Fri, Jul 16, 2021, 8:00 PM PDT "Minari" Discussion Group Friday, July 16. We also see Monica and Paul (Will Patton) with Jacob as he pays to find a new water well, something he was against in the beginning. But we see, at the end, he is going to try again. The discussion guide and lesson below will help students consider how and why characters in Minari act the way they do. Paul feels like a Mentor figure. Do you think this is a positive or negative thing? If you only have a single class period, showing just a few key clips below might be perfect. Minari is wonderful, wonderful!". Jacob relies on knowledge and planning, so dismisses the dowser. PSA: Everything Everywhere Has 11 Oscar Noms! After living in America for a few years, sexing chickens for below minimum wage, the family decides to pack their bags and head from California to Arkansas to start a farm. You can also use these in conjunction with the longer lesson plan below. Naweezy 2 yr. ago. David expects his grandmother to be able to bake cookies. 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. 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. Though she's not avery dynamiccharacter, she plays a huge role in holding everything together. Chung based the film on what he remembers . Students can write down responses individuallyand then discuss in pairs, small groups, or as a whole class. 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? (49:44-55:13), Clip #10: After Jacob learns a deal fell through with a Korean business owner, there's a shot of the smoke stack for "discarded" useless male chicks. Not everything that happens in Minari is a reflection of reality, but the film is the semi-autobiographical story of writer/director Lee Isaac Chung. Minari is a tender account of hope deferred, of the limits of paradise, and of finding the strength to carry on. Promise. Jacob then gets more good news when the grocery store owner agrees to have Jacob be his produce supplier. What do you think Jacob is feeling as he talks to David about the farm? Why does his grandma telling him he's a "strong boy" contradict the identity he's used to? He saw this as an overall analogy for the immigrant experience, which he shared in a Filmmaker Magazine interview: Later, you know, I started to see a lot of those connectionsto immigration itself, and to the stories of the people who came over and planted themselves in the worst soils and started to thrive and grow. 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. The film also has many instances where water causes destruction for the Yi family. Though she's not avery dynamiccharacter, she plays a huge role in holding everything together. When Jacob gets the idea that he can move away from the fields of California to grow Korean vegetables to an increasing number of Korean immigrants living in America's Heartland, he . Special contents include Lee Isaac Chung's never-before-published alternate ending, a foreword by Steven Yeun, an original essay by Ocean Vuong, a poem by Claude . Uh, You Havent Seen Austin Butlers Elvis Yet?! Soon after moving to Arkansas with their son, David (Alan S. Kim), and daughter, Anne (Noel Cho), and taking on the monumental project of starting a farm, it becomes clear that the family needs extra help, so Monicas mother, Soon-ja (played by the wonderful Yuh-Jung Youn), moves in to help Monica take care of the kids while Jacob pursues his dream. Isnt it possible to have many Asian American stories? I love me a good line and this one had some really touching one. Minari Is a Beautiful Portrait of a Family in Flux Lee Isaac Chung's bittersweet award-winning film is one of the highlights of the season. That. Even after her mothers arrival, Monica continues to struggle with her new circumstances. When the Yi family arrives, Jacob rushes to the barn to try to stop it, then he tries to save some of his produce. DISCUSSION GUIDES 1. 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. Students will also reflect on howtheir ownsense of identity has developed within their family and community-- including the impacts of culture and ancestry. In her view, the money belonged to their children, and Jacob shouldnt have given it away, especially when she didnt send money to her own mother. Create something -- a piece of writing, art, music, a game, etc. And the fire is completely a Trickster type of thing. Start by introducing the movie and give students some context as to why its worth thinking more deeply about. That doesn't make it 'foreign.' Viet Thanh Nguyen, Dec 24, 2020. Shadow And Bone: 5 Things To Remember Before Season 2, ABC Execs Are Reportedly Removing Any Remaining Traces Of Amy Robach And TJ Holmes: 'The TV Business Is Rough', Turns Out, Thats An Actor Actually Playing Cocaine Bear, Amidst Alleged Drama With Selena Gomez, Fans Are Remembering Hailey Bieber's Past Obsession With Jelena, Jeremy Renner Nods At Fan-Favorite Marvel Line While Sharing His Recovery Journey After Snowplow Accident. 