This changes after Soon-Jas arrival. Students will also reflect on how their own sense of identity has developed within their family and community -- including the impacts of culture and ancestry. As professor of ethnic studies, I teach a class on Asian American literature and film. Plot summary: A Korean family starts a farm in 1980s Arkansas. How do our roles in a family sometimes create expectations for us? Why? In a country where Latinx and Asian immigrants are reviled, its not surprising that production companies like A24 want to normalize the stories of immigration, focus on the American dream, and show that those of us with immigrant backgrounds are Americans. The violence on the border and the recent spike in hate crimes against Asians Americans are constant reminders that white supremacist narratives of immigrant invasion are alive and thriving. It's accessible to 9th graders but can also sparkmore nuanced conversations for 12 graders. Is Soonja what you expected? This event has passed. When they're by the creek, Soonja says, "It's better to see [the snake] than have it hide. Much of the movie has subtitles, so if you have students that can benefit from ita simple transcriptand the full screenplay are both available. She says American kids don't like sharing their room and Monica says, "He's a Korean kid." Sometimes that Dream can be so intoxicating that it can get in the way of family and the failure can be devastating. 18. Not all Koreans have experienced immigration, but Minari will be able to resonate with all of us because it reminds us of our own childhood memories and families. A week-long analysis of this Oscar-nominated screenplay. Minari won the 2021 Academy Award for best Actress in Supporting Role.Young David and his family move from California to Arkansas to settle in a mobile home on vacant land, which the father hopes to farm. But then her suprising comment to David about him being "strong." They frame the overall domain of insights you hope to uncover. The film is named after the Korean word for a type of water dropwort that, as Soon-ja (Youn Yuh-jung) tells her grandson David Yi (Alan Kim), can be used as medicine or put in any food, be it a stew, kimchi, or soup. This also ties with the idea of the healing powers of minari, a plant that purifies the creek water. On the church bus, kids joke about Paul not having water. This guide offers two different approaches to teaching Minari: Feel free to use either approach, or even combine the two into one lesson (or an entire unit) based around the movie. Social & Emotional Learning. As in the film, it grows rampant along the banks of streams and over damp ground, requiring little attention. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. 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. Help students reflect on the social and emotional aspects of the movie and consider how their own emotions work. A grandmother and her medical issues. * The fire: A major reversal, indeed, the destruction of what Jacob had worked so hard to build, the barn a symbol of what the farm *could* be. For Jacob, the farm is his direct path to achieve the proverbial American dream, and he is industrious enough to make an earnest attempt at it. (4/5 stars) Directed by: Lee Isaac Chung. In an interview with Cinemablend, various cast and director Chung spoke about how minari is special because its a plant that thrives even in rough soil. Spoiler alert: This article contains spoilers for Minari.. Minari is a tender drama that follows the Korean-American Yi family as they try to pursue a slice of the American Dream. Yeri Han, Noel Kate Cho, Steven Yeun, and Alan S. Kim, from the cast of "Minari." Photo: A24. And the fire is completely a Trickster type of thing. Do you agree with her? Lee Isaac Chung 's "Minari" casts a spell from its opening moments, a Terrence Malick-like evocation of human beings trying to stay in harmony with the natural world. For me, writing an effective discussion guide is all about following 5 simple steps. What do you think this statement shows about Jacob's motivations? Promise. You might also want to discuss some of the learning objectives or the concept of active viewing. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. The time stamps can help you pick and choose your areas of focus. "water celery") is a 2020 American drama film written and directed by Lee Isaac Chung. (1:05:33-1:10:00), Clip #12: Soonja has a stroke. But to your point, Laura, three members of the family -- Jacob, Monica, and Soonja -- have pivotal roles. Though she's not avery dynamiccharacter, she plays a huge role in holding everything together. If we look at the story with David as the Protagonist, there are a lot of Trickster dynamics at play. Absolutely critical to learn the craft of screenwriting. But such polemical certainty cramps the . 