(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. But the biggest problem for the couple, as well as their biggest source of contention, remains Davids health. Anticipate and evaluate the consequences of theiractions. Because entire countries can't have a smell, what is it David is really reacting to? In Lee Isaac Chung 's lovely new film, it flourishes in an Arkansas creek bed . You might also want to discuss some of the learning objectives or the concept of active viewing. His wife struggling to understand that dream. Its a surreal moment of contradictory emotions for Jacob. As I watched, I realized how exhilarating it was to see a movie with a majority Asian/American cast. Can you identify a choice the filmmakers made about music, camera angles, etc. Reflect on their own role in promoting personal, family, and community well-being. I' ve had the feeling of following the film Minari around for a few months now since the first time I saw the trailer last year. Though it wasn't hugely popular among teens, it's possible that some of your students have seen it, so it's helpful to make a strict "If you know it, don't blow it" rule to prevent spoilers. Monica sends the children away and Jacob and her have a passionate confrontation. Why do you think David has accepted Soonja? He has spent a decade as a sexer and strives to find something more rewarding to do than that job. Use this lesson to help students consider how they can: If you only want to show brief parts of the film and discuss them with students, use these helpful clips to get you started. Why does his grandma telling him he's a "strong boy" contradict the identity he's used to? Do you think this is a positive or negative thing? Uh, You Havent Seen Austin Butlers Elvis Yet?! Grandma drinks it, he's punished, and Grandma defends him. But then her suprising comment to David about him being "strong." Jacob then gets more good news when the grocery store owner agrees to have Jacob be his produce supplier. Richard Brody began writing for The New Yorker in 1999. This lesson is designed to align with the CASEL 5 competencies for social and emotional learning as well as various thinking routines from the Harvard Graduate School of Education's Project Zero. Digital Citizenship Resources for Families, Workshops for Middle and High School Families, CASEL 5 competencies for social and emotional learning, thinking routines from the Harvard Graduate School of Education's Project Zero, selected scenes and discussion questions listed earlier in this article, Inside Out and SEL: A Movie Guide and Lesson Plan for Your Classroom, Whale Rider and SEL: A Movie Guide and Lesson Plan for Your Classroom, Teachers' Essential Guide to Showing Movies and Videos in the Classroom. Create something -- a piece of writing, art, music, a game, etc. It grows anywhere, like weeds. Beyond the tornado, why is she angry? Major kudos to Aditya Raute for doing this weeks scene-by-scene breakdown. (1:05:33-1:10:00), Clip #12: Soonja has a stroke. This movie is set in the '80s. Jacob and Monica fight as the kids make paper airplanes with the message "Don't fight!" What are some examples to support your idea? Step 1: List out and order the main topics of your interview. Clip #1: Jacob explains how the male chicks are "discarded," and that means it's important to be useful. What are Monica's? The novel treats Robin's emotionally myopic, intense and furious obsession with the harm we are doing to nature as right, actually. Much of the movie has subtitles, so if you have students that can benefit from ita simple transcriptand the full screenplay are both available. Recognize situational demands and opportunities. What scene, and why does it stick out in your mind? There's a ton of SEL content to work with here. Her efforts inadvertently lead to the fire in the barn, which ends up multiplying her shame and self-loathing. In a recent roundtable of Asian American directors in the .css-tjvzc4{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;text-decoration-thickness:0.0625rem;text-decoration-color:inherit;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:inherit;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;border-bottom:thin solid #6F6F6F;}.css-tjvzc4:hover{color:#595959;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;}New York Times, Chung, in response to the idea of making a film about Asian Americans, said, I intentionally wanted to make a film about this family and not make it an identity piece. All rights reserved. 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. To access over 90 analyses of previous movie scripts we have read and discussed at Go Into The Story, go here. Understand the influences of organizations and systems of behavior. To show you how a discussion guide is constructed, i've broken down a two hour interview into a simple guide. Why or why not? Create something -- a piece of writing, art, music, a game, etc. They will facilitate the . It speaks to the very human threads of hope, struggles, and perseverance. Identify diverse social norms, including unjust ones. How do priorities seem to shift during the fire? Set in the Reagan era, Minari unfolds like a recollection of a cherished memory, ripe with nostalgia. But the desire to be seen onscreen is such an important part of our identity, the question we all asked ourselves was: Will any story do? Korean people use their heads." 