What Does The “Minari” Film All About?

“MINARI” CAST

Steven Yeun as Jacob Yi | Han Ye-ri as Monica Yi | Alan Kim as David Yi | Noel Kate Cho as Anne Yi | Youn Yuh-jung as Soon-ja | Will Patton as Paul | Scott Haze as Billy | Jacob Wade as Johnnie

The Yi family relocates from California to a new plot of land in rural Arkansas in 1983, where father Jacob hopes to cultivate Korean produce to sell to Dallas vendors. One of his first choices is to refuse the services of a water diviner, instead digging a well in a location he discovers on his own. He enlists the assistance of Paul, a strange local man who served in the Korean War.

Although Jacob is upbeat about the future, his wife Monica is disappointed and concerned about their son David’s heart condition, which necessitates him not running. When David and his sister Anne listen in on Jacob and Monica sexing chicks at a nearby hatchery, they argue constantly.

They arrange for Monica’s mother, Soon-ja, to fly from South Korea to help watch the kids during the day. Since she does not adhere to his perception of what a grandmother should be, David, who is forced to share a room with her, avoids her. Even so, Soon-ja makes an effort to adapt to life in the United States and form bonds with the children.

Jacob dug a well, but it is now empty. Jacob is apprehensive about paying for county water, but he is compelled to do so eventually. He also runs into problems, such as a vendor in Dallas canceling their order at the last minute. Despite Monica’s expressed desire to return to California, he persists. This puts more pressure on their relationship, bringing it closer to breaking point.

Meanwhile, Soon-ja takes David to the creek to plant minari seeds. She extols the plant’s tenacity and utility, and predicts abundant development. After she teaches him card games, bandages his wounds, and soothes him to sleep, David begins to warm up to his grandmother. Soon-ja also encourages him to engage in more physical activity, which his parents oppose, but she claims he is stronger than they believe.

Soon-ja has a stroke in the middle of the night. With medical help, she survives, but her mobility and speech are impaired.

Jacob, Monica, Anne, and David travel to Oklahoma City for David’s heart appointment and to meet with a vendor interested in selling Jacob’s produce. Despite learning that David’s heart condition has significantly improved and Jacob making a deal to sell vegetables to a Korean grocer, Jacob implicitly admits to Monica that the success of his crops is more important to him than their family’s stability. After an emotional squabble, the two tacitly agree to part ways.

Soon-ja, on the other hand, inadvertently sets fire to the produce barn when they are away. When Jacob returns home, he runs in to save the crops, and Monica follows suit. The fire eventually gets out of hand, and they decide to save each other as the barn burns. Soon-ja, distressed and perplexed, starts to wander off into the distance, despite Anne and David’s pleas for her to return. When David notices she isn’t answering, he sprints over to meet her, blocking her way. Soon-ja recognizes David and reaches for his side, and the grandchildren guide her back to her house. The family has fallen asleep on the floor, exhausted from the night before.

Soon-ja is awake and sitting in a chair above them, watching them sleep with a subdued smile on her face.

Later, Jacob and Monica are with the water diviner, who locates a suitable location for a well. They leave a stone there to indicate that they want to remain on the property. Jacob and David then proceed to the creek to harvest the minari that had grown successfully, with Jacob remarking on how well Soon-ja chose a location for them to be planted.

WATCH THE TRAILER HERE:

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