jacob save the harvested crops from the burning barn is a sign she is still committed to the relationship. What scene, and why does it stick out in your mind? What do you think about the tension between Jacob's approach and the dowser's approach? Help students find the strength and confidence to overcome obstacles in their own lives. But we see, at the end, he is going to try again. It's interesting to track both of them, how they compare and contrast. I get why people want to assert the Americanness of stories about immigrants of color when their stories are perpetually excluded from the narrative of who gets to be an American. While Jacob, Monica, and the children are heading to the car, Jacob gleefully talks about how this deal came at the best time. I hope to see you in the RESPONSE section about this week's script: Minari. How do priorities seem to shift during the fire? Tony Minieri creates needlepoint designs, classes and custom stitch & thread guides for the needle artist. Grandma sees David as an American kid and Monica asserts that he's a Korean kid. What are Monica's? In Lee Isaac Chung 's lovely new film, it flourishes in an Arkansas creek bed . His wife struggling to understand that dream. Specifically: "It grows anywhere." A FOOW (Fish-Out-Of-Water) dynamic. That makes it seem like that dream is possible for all BIPOC people, when we know thats just not true. To download a PDF of the breakdown , go here. The discussion guide and lesson below will help students consider how and why characters in Minari act the way they do. Why do you think David does what he does, and why does Soonja defend him? But the desire to be seen onscreen is such an important part of our identity, the question we all asked ourselves was: Will any story do? But thats too much for one film, one director, and one story to bear. If you had to take a side, whose side would you take? Step 6: Write a brief introduction script for the interview to give your participants . (10:49-13:53), Clip #3: A dowser comes to show Jacob he can find water on the property, but Jacob says, "Americans, believing that nonsense! The focus of this bi-weekly series is a deep structural and thematic analysis of each script we read. choosing a selection results in a full page refresh. This movie is set in the '80s. So anyone can pick and eat it. We also see Monica and Paul (Will Patton) with Jacob as he pays to find a new water well, something he was against in the beginning. When we hear judgement about who we are or our circumstances that, until that moment, we've just accepted, how does it shape our sense of self? Promise. Running time: 115 min. When they're by the creek, Soonja says, "It's better to see [the snake] than have it hide. He has spent a decade as a sexer and strives to find something more rewarding to do than that job. What are the pressures of "fitting in" while also being true to yourself/where you came from? She says American kids don't like sharing their room and Monica says, "He's a Korean kid." Later, Anne asks David if he wants to live with mom or dad. He has never heard anyone say that about him and he welcomes the praise. Special contents include Lee Isaac Chung's never-before-published alternate ending, a foreword by Steven Yeun, an original essay by Ocean Vuong, a poem by Claude . "Minari, Minari, Wonderful, Wonderful". Why do you think the filmmakers linger on the shot of the smokestack at the end of this scene? When his grandmother calls him a "pretty boy," he reacts defensively. Its a decision that didnt garner consensus easily. The time stamps can help you pick and choose your areas of focus. Yeri Han summed up in a Korea Times interview how the film resonates with audiences of many different backgrounds. You can use these additional prompts (which don't appear on the student handout) to guide students in a writing project or a more comprehensive discussion about the movie's major themes. As explained in the movie and by the cast, --Chung called it a weed in an interview with The Wrap, but Yuh-jung corrected him and said that its a vegetable-- minari is a versatile plant used in Korean households in various ways. Jacob and Monica fight as the kids make paper airplanes with the message "Don't fight!" Step 1: List out and order the main topics of your interview. The new movie Minari (PG-13) tells the story of Jacob, Monica and their family as they chase a better future in the 1980s rural South. A marriage teetering on the edge of dissolution. First, we see it with the tornado warning, then we see it with Jacobs crops not being able to get enough water, and even the bath scene between Monica and Jacob has a negative undertone because its when Jacob gives her permission to leave him if he cant make the farm work. Create something -- a piece of writing, art, music, a game, etc. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. (34:04-35:56), Clip #7: Grandma can't bake, but she shows the kids what she can do by teaching them a card game. Just click the "Edit page" button at the bottom of the page or learn more in the Plot Summary submission guide. Series is a deep structural and thematic analysis of each script we read caveats what scene and! Results in a Korea Times interview how the film resonates with audiences of different! Being a part of another one n't fight! and lesson below will help students find the strength exhibits... Had to take a side, whose side would you describe the behavior the. 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