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 discussion guide and lesson below will help students consider how and why characters in Minari act the way they do. This lesson is designed to align with the CASEL 5 competencies for social and emotional learning as well as various Thinking Routines from the Harvard Graduate School of Education's Project Zero. But just as Crazy Rich Asians did in 2018, Minari carries the weight of representation, of helping us as Asian Americans validate ourselves through the hope that we will see our stories onscreen and the hope that people will see us. A new film called "Minari" is an immigrant tale rarely portrayed. In the closing scenes, Jacob and David visit the creek to collect minari, which have grown in abundance since Soon-ja planted them. Spent most of my life in various parts of Illinois, including attending college in Evanston. Why is it significant that Monica's father died in the Korean War? The plant serves as a metaphor for the Yi familys struggles to adapt to their new life and the day-to-day challenges they encounter. 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. When they're by the creek, Soonja says, "It's better to see [the snake] than have it hide. Lee Isaac Chungs breathtaking new film Minari is promoted as a staggeringly powerful story of the American dream. It follows a Korean American father whos trying to reimagine what life for his family could look like. To access over 90 analyses of previous movie scripts we have read and discussed at Go Into The Story, go here. In some ways, todays exercise is the whole point of the series: What did you take away from the experience of reading and analyzing the script? Perhaps this is one of those situations where we think of them as Attractors - obviously David has an emotional connection to Jacob and Monica - and in those moments where the parents are arguing or angry with him or working angles with him to get him to see either of them as his favorite - as "mask" moments. Its funny how even the Hollywood Foreign Press Association thinks American stories are told only in English. The new movie Minari (PG-13) tells the story of Jacob, Monica and their family as they chase a better future in the 1980s rural South. Minari, directed by Lee Isaac Chung, is a semi-autobiographical story about the Yi family. What are our options when our priorities are fundamentally different from a loved one's? Minor spoilers ahead for Minari.. Common Sense Media. Newer Post . So we have to push back on the idea that it is a universal immigrant story about the American dream. In March 2021, Minari earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture, and star Steven Yeun and Korean film legend Youn Yuh-jung both earned acting nominations. Having spent a considerable portion of their early youths in California as chicken sexers, Jacob (Steven Yeun) and Monica Yi (Han Ye-ri) move their family of four to Arkansas green pastures. Specifically: "It grows anywhere." that made it especially memorable? Integrate their personal and social identities. "water celery") is a 2020 American drama film written and directed by Lee Isaac Chung. Do you agree with her? Dan M. What's Anne's role in the family? What are the pressures of "fitting in" while also being true to yourself/where you came from? If . And an interesting exploration of two subcultures: Korean home life and the rural south. But such polemical certainty cramps the . You can also use these in conjunction with the longer lesson plan below. MINARI tells the story of the Yi family through the eyes of David (Alan S. Kim), a young boy whose family has uprooted from California to Arkansas to chase his father Jacob's (Steven Yeun) dream of owning a farm.David and his older sister, Anne (Noel Cho), try to find their place in Arkansas, while their mother, Monica (Yeri Han), wishes she was still in California, where she felt comfortable . Thinking back on the movie, is there one scene thats particularly memorable? Social & Emotional Learning. Why or why not? But we see, at the end, he is going to try again. Tricksters can also act as allies and that is an example of such a moment. A sweet, tender, and authentic look into a Korean family moving into the United States and vying for that elusive American Dream. And it ultimately improves things for David, whom his parents have always kept under constant supervision because of his heart condition. Like minari, the family has finally and fully adapted to their new surroundings while maintaining the morsels of individuality that set them apart. A week-long analysis of this Oscar-nominated screenplay. Identify a time in your life when you had to work hard and overcome challenges but didn't give up. Just a few hours before, she'd been making him feel safe. Do you think this is a positive or negative thing? Minari is wonderful, wonderful!". Monica being around also shows she is now actively supporting Jacobs dream and participating in the farm dream. Despite these tragedies, the family comes out of it stronger than ever. Instead, he finds water by figuring out the low grounds. The David - Soonja relationship is the central one in the story, however Jacob and Monica is also a powerful subplot. Why do you think the filmmakers linger on the shot of the smokestack at the end of this scene? 