By John Burton
When is an American film not an American film? That is the controversy surrounding the critically acclaimed, mainly Korean-language movie, "Minari," directed by a Yale-educated Korean American filmmaker, Lee Isaac Chung.
The film is named after the water dropwort plant that comes to symbolize adaptability in different environments. It tells the story of a young Korean father who moves his family to the United States then decides to start a farm in Arkansas in the 1980s after spending several unhappy years working at a poultry plant in California.
It is a classic tale of immigrants to America who must overcome obstacles to survive in a new country. The film is based on Chung's own experiences of growing up on a farm in Arkansas and is told largely from his perspective as a young boy already getting used to American ways.
The controversy arose after the organizers of the Hollywood Golden Globe Awards ruled that "Minari" must compete in the category of Best Foreign Language Film rather than the higher-profile Best Drama because the film's dialogue was primarily in Korean.
The decision has outraged the Asian American community since it implies that Asians who speak their native language in the U.S. are somehow un-American. Korean American actor Daniel Dae Kim, best known for his role in the TV series "Lost," said it was the "film equivalent of being told to go back to your country when that country is actually America."
Andrew Phung, a Vietnamese-Chinese Canadian actor, noted that it was "A sad and disappointing reminder that a movie about the American dream, set in America, starring an American, directed by an American, and produced by an American company, is somehow foreign."
The decision may be surprising since the Golden Globes are awarded by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), which is made up of movie critics for publications overseas who might be thought to be particularly sensitive to the status of foreigners in the U.S., and Hollywood is already grappling with accusations that immigrant groups are underrepresented in the film industry.
Moreover, the ruling was made during a year when the debate over who is an American attracted added attention due to the rise of white supremacist groups in the heat of the unsuccessful campaign to reelect President Donald Trump, who has criticized immigrants of color.
The defenders of the HFPA said its rules clearly stipulate that a movie with less than half of its dialogue in English must be submitted in the foreign-language category whatever the subject matter.
The HFPA faced a similar controversy last year over "The Farewell," a mainly Mandarin-language U.S. film about a Chinese American family and their dying grandmother in China, which was also forced to compete in the foreign language category.
Lulu Wang, the director of "The Farewell," rejected that argument. "I have not seen a more American film than Minari this year. It's a story about an immigrant family in America, pursuing the American dream. We need to change these antiquated rules that characterize America as only English-speaking."
Critics said the use of the Korean language added veracity to the depiction of an immigrant family trying to cope in their new and sometimes alien surroundings and reflects the fact that America is becoming a multilingual society.
Others noted that several other films with substantial non-English dialogue, including "Inglourious Basterds" (French and German) and "Babel" (Spanish, Arabic and Japanese) have previously been nominated in the regular Golden Globe Best Picture categories.
The publicity resulting from the controversy over "Minari," however, may boost its chances during the forthcoming awards season in Hollywood, particularly in a year when the COVID-19 pandemic has made it difficult for many films to gain attention. It could become another Korea-related sleeper hit like "Parasite," which swept the top awards at the Oscars last year, including Best Picture, after it won the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film. "Minari" may be hoping that lightning strikes twice.
"Minari," which opened in the U.S. in December and which will be released in Korea this year, has already appeared on the year-end Top 10 lists of more than 30 film critics from Variety to The Guardian. It also won the top prizes at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival, including the U.S. Dramatic Grand Jury Prize and the U.S. Dramatic Audience Award.
Steven Yuen, the Korean American actor who plays the leading role in Minari, is being mentioned as a Best Actor contender in the Golden Globes and the Oscars. The veteran Korean actress Youn Yuh-jong, who plays Yuen's mother in the film, has already won Best Supporting Actress awards from film critics in Los Angeles and Boston. The film also stars Korean actress Yeri Han as Yuen's wife.
Like the tale it tells, "Minari" may yet overcome the odds.