0. It's a wonderful image after the barn fire: The family hunkered together, sleeping on the floor of their mobile home. In her last scene, Soon-ja sits wide awake, watching the Yis sleep on the floor together. (42:44-49:43), Clip #9: David dumps out his tea and urinates in the cup. Around 1:19:00, some kids use chewing tobacco. David aspires to be one of the gang and hanging with Johnnie provides that opportunity, however, Johnnie has a wild streak and that stands in opposition to the steadfastness required of the family to survive on the farm. Can you think of someone from your own life, from history, or from a piece of media that's like Anne -- a bit of an "unsung hero" who helps keep things going? Both Jacob and Monica have to work sexing chicks in order to provide for the family while they wait for that dream to come to fruition. Integrate their personal and social identities. That makes it seem like that dream is possible for all BIPOC people, when we know thats just not true. MINARI. Like minari, the family has finally and fully adapted to their new surroundings while maintaining the morsels of individuality that set them apart. In the Minari ending, Jacob and Monica are now working together to get the farm up and running. Identify their personal, cultural, and linguistic assets. (1:02:06-1:03:57), Clip #11: After David gets hurt, Grandma emphasizes how strong he is. A discussion guide is more than a list of questions. A species of water dropwort, minari, also known as Korean watercress, water celery, water parsley, or Java water dropwort, is a vegetable found in temperate and tropical climes across Asia. For Part 2, to read the Plot discussion, go here. Charming, limpid, and earnest, it's both a familiar tale and a wholly new one.. Beyond the snake, what does Soonja mean about things that hide? Chung has spoken in many interviews, especially in the Reset interview, about creating a personal story that would leave a legacy for his daughter, but he also wanted a story that everyone saw themselves and got out of it different things. 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. How does Cather bring the novel full circle, mirroring Jim's observation, "What a little circle man's experience is"? Develop interests and a sense of purpose. As the constant bouts of the spousal arguments reveal, the Yis dont have much to show for their decade-long hard work, doing a job that they dont necessarily like. Who's right? Review: After an exhausting 2020, the gentle 'Minari' is the movie we need right now. Its a decision that didnt garner consensus easily. Start with the foundations of your research project: When the Yis return, Jacob rushes into the fire to salvage whatever he can, and Monica soon follows. This is *exactly* the kind of movie I like. Which brings to mind something I coined a while ago: Simple plot. Since the diagnosis, the distraught parents have consciously provided David with a sheltered existence. They'll also considerhow this might play out for others who aren't like themselves. Table of Contents Simulating Student Interest Focusing on Empathic Reactions Characterization Plot Themes, Messages & Ideas Other Literary Elements Theatrical Devices and Effects Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Though she's not avery dynamiccharacter, she plays a huge role in holding everything together. Does she find it at church? When the kids on the bus make fun of Paul because he doesn't have water at his house, David realizes that's true about his family, too. Based on Chung's own childhood, 'Minari' is about a Korean American family that moves to rural Arkansas to start a farm. (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! -- can shift one's priorities? I suppose, too, the tiny subplot of the minari plants echoes this theme, how Soon-ja plants the seeds and despite everything that goes on, they grow in their spot by the river. It's a specific instrument. Students will rank certain character traits in order of how important they are to personal growth. At the end of Minari, the family is struggling financially and now have no product because their barn burned down, but this fire has basically regenerated the family. The film ends with the visit from a water dowser, who points towards a location for the next well. I might be inclined to look at Johnnie as a False Attractor. Before coming to Common Sense, she helped create ELA curriculum for a K-12 app and taught the youth of America as a high school teacher, a community college teacher, a tutor, and a special education instructional aide for about 18 years. Starring: Steven Yeun, Yeri Han, Alan Kim, Yuh-jung Yoon, Will Patton. But the well he digs there soon runs dry, and he has no choice but to use county water, which means that the family now has to pay for another thing that they cant afford. Preview the activities students will be doing during the movie. The film also has many instances where water causes destruction for the Yi family. Jacob faces many challenges and setbacks as he tries to make the farm work, only to lose the crop in the fire. Jacob sees the minari and says, It's growing well on its own." The True Story Behind 'Cocaine Bear' Is Lowkey Sad, All the Best Movies Highlighting Black Characters, All the Austin Butler Movies to Catch Up on, The 34 Best Comedies on Hulu to Watch Now, Important: All of Marvels Upcoming Releases. Do you think this is a positive or negative thing? Discussion Guide 5.12.2016 Pie Digital | Fast Insight 1 Page 2 of 4 Task 1: General exploration, Dashboard Imagine that you recently installed an app on your phone that was going to help you with your home network. Heres how it works. Why? Grandma drinks it, he's punished, and Grandma defends him. Alan S. Kim, left, Steven Yeun, Noel Kate Cho and Yeri Han star in "Minari.". , there are a lot of Trickster dynamics at play for us the time stamps can help you and. 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