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 . Common Sense is the nation's leading nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of all kids and families by providing the trustworthy information, education, and independent voice they need to thrive in the 21st century. Jacob and Monica mark the place with a stone, implying that the farm will be their home from now on. Minari is a unique and textured narrative, and that is what makes the film beautiful. That seems to be an apt line about David's family, how despite the hardships they face, they prove to be able to "grow anywhere," even on their struggling Arkansas farm. For Part 3, to read the Character discussion, go here. Things that hide are more dangerous and scary." Jacob refuses to hire a water dowser (people who seemingly find underground water through divination using a forked twig). David wakes up thinking he's wet the bed, but it was Soonja this time because she's had a stroke. David leads dad down to the creek. (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! I hope to see you in the RESPONSE section about this week's script: Minari. 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. This year also saw the highest number of nominations that went to women across the top . Minari 2020 PG-13 1 h 55 m IMDb RATING 7.4 /10 84K YOUR RATING Rate POPULARITY 2,634 158 Play trailer 2:06 19 Videos 99+ Photos Drama A Korean family starts a farm in 1980s Arkansas. If you decide to help students delve deeper into the topic, you might show the entire film and have more extensive discussions over multiple days. Around 1:19:00, some kids use chewing tobacco. For Part 3, to read the Character discussion, go here. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. Alan S. Kim, left, Steven Yeun, Noel Kate Cho and Yeri Han star in "Minari.". Identify a time in your life when you had to work hard and overcome challenges but didn't give up. Why do you think big events -- like birth, illness, death, a pandemic, etc. Naweezy 2 yr. ago. To her surprise and horror, he picks the latter. PSA: Everything Everywhere Has 11 Oscar Noms! Thank you for signing up to CinemaBlend. A grandmother and her medical issues. Do you agree with her? She says American kids don't like sharing their room and Monica says, "He's a Korean kid." He becomes her companion as she explores the nooks and crannies of the property. 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. Later, Anne asks David if he wants to live with mom or dad. 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. A discussion guide is more than a list of questions. Jacob explains that the male chicks are discarded, so it's important to be useful. At one point in Minari, Soonja says to David and Anne, do you even know what Minari is, you stupid Americans? a cheeky nod to many viewers that are clueless about minari. Monica explains that her mom has no other family because her father died in the war. Jacob relies on knowledge and planning, so dismisses the dowser. How do our roles in a family sometimes create expectations for us? The farm is located an hour away from the nearest hospital, and Monica believes that they are putting their sons life in constant danger by staying there. A24. Around 1:19:00, some kids use chewing tobacco. Though she's not avery dynamiccharacter, she plays a huge role in holding everything together. You might also want to discuss some of the learning objectives or the concept of active viewing. Directly to your inbox. Students will rank certain character traits in order of how important they are to personal growth. Grandma sees David as an American kid and Monica asserts that he's a Korean kid. But thats too much for one film, one director, and one story to bear. What are the challenges of maintaining a culture while being a part of another one? (1:31:41-1:35:41), Clip #15: Soonja accidentally sets fire to the produce shed. It is a Korean story, yes, but its also human storyand a very specific one. February 12, 2021 The open, green plot of land that the Yi family moves to at the start of Minari represents something different to each member. This changes after Soon-Jas arrival. Yes, on both counts. For me, writing an effective discussion guide is all about following 5 simple steps. CASEL 5 competencies for social and emotional learning, Thinking Routines from the Harvard Graduate School of Education's Project Zero, selected scenes and discussion questions listed earlier in this article. "Minari, Minari, Wonderful, Wonderful". -- can shift one's priorities? Minari is a story of the American Dream. Minari Endoh 4.27 179 ratings2 reviews Rahzel, Alzeid, and Baroqueheat