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. To her surprise and horror, he picks the latter. Privacy Policy. The family home changes completely with the arrival of their sly, foul-mouthed, but incredibly loving grandmother. "Minari, Minari, Wonderful, Wonderful". However, water is also used in a positive way in Minari, but only the creek water. A boy and *his* medical issues. The plotline is very simple: The story of the farm. They fight. This movie is set in the '80s. And it ultimately improves things for David, whom his parents have always kept under constant supervision because of his heart condition. Step 1: List out and order the main topics of your interview. Why do you think big events -- like birth, illness, death, a pandemic, etc. -- can shift one's priorities? * The water stops: You can't have a farm w/o access to water, so while this may not be as dramatic visually, it certainly up the stakes and odds against the family's success with the farm. By Richard Lawson February 22, 2021 Writer-director. The growing minari also symbolizes hope for the Yi family to thrive in the future. Jacob refuses to hire a water dowser (people who seemingly find underground water through divination using a forked twig). The kids go to church so they can call their mother. The farm endures financial issues from the beginning. (1:02:06-1:03:57), Clip #11: After David gets hurt, Grandma emphasizes how strong he is. Dan M. Jack K. Jean H; 8 attendees "Minari" Discussion Group Friday, July 16. "Minari is truly the best. Dowsing is a very old practice considered to be pseudoscience by some and legitimate folk wisdom by others. Help students find the strength and confidence to overcome obstacles in their own lives. Meanwhile, grandma Soonja (Youn Yuh-jung) faces a trash fire that becomes uncontrollable. (34:04-35:56), Clip #7: Grandma can't bake, but she shows the kids what she can do by teaching them a card game. Yeri Han summed up in a Korea Times interview how the film resonates with audiences of many different backgrounds. $60. To access over 90 analyses of previous movie scripts we have read and discussed at Go Into The Story, go here. What do you think is the significance of Jacob hiring a dowser? Jacob is the oldest son of his family, and the responsibility of taking care of his relatives back home fell squarely on his shoulders, as it often does in conservative societies. Plot Concept : After the stories of Jango and Boba Fett, another warrior emerges in the Star Wars universe. Heres how it works. Jacob and she accept that their marriage is done. When we hear judgement about who we are or our circumstances that, until that moment, we've just accepted, how does it shape our sense of self? Minari, which won a Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film, follows the story of an immigrant Korean family who move from California to Arkansas in hopes for a better life and land to call their own.Starring The Walking Dead's Steven Yeun alongside a . At 49:44, there's a scene where David tricks Soonja (Grandma) into drinking his urine. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Start with the foundations of your research project: 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. Students will also reflect on howtheir ownsense of identity has developed within their family and community-- including the impacts of culture and ancestry. Demonstrate personal and collective agency. Hand out the graphic organizer and give students a few minutes to complete the Before You Watch question. Depending on what's best for your class, have students work in pairs, small groups, or as a whole class. Monica explains that her mom has no other family because her father died in the war. 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. For Part 2, to read the Plot discussion, go here. (35:37-37:58), Clip #8: The family goes to church, and people there react in various ways to them being Korean. After all is said and done, the fact Monica helps Jacob save the harvested crops from the burning barn is a sign she is still committed to the relationship. Jacob and Monica fight as the kids make paper airplanes with the message "Don't fight!" They eventually give up and Monica breaks down as they watch the barn burn. Why does the movie end with Jacob commenting on the minari, and why is it the title of the movie? Show the entire film with a more in-depth lesson plan and. This event has passed. Official Screenwriting Blog of The Black List. Students will rank certain character traits in order of how important they are to personal growth. Why? Not a coming-of-age movie so much as a deeply personal and lovingly poetic rendering of his Korean American childhood specifically, how it felt for his immigrant family to adjust to life in . Jack K. 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