“Here, David.”

From Minari.

After leaving California to take jobs as chicken-sexers in Arkansas, the Yi family is looking forward to the opportunities, but life quickly takes a different turn than the Korean immigrant family anticipated.  While Monica (Han Ye-ri), knew that her husband, Jacob (Steven Yeun) had purchased a home for them, she is surprised to discover their new house is actually a mobile home in the woods, far from town and the hatchery where they’re going to be working.  Their children, Anne (Noel Cho) and David (Alan Kim), are excited by the possibilities that their new home holds, especially when Jacob shares his plans to develop a large garden on the property.  It quickly becomes apparent that Jacob only took the hatchery job to finance his dream of becoming a farmer, and the large garden, with the help of an odd veteran neighbor named Paul (Will Patton), quickly grows into a small Korean vegetable farm, much to Monica’s disapproval.  Between the hatchery and the farm, Jacob and Monica are stretched thin and in need of someone to watch the kids during their shifts at the hatchery since David’s heart murmur poses a dangerous risk.  Unwilling to give up on the farm to move closer to town, Jacob brings Monica’s widowed mother, Soonja (Youn Yuh-jung), from Korea to live with the family in America.  When David is introduced to his grandmother, he refuses to connect with the non-traditional matriarch that has been tasked with caring for him.  As the boy and his grandmother engage in a battle of wits, Jacob and Monica find themselves fighting more over the farm and the family’s future.  However, as harvest time draws closer, every member of the family must reevaluate what sacrifices they’re willing to make for their family.

Partially inspired by true events from the director’s life, this movie uses those elements to create a funny, sweet, and captivating movie.  While a portion of the film is spoken in English, the majority features Korean dialog with English subtitles.  Yuen and Kim both play their roles perfectly, bridging the gap between the family’s traditional values and the lure of the American dream.  Minari is a must-see movie that beautifully highlights that often-difficult choices and sacrifices that family require.

| Rated: PG-13 | Running Time: 116 minutes |Genre: drama|

||Family Viewing||Cursing: 2 of 10|Nudity: 0 of 10|Sexuality: 0 of 10|Gore: 0.5 of 10

|AVAILABLE FOR HOME VIEWING|