drama film
In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...
written and directed by
Lee Isaac Chung
Lee Isaac Chung (born October 19, 1978) is an American filmmaker. His debut feature '' Munyurangabo'' (2007) was an official selection at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival and the first narrative feature film in the Kinyarwanda language.
Chung gain ...
. It stars
Steven Yeun
Sang-yeop Yeun (; born December 21, 1983), known professionally as Steven Yeun ( ), is an American actor. His accolades include two Primetime Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards, in addition to nominations for an Academy Award and a Br ...
,
Han Ye-ri
Kim Ye-ri (; born December 23, 1984), known professionally as Han Ye-ri (), is a South Korean actress.
Career
Han built her filmography by starring in short films and independent film, indies. She drew notice in the sports drama ''As One (fil ...
,
Alan Kim
Alan Sun Kim (born April 23, 2012) is an American child actor, widely known for his critically acclaimed role in the drama film '' Minari'' (2020), for which he was nominated for a BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role.
Early life
Kim ...
, Noel Kate Cho,
Youn Yuh-jung
Youn Yuh-jung (, ; born June 19, 1947) is a South Korean actress, whose career in film and television spans over five decades. Her accolades include an Academy Award, Screen Actors Guild Award, British Academy Film Award, and Independent Spir ...
, and
Will Patton
William Rankin Patton (born June 14, 1954) is an American actor. He starred as Colonel Dan Weaver in the TNT science fiction series '' Falling Skies''.South Korean immigrants who move to rural
Arkansas
Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the West South Central region of the Southern United States. It borders Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, Texas to the southwest, and Oklahoma ...
during the 1980s.
''Minari'' had its world premiere at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival on January 26, 2020, winning both the U.S. Dramatic Grand Jury Prize and the U.S. Dramatic Audience Award. It began a one-week virtual release on December 11, 2020, and was released theatrically and via virtual cinema on February 12, 2021, by
A24
A24 Films LLC, commonly referred to as A24, is an American Privately held company, independent entertainment company that specializes in film and television production, as well as film distribution. The studio is based in Manhattan.
The company ...
.
The film received critical acclaim, with praise for Chung's direction and screenplay, Yeun's and Youn's performances, and the score. Many named it one of the best films of 2020. It earned six nominations at the
93rd Academy Awards
The 93rd Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored films released from January 1, 2020, to February 28, 2021, at Union Station in Los Angeles. The ceremony was held on April 25, 2021 ...
:
Best Picture
The following is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various films, festivals, and people's awards.
Best Actor/Best Actress
*See Best Actor#Film awards, Bes ...
,
Best Director Best Director is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organizations, festivals, and people's awards. It may refer to:
Film awards
* AACTA Award for Best Direction
* Academy Award for Best Director
* As ...
Best Original Screenplay
The Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay is the Academy Award (also known as an Oscar) for the best screenplay not based upon previously published material. It was created in 1940 as a separate writing award from the Academy Award for Best ...
, Best Actor (Yeun), and Best Supporting Actress (Youn), with Youn winning for her performance, making her the first Korean to win an Academy Award for acting. It also won the
Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film
The Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film is a Golden Globe Award presented by Dick Clark Productions to reward theatrically-released feature film not in the English language.
It was first introduced at the 7th Golden Globe Awards f ...
, was nominated for the
Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
The Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast (or Ensemble) in a Motion Picture is an award given by the Screen Actors Guild to honor the finest acting achievements in film. It is the final award presented during the ceremon ...
California
California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
to a plot of land in
Arkansas
Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the West South Central region of the Southern United States. It borders Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, Texas to the southwest, and Oklahoma ...
, where the father, Jacob, believes the soil is fertile and hopes to grow Korean produce to sell to vendors in
Dallas
Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...
