‘Minari’ experience may defy Golden Globe categorization

Story of Korean immigrants called foreign film, despite universal themes, director says.

Shot in America, about America, by an American filmmaker, “Minari” is an authentically American story – even if the Golden Globes disagree.

“Minari” (in theaters, available Feb. 26 via video on demand) tells the story of a Korean American family relocating to rural Arkansas in pursuit of patriarch Jacob’s (Steven Yeun) ambitious American Dream: a vast farm of Asian crops.

The dialogue is mostly in Korean – which is why the Globes classifies “Minari” as a foreign language film – but writer/director Lee Isaac Chung says the beauty of the story is in its relatability for all audiences.

“When I was writing this film, I wasn’t thinking about America or about Korea as an identity, but really thinking about these (characters) as human beings and members of a family,” he told USA TODAY.

Because the film is based on Chung’s own experience, it resonates deeply with Asian Americans, specifically Korean Americans. Jacob’s Americanborn son, David (Alan Kim), tells his grandma she “smells like Korea,” and he prefers cookies to traditional Korean herbal teas – nostalgic moments for second-generation Americans.

“The most rewarding thing that I’m still unpacking and feeling is a reconnection, not only to our parents’ generation but also a reconnection to myself,” says Yeun, who is a Korean immigrant. “I often didn’t get to acknowledge how slowly I was being separated from my parents over time, them holding onto their place (Korea) and us expanding into this place (America).”

However, “Minari” isn’t just a story for immigrants. It’s a universal narrative depicting what makes America home, and a heart-wrenching tale about family, sacrifice and love. We see a family navigate not only cultural assimilation, but also broader issues of faith, belonging and uncertainty: Monica (Yeri Han), the Yi matriarch, sacrifices her own mental health to support her husband’s aspirations, and the grandmother, Soonja (Yuh-jung Youn), is paramount in unifying the family, despite coming from South Korea and knowing little about American culture.

“There’s something about just connecting with people in their specific place and also finding that they’re human just like me,” says Chung.

Despite that, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association defined “Minari” as a foreign language film because it has “at least 50% non-English dialogue,” disqualifying it from competing for best picture and sparking backlash within the Asian American community. Many on Twitter pointed out that films such as “Inglourious Basterds” and “Babel” have been nominated for best picture at the Globes without meeting the language requirement.

“Just for the record, Minari is an American movie written and directed by an American filmmaker set in America with an American lead actor and produced by an American production company,” actor Simu Liu (”Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings”) tweeted.

“The film equivalent of being told to go back to your country when that country is actually America,” “Raya and the Last Dragon” star Daniel Dae Kim wrote of the Globes’ decision.

“I understand the trauma people feel when they see this happening because I’ve been there and I’ve lived through that,” he says. “But I just go back to this family in this film, and they’re not letting the world define who they are.”

On Feb. 4, “Minari” received three Screen Actors Guild Awards nominations, which Yeun described as an “honor.”

“The world does work off precedence, and it does need things to break through barriers,” he says.