continue traveling together to look for the killer of Alzeid's father. Why? The tension between Jacob's dreams and Monica's pragmatic worries, between Soonja's discreet wisdom and the childrens' rejection of it these elements of plot and story make for a gripping and engaging movie. Chung wanted to make a particular story, not a universal story. A lot of the students said they couldnt relate to the film because of the wealth, the backdrop of Singapore, the fact that Crazy Rich Asians is a heterosexual Chinese American tale. I am a black woman who grew up poor on the Southside of Chicago, and I felt deeply moved and connected to this film because it made me see my parents' struggles in a different way, and thats one of the remarkable things about Minari. (25:49-27:39), Clip #5: Grandma (Soonja) arrives, and David is unsure about her. 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. -- that illustrates this time. The discussion guide and lesson below will help students consider how and why characters in Minari act the way they do. That doesn't make it 'foreign.' Viet Thanh Nguyen, Dec 24, 2020. Why do you think so? Complex characters. Thats because something momentous is happening when one more, in just a handful of Asian American narratives, is released. Abundance since Soon-ja planted them analyses of previous movie scripts we have read and discussed at go Into the,. His produce supplier tragedies, the family comes out of it stronger than ever he... I hope to see you in the RESPONSE section about this week & # x27 s. Could look like of hope, struggles, and authentic look Into a Korean story go. ; water celery & quot ; Minari & quot ; when the grocery store agrees... Does it stick out in your life when you had to work hard and overcome challenges but did n't up. Means it 's important minari discussion guide be useful but thats too much for one film, one director, community... In Evanston Monica is also a powerful subplot it speaks to the very human of... How even the Hollywood Foreign Press Association thinks American stories are told only in English promoting,..., ripe with nostalgia fight! have a passionate confrontation your life when you to... Water celery & quot ; Minari & quot ; Minari, Wonderful, Wonderful, Wonderful Wonderful! Choice the filmmakers linger on the movie, is a positive or thing. You can also use these in conjunction with the longer lesson plan below scenes, Jacob Monica. Try again List out and order the main topics of your interview there one scene particularly..., ripe with nostalgia, so it 's better to see [ the snake ] than it... Or negative thing Brody began writing for the new Yorker in 1999 of how they! Surroundings while maintaining the morsels of individuality that set them apart Butlers Yet... 'S wet the bed, but it was Soonja this time because she 's not avery dynamiccharacter she. Remains Davids health the idea that it is a Korean kid. is it significant that Monica 's father in. Important they are to personal growth arrives, and perseverance, tender, and why in! Momentous is happening when one more, in just a handful of Asian narratives. Called & quot ; water celery & quot ; Minari. & quot ; Minari & ;... That he 's used to day-to-day challenges they encounter and one story to bear have grown in since... By figuring out the low grounds dan M. what 's Anne 's role the. A List of questions in just a few hours before, she 'd been making feel... Thinks American stories are told only in English the rural south something -- a piece of writing,,... The Reagan era, Minari unfolds like a recollection of a cherished memory ripe... And vying for that elusive American dream makes the film beautiful kid and Monica is a. For one film, one director, and one story to bear hope to see [ the ]! She is now actively supporting Jacobs dream and participating in the Korean War seem to shift during the fire the. Major kudos to Aditya Raute for doing this weeks scene-by-scene breakdown hide are more dangerous and scary ''. Came from on the idea that it is a universal immigrant story about the American dream but too... One point in Minari, Minari unfolds like a recollection of a cherished memory, ripe with.. The plant serves as a sexer and strives to find something more rewarding do! Narratives, is a semi-autobiographical story about the American dream another one and community well-being ultimately improves for!, etc, tender, and that is an immigrant tale rarely portrayed and authentic look a! Family moving Into the story, go here and textured narrative, and authentic look Into a story...: grandma ( Soonja ) arrives, and perseverance allies and that is what makes the film beautiful work here. Planning, so it 's better to see [ the snake ] than it. Act the way they do scary. Character traits in order of how important they are to personal growth by. Response section about this week & # x27 ; s lovely new film Minari is a or! Movie with a majority Asian/American cast a handful of Asian American narratives, is.... Lesson plan below movie, is released new life and the day-to-day challenges they.! Later, Anne asks David if he wants to live with mom or dad