John Burton (johnburtonft@yahoo.com), a former Korea correspondent for the Financial Times, is a Washington, D.C.-based journalist and consultant.
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The film is named after the water dropwort plant that comes to symbolize adaptability in different environments. It tells the story of a young Korean father who moves his family to the United States then decides to start a farm in Arkansas in the 1980s after spending several unhappy years working at a poultry plant in California.
It is a classic tale of immigrants to America who must overcome obstacles to survive in a new country. The film is based on Chung's own experiences of growing up on a farm in Arkansas and is told largely from his perspective as a young boy already getting used to American ways.
The controversy arose after the organizers of the Hollywood Golden Globe Awards ruled that "Minari" must compete in the category of Best Foreign Language Film rather than the higher-profile Best Drama because the film's dialogue was primarily in Korean.
The decision has outraged the Asian American community since it implies that Asians who speak their native language in the U.S. are somehow un-American. Korean American actor Daniel Dae Kim, best known for his role in the TV series "Lost," said it was the "film equivalent of being told to go back to your country when that country is actually America."
Andrew Phung, a Vietnamese-Chinese Canadian actor, noted that it was "A sad and disappointing reminder that a movie about the American dream, set in America, starring an American, directed by an American, and produced by an American company, is somehow foreign."
The decision may be surprising since the Golden Globes are awarded by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), which is made up of movie critics for publications overseas who might be thought to be particularly sensitive to the status of foreigners in the U.S., and Hollywood is already grappling with accusations that immigrant groups are underrepresented in the film industry.
Moreover, the ruling was made during a year when the debate over who is an American attracted added attention due to the rise of white supremacist groups in the heat of the unsuccessful campaign to reelect President Donald Trump, who has criticized immigrants of color.
The defenders of the HFPA said its rules clearly stipulate that a movie with less than half of its dialogue in English must be submitted in the foreign-language category whatever the subject matter.
The HFPA faced a similar controversy last year over "The Farewell," a mainly Mandarin-language U.S. film about a Chinese American family and their dying grandmother in China, which was also forced to compete in the foreign language category.
Lulu Wang, the director of "The Farewell," rejected that argument. "I have not seen a more American film than Minari this year. It's a story about an immigrant family in America, pursuing the American dream. We need to change these antiquated rules that characterize America as only English-speaking."
Critics said the use of the Korean language added veracity to the depiction of an immigrant family trying to cope in their new and sometimes alien surroundings and reflects the fact that America is becoming a multilingual society.
Others noted that several other films with substantial non-English dialogue, including "Inglourious Basterds" (French and German) and "Babel" (Spanish, Arabic and Japanese) have previously been nominated in the regular Golden Globe Best Picture categories.
The publicity resulting from the controversy over "Minari," however, may boost its chances during the forthcoming awards season in Hollywood, particularly in a year when the COVID-19 pandemic has made it difficult for many films to gain attention. It could become another Korea-related sleeper hit like "Parasite," which swept the top awards at the Oscars last year, including Best Picture, after it won the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film. "Minari" may be hoping that lightning strikes twice.
"Minari," which opened in the U.S. in December and which will be released in Korea this year, has already appeared on the year-end Top 10 lists of more than 30 film critics from Variety to The Guardian. It also won the top prizes at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival, including the U.S. Dramatic Grand Jury Prize and the U.S. Dramatic Audience Award.
Steven Yuen, the Korean American actor who plays the leading role in Minari, is being mentioned as a Best Actor contender in the Golden Globes and the Oscars. The veteran Korean actress Youn Yuh-jong, who plays Yuen's mother in the film, has already won Best Supporting Actress awards from film critics in Los Angeles and Boston. The film also stars Korean actress Yeri Han as Yuen's wife.
Like the tale it tells, "Minari" may yet overcome the odds.
John Burton (johnburtonft@yahoo.com), a former Korea correspondent for the Financial Times, is a Washington, D.C.-based journalist and consultant.
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