. One of his first decisions is to decline the services of a water diviner; he digs a well in a spot he chooses himself. He enlists the help of Paul, an eccentric
Korean War
The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...
veteran. Jacob is optimistic, but his wife, Monica, is disappointed with the
mobile home
A mobile home (also known as a house trailer, park home, trailer, or trailer home) is a prefabrication, prefabricated structure, built in a factory on a permanently attached chassis before being transported to site (either by being towed or ...
and the distance from urban amenities, especially a hospital for their son David, who has a heart condition. They monitor David's
heart murmur
Heart murmurs are unique heart sounds produced when blood flows across a heart valve or blood vessel. This occurs when turbulent blood flow creates a sound loud enough to hear with a stethoscope. The sound differs from normal heart sounds by th ...
s and frequently tell him not to run. The couple work sexing chicks at a nearby
hatchery
A hatchery is a facility where eggs are hatched under artificial conditions, especially those of fish, poultry or even turtles. It may be used for ''ex situ'' conservation purposes, i.e. to breed rare or endangered species under controlled ...
and argue frequently while David and his sister, Anne, eavesdrop.
To watch the children during the day, Monica's mother, Soon-ja, travels from South Korea to live with them. Forced to share a room with her, David avoids her because she does not fit his idea of a grandmother. Still, Soon-ja attempts to bond with the children and adjust to life in the United States. The well Jacob dug runs dry. He is forced to pay for county water, and they eventually lose water in the home. He runs into additional difficulties when the vendor in Dallas cancels an order for their produce at the last minute. He perseveres despite Monica's desire to return to California, straining their marriage.
Soon-ja takes David to plant minari seeds by the creek. She tells him how resilient and useful the plant is and predicts plentiful growth. David finally begins to warm to her after she teaches him hwatu, bandages his wounds, and soothes his fears over his heart condition. Soon-ja also encourages him to do more physical activity, saying he is stronger than his parents think. Soon-ja then suffers a
stroke
Stroke is a medical condition in which poor cerebral circulation, blood flow to a part of the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: brain ischemia, ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and intracranial hemorrhage, hemor ...
overnight. She survives but is left with impaired movement and speech. Monica considers moving back to California with Soon-ja, with David going with them if his health does not improve.
The family leaves Soon-ja at home while they head to
Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Oklahoma, most populous city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat ...
for David's heart appointment and to meet a vendor for Jacob's produce. They learn that David's condition has dramatically improved, and he will not need surgery, and Jacob makes a deal to sell vegetables to a Korean grocer. But Jacob also indirectly admits to Monica that his crops' success is more important to him than their family's stability and, after an emotional argument over whether they can support each other only during good times, the two agree to separate.
During their absence, Soon-ja accidentally sets fire to the barn containing the produce. On arriving home, Jacob rushes in to save the crops, followed by Monica. The fire grows out of control, and they save each other, leaving the barn to burn. Distraught and confused, Soon-ja wanders off while Anne and David call for her to return. David runs to her and blocks her path, before she takes his hand, and her grandchildren lead her back home. That night, the exhausted family sleeps together on the floor.
Some time later, the water diviner guides Jacob and Monica to a spot to dig a new well, signifying their intention to stay. Jacob and David head to the creek to harvest the successfully grown minari, with Jacob noting that Soon-ja picked a good spot to plant it.
Cast
*
Steven Yeun
Sang-yeop Yeun (; born December 21, 1983), known professionally as Steven Yeun ( ), is an American actor. His accolades include two Primetime Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards, in addition to nominations for an Academy Award and a Br ...
as Jacob Yi
*
Han Ye-ri
Kim Ye-ri (; born December 23, 1984), known professionally as Han Ye-ri (), is a South Korean actress.
Career
Han built her filmography by starring in short films and independent film, indies. She drew notice in the sports drama ''As One (fil ...
as Monica Yi
*
Alan Kim
Alan Sun Kim (born April 23, 2012) is an American child actor, widely known for his critically acclaimed role in the drama film '' Minari'' (2020), for which he was nominated for a BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role.