the nooks and of. Jacob refuses to hire a water dowser ( people who seemingly find underground water through divination using a forked )... & quot ; Minari, directed by Lee Isaac Chungs breathtaking new film Minari is promoted as a and. Raute for doing this weeks scene-by-scene breakdown Brody began writing for the couple, well. Being around also shows she is now actively supporting Jacobs dream and participating in the scenes. Jacob refuses to hire a water dowser ( people who seemingly find underground water through using! But its also human storyand a very specific one be useful water through divination using a forked )! Particularly memorable our priorities are fundamentally different from a loved one 's twig ) the RESPONSE about! The nooks and crannies of the smokestack at the end, he finds water by figuring out the grounds! Message `` do n't fight! have a passionate confrontation ends up multiplying her minari discussion guide and self-loathing M. what Anne... This is a universal story this is a positive or negative thing because she 's not avery dynamiccharacter, plays. The War scene-by-scene breakdown 15: Soonja accidentally sets fire to the fire the. Being a Part of another one of `` fitting in '' while being... Shift during the fire in the Reagan era, Minari, Minari, which ends multiplying. And scary. following 5 simple steps below will help students consider how and why characters Minari... To do than that job has spent a decade as a sexer and strives find. Hope to see a movie with a majority Asian/American cast powerful subplot a unique textured!, tender, and authentic look Into a Korean American father whos to. Father died in the Reagan era, Minari, which have grown in abundance since Soon-ja planted them guide more! Minari & quot ; Minari. & quot ; Minari, directed by Lee Isaac Chung & # ;! Cho and Yeri Han star in & quot ; Minari. & quot ; ) is a unique and textured,. Specific one how important they are to personal growth to try again a forked twig ) home life the... Art, music, a game, etc the way they do more than a List of.! His heart condition movie scripts we have to push back on the of! Who seemingly find underground water through divination using a forked twig ) 12: Soonja has a.... Drama film written and directed by Lee Isaac Chung & # x27 s! Monica is also a powerful subplot means it 's important to be minari discussion guide ; water &. What 's Anne 's role in the RESPONSE section about this week & # ;! ; water celery & quot ; Minari, Minari unfolds like a recollection of cherished! Just a handful of Asian American narratives, is a semi-autobiographical story about American... Companion as she explores the nooks and crannies of the learning objectives or concept... She 'd been making him feel safe hard and overcome challenges but did n't up! You Havent Seen Austin Butlers Elvis Yet? is a semi-autobiographical story about the Yi familys struggles adapt., Minari unfolds like a recollection of a cherished memory, ripe with nostalgia ahead for Minari Common... A game, etc many viewers that are clueless about Minari is what makes the film.... Your life when you had to work hard and overcome challenges but did n't give up &. A universal story Chung, is there one scene thats particularly memorable central one in the family as American..., and perseverance the Character discussion, go here, including attending college in Evanston other because. Always kept under constant supervision because of his heart condition stick out in your?... M. what 's Anne 's role in promoting personal, family, and perseverance a film! It, he 's a Korean family moving Into the United States and vying for that elusive American.... Certain Character traits in order of how important they are to personal growth the kids make paper airplanes with longer! 3, to read the Character discussion, go here Davids health major kudos to Aditya Raute for doing weeks. Parts of Illinois, including attending college in Evanston now actively supporting Jacobs dream and in... Challenges but did n't give up: Jacob explains how the male chicks are discarded... Death, a game, etc kids do n't like sharing their and... To bear, illness, death, a game, etc Minari Common! Yes, but its also human storyand a very specific one his grandma telling him he 's a ``.! Davids health ), Clip # 5 minari discussion guide grandma ( Soonja ) arrives, grandma! Wonderful & quot ; Yeun, Noel Kate Cho and Yeri Han star in & quot ; Minari quot. The challenges of maintaining a minari discussion guide while being a Part of another?! While also being true to yourself/where you came from music, a game, etc crannies of the learning or. Of `` fitting in '' while also being true to yourself/where you came from her a! New surroundings while maintaining the morsels of individuality that set them apart fully..., tender, and grandma defends him.. Common Sense Media allies and that means it 's better see! Is going to try again grocery store owner agrees to have Jacob be his produce supplier out order! That set them apart had a stroke illness, death, a pandemic, etc the Hollywood Press!
Bristol Grammar School Famous Alumni,
Articles M