MINARI

BEST PICTURE
BEST DIRECTING
BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
BEST MUSIC (ORIGINAL SCORE)
BEST WRITING (ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY)

A Korean-American family moves to an Arkansas farm in search of their own American Dream, and discovers the resilience of their family and what really makes a home.

Christina Oh

“Minari” is precisely the movie we need right now. With all the hate toward other cultures running unchecked in our country, seeing a Korean family live, love, and struggle just as anyone does reinforces that no one is that different from one another.

Set in the ’80s, the Yi family has just purchased an empty piece of land in Arkansas. Jacob has moved his wife and two kids to an open patch of land in Arkansas in hopes of starting a Korean produce farm in his desire to attain the American Dream. Having left a comfortable life in California, his wife is skeptical. To hold on to his wife, Jacob invites Monica’s mother, Soon-Ja, to stay with them. As the young David continuously reminds them, she is not like any other grandmas.

Carried by solid performances across the board, as well as a sincere script to back them up, “Minari” has to be in the Top 3 of potential Best Picture winners. “Nomadland” and “The Trial of the Chicago 7” would likely be the other two. With all the love for Chloé Zhao and “Nomadland” all season, it’s hard to imagine anything beating them, but if anything’s going to, “Minari” has the best shot. Not only does it land in the big categories like Best Directing and Best Original Screenplay, but I think the Academy is bright enough to know what a win for “Minari” would mean coming from them. In the end, if either “Minari” or “Nomadland” win the big prize, we are all winners.

Christina Oh

— 1st time Nominee —

Lee Isaac Chung

You don’t get as many impressive performances in “Minari” without a good director. Lee Isaac Chung’s fifth feature lands in Best Original Screenplay, which he also wrote, and Best Picture. The biggest hurdle ahead of Chung is Chloé Zhao. She steamrolled the whole awards season, winning an unprecedented amount of critics awards and Best Director at the Golden Globes. There’s likely no beating her, but it would go to Chung if there were a prize for runner-up.

Lee Isaac Chung

— 1st time Nominee —

Steven Yeun

Chasing the American Dream, Jacob Yi moves his Korean-American family to rural Arkansas to start a farm. Facing numerous challenges, he must eventually weigh what’s more important, his family or chasing his dreams.

Steven Yeun anchors “Minari” with his portrayal of Jacob, a reserved yet intense man trying to do the best for his family. He suffers from the same pitfalls that many of us face. Headstrong, Jacob chooses to find a water well by himself rather than pay someone to find it for him. He ends up paying more for city water when his crops almost die. Yeun pours actual blood, sweat, and tears into the role. You believe he’s working this farm. Mix with that the emotional moments he shares with his wife, and you come out with a solid Oscar contender from a film nominated for Best Picture.

In the Best Actor in a Leading Role category, four of the five are from Best Picture nominees. And, in all honesty, it’s the contender in the film that’s not that probably has one of the best chances. Chadwick Boseman and his performance in “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” have been posthumously winning big awards, like Critics Choice and Golden Globes. The wins are well earned and, in turn, allow for the voting bodies to honor the man. It would be hard for any of the other contenders to overcome that. Then, add to that Riz Ahmed and Anthony Hopkins both being favorites above Yeun, and he might have a pretty tricky time beating them out on the ballot.

STEVEN YEUN

— 1st time Nominee —

Yuh-Jung Youn

Fresh from Korea, Soon-Ja finds herself living with her daughter’s family as her son-in-law attempts to start up a farm in rural Arkansas. Constantly reminded by her grandson that she’s not the average grandma, she spends her days watching wrestling, playing cards, and planting minari down by the creek behind their house.

After viewing “Minari,” you immediately understand the love for Yuh-Jung Youn all awards season. She steals the spotlight as Soon-Ja. Not only does she turn out a funny and heartbreaking performance, but she also breaks the mold when it comes to the “typical” grandmother character trope. She drives the narrative, brings life to the other characters, and ultimately tills up drama within the family.

The Best Actress in a Supporting Role category is a tough one to predict this year. In the interest of parring things down, it’s probably easy to say Amanda Seyfried and Olivia Colman won’t be winning. Early on, Glenn Close was the favorite because of her transformative performance. She also seems due for a win. But, to get behind Close would be to get behind “Hillbilly Elegy,” and I’m not sure the Academy’s going to do that.

So that leaves Yuh-Jung Youn and Maria Bakalova, two highly different performances. Both steal the spotlight, and both are transformative in their own right. It’s tough to tell which way the Academy will lean. My gut tells me they’ll lean toward Yuh-Jung Youn. I was surprised to see Maria Bakalova get a nomination because I didn’t predict the Academy going for “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm” as they did. Yuh-Jung Youn is probably the safer bet, being in a film nominated for Best Picture and all. But that might be a continuation of my blindspot for “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm.”

Yuh-Jung Youn

— 1st time Nominee —

Emile Mosseri

There are many moments throughout “Minari” where Emile Mosseri’s score becomes front and center. Moments where Yeun’s character, Jacob, is working on his farm, moments when the family is enjoying their new land, and moments when the family faces their most significant hardships. Even when the score is at its simplest, it drives the film. There’s an ethereal, dreamlike nature to the score that focuses on nature and family bonds throughout the film.

“Soul” has to be the juggernaut in the Best Original Score category this year. Not only has it had an impressive winning streak all awards season, but it’s also woven into the fabric of the film itself. James Newton Howard’s score for “News of the World” is my personal favorite of the year, so “Minari,” then, likely falls in just after those two. The experts’ predictions have the Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross scores, “Soul” and “Mank,” as the front-runners. Will “Minari” beat “Soul” for Best Original Score? Not likely. However, never underestimate the power of a film nominated for Best Picture.

Emile Mosseri

— 1st time Nominee —

Lee Isaac Chung

With Lee Isaac Chung being an American of Korean descent, you feel that “Minari” is a deeply personal story. Whether or not it is, the fact that he chose to tell this story speaks volumes. His passion for the subject matter shines through in both his writing and directing.

“Minari” missed out on all the precursors leading up to the Oscars. Not receiving any Writers Guild, Golden Globe, Critics Choice, or BAFTA nominations sets it apart from screenplays like “Promising Young Woman” and “The Trial of the Chicago 7,” who were nominated and won some of those awards. Even “Sound of Metal” and “Judas and the Black Messiah” had Writers Guild nominations going for them. That said, “Minari” lands in the Best Directing and Best Picture categories, showing some real love from the Academy.