Early life
Kim ...
as David Yi
* Noel Kate Cho as Anne Yi (Ji-young, )
*
Youn Yuh-jung
Youn Yuh-jung (, ; born June 19, 1947) is a South Korean actress, whose career in film and television spans over five decades. Her accolades include an Academy Award, Screen Actors Guild Award, British Academy Film Award, and Independent Spir ...
as Soon-ja ()
*
Will Patton
William Rankin Patton (born June 14, 1954) is an American actor. He starred as Colonel Dan Weaver in the TNT science fiction series '' Falling Skies''.Scott Haze
Scott Haze (born 1980/1981) is an American actor. He is known for his role in the 2013 film '' Child of God'', as well as '' Thank You for Your Service'' (2017), the 2021 western '' Old Henry'', and others. He also directed ''Mully'' (2015), a ...
as Billy
* Jacob Wade as Johnnie
* Skip Schwink as Doctor
Production
Development
Chung had initially hoped to make an adaptation of ''
My Ántonia
''My Ántonia'' ( ) is a novel published in 1918 by American writer Willa Cather.
The novel tells the stories of an orphaned boy from Virginia, Jim Burden, and the elder daughter in a family of Bohemian immigrants, Ántonia Shimerda, who are ...
'' by
Willa Cather
Willa Sibert Cather (; born Wilella Sibert Cather; December 7, 1873 – April 24, 1947) was an American writer known for her novels of life on the Great Plains, including ''O Pioneers!'', ''The Song of the Lark (novel), The Song of the Lark'', a ...
but found out that Cather did not want film adaptations of her works to be made. He was inspired to make a film about his childhood instead.
Chung wrote the screenplay for ''Minari'' in 2018 shortly before taking on an instructor position at the University of Utah Asia Campus in
Songdo
Songdo (), officially known as Songdo International Business District (Songdo IBD), is a smart city built on of reclaimed land along Incheon's waterfront, southwest of Seoul, South Korea. It is connected to Incheon International Airport by a r ...
, South Korea. He cited Cather and
Fyodor Dostoevsky
Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky. () was a Russian novelist, short story writer, essayist and journalist. He is regarded as one of the greatest novelists in both Russian and world literature, and many of his works are considered highly influent ...
as inspirations during the writing process, recalling the former's saying "that her life really began when she stopped admiring and started remembering". In an interview with ''The Los Angeles Times'', Chung spoke about the challenges of drawing on his family's experiences: "It was very difficult in the sense that I know that my parents are private people. And I didn't even tell them that I was making this film until I was in the editing room with it after I had shot it, because I was just so scared about what they would say."
Chung wrote the script in English. Some dialogue was translated into colloquial Korean by Hong Yeo-ul, in consultation with Chung and the actors; Han and Youn assisted in the translation efforts.
In early 2019, Christina Oh and
Plan B Entertainment
Plan B Entertainment, Inc., more commonly known as Plan B, is an American production company founded in November 2001 by Brad Pitt, Brad Grey, Kristin Hahn and Jennifer Aniston. The company first signed with Warner Bros. as a replacement for ...
signed on as producers of the film. Oh later brought on
A24
A24 Films LLC, commonly referred to as A24, is an American Privately held company, independent entertainment company that specializes in film and television production, as well as film distribution. The studio is based in Manhattan.
The company ...
to distribute it.
Casting
In July 2019, it was announced that
Steven Yeun
Sang-yeop Yeun (; born December 21, 1983), known professionally as Steven Yeun ( ), is an American actor. His accolades include two Primetime Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards, in addition to nominations for an Academy Award and a Br ...
,
Han Ye-ri
Kim Ye-ri (; born December 23, 1984), known professionally as Han Ye-ri (), is a South Korean actress.
Career
Han built her filmography by starring in short films and independent film, indies. She drew notice in the sports drama ''As One (fil ...
,
Youn Yuh-jung
Youn Yuh-jung (, ; born June 19, 1947) is a South Korean actress, whose career in film and television spans over five decades. Her accolades include an Academy Award, Screen Actors Guild Award, British Academy Film Award, and Independent Spir ...
,
Will Patton
William Rankin Patton (born June 14, 1954) is an American actor. He starred as Colonel Dan Weaver in the TNT science fiction series '' Falling Skies''.Scott Haze
Scott Haze (born 1980/1981) is an American actor. He is known for his role in the 2013 film '' Child of God'', as well as '' Thank You for Your Service'' (2017), the 2021 western '' Old Henry'', and others. He also directed ''Mully'' (2015), a ...
had joined the film's cast.
