Steven Yeun, Lee Isaac Chung, and the Stars of Minari: “The Characters in This Film Speak Human”
The standout of the 2020 Sundance Film Festival and one of the most acclaimed movies of the past 12 months is finally coming to theaters and On Demand – and it arrives on the back of Golden Globe and SAG nominations and plenty of Oscar buzz. Lee Isaac Chung’s deeply personal Minari follows the story of a young Korean migrant family that moves from California to the South when father Jacob (Steven Yeun) decides to pursue the American dream and start his own farm, a move that has far-reaching implications for his wife (Yeri Han), children (Alan S. Kim and Noel Cho), and mother-in-law (Yuh-Jung Youn), who eventually joins the clan.
The movie’s nomination for Best Foreign Language Film at the 2021 Golden Globe Awards has had some industry watchers scratching their heads – the dialogue may be mostly Korean, but this is a decidedly American story and film – and Chung told Rotten Tomatoes that he feels “the characters in this film speak human.” Chung also reveals to Rotten Tomatoes editor Jacqueline Coley why he decided to avoid portraying racism in his unique immigrant tale. Coley also sat with Yeun for an extended conversation about shaping the singularly focused Jacob as well as the Certified Fresh hot streak he’s been on for the last five years, while Yeri Han and Yuh-Jung Youn share why they joined the project, and Alan S. Kim – who makes a wonderful debut in the film – surprises Yeun with a distinct memory from his audition.
Minari is in select theaters and available on demand on February 12.
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Rotten Tomatoes