Han initially felt she could not participate because she needed to film ''
Nokdu Flower
''Nokdu Flower'' () is a 2019 Korean drama, South Korean television series starring Jo Jung-suk, Yoon Shi-yoon and Han Ye-ri. It aired from April 26 to July 13, 2019 on SBS TV (South Korean TV channel), SBS TV.
Synopsis
The series tells the stor ...
'' and suggested Chun Woo-hee as an alternate, as she felt it was important that a Korean-born woman portray Monica. Han said that, of the main characters, Monica "seemed to be the most Korean", due to her difficulties with living in the U.S., and she felt it was important an actress born in South Korea, natively speaking Korean, take the role.
Filming
Principal photography began in July 2019 in
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa ( ) is the List of municipalities in Oklahoma, second-most-populous city in the U.S. state, state of Oklahoma, after Oklahoma City, and the List of United States cities by population, 48th-most-populous city in the United States. The po ...
. Filming lasted 25 days. In order to make a deadline for
Sundance
A Sun Dance is a Native American ceremony.
Sun dance or Sundance may also refer to:
Places
;Canada
* Sundance, Calgary, Alberta, a neighbourhood
* Sundance, Manitoba, a ghost town
;United States
* Sundance, New Mexico, a census-designated pl ...
,
editor
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, or cinematic material used by a person or an entity to convey a message or information. The editing process can involve correction, condensation, organization, a ...
Harry Yoon edited the film as production took place.
Youn previously lived in the U.S. and drew on that experience in her performance. Chung told her not to play Soon-ja like Chung's grandmother, a direction Youn welcomed. Chung also took Youn's suggestions, including one where her character takes back money her daughter had just put into a church collection plate, even though Chung's religious background made him hesitant about that idea. According to Youn, Chung intended for Soon-ja to be alive at the end of the story. Han used her own mother's life as inspiration for her portrayal of Monica.
Music
Release
The film had its world premiere at the
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with 423,234 combined in-person and online viewership in 2023.
The festival has acted ...
on January 26, 2020. It screened at several other festivals, including
Deauville
Deauville () is a communes of France, commune in the Calvados (department), Calvados department, Normandy (administrative region), Normandy, northwestern France. Major attractions include its port, harbour, Race track, race course, marinas, con ...
,
Valladolid
Valladolid ( ; ) is a Municipalities of Spain, municipality in Spain and the primary seat of government and ''de facto'' capital of the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Castile and León. It is also the capital of the pr ...
,
Hamptons
The Hamptons, part of the East End (Long Island), East End of Long Island, consist of the town (New York), towns of Southampton (town), New York, Southampton and East Hampton (town), New York, East Hampton, which together compose the South Fork ...
, Heartland, and Montclair.
Initially, the film was set for a limited release on December 11, 2020, before slowly expanding to a wide release on February 12, 2021. However, the theatrical release was curtailed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It came out in select theaters and virtual cinemas for one week on December 11, 2020. It opened theatrically on February 12, along with virtual cinema screenings through A24's website. It was released on video-on-demand on February 26, 2021.
''Minari'' was screened at the
28th Busan International Film Festival
The 28th Busan International Film Festival () opened on October 4 at the Busan Cinema Center in Busan, South Korea. Song Kang-ho of ''Parasite (2019 film), Parasite'' fame welcomed filmmakers as host of the festival, while Park Eun-bin acted as ...
as part of "Korean American Special Exhibition: Korean Diaspora" on October 5, 2023.
Reception
Box office and VOD
, ''Minari'' had grossed $3.1 million in the United States and Canada, and $12.5 million in other territories, for a worldwide of $15.5 million.
'' IndieWire'' reported the film likely made $150–200,000 from about 245 theaters. It ended making $193,000 on its first weekend. It made an estimated $63,000 in its second weekend and $53,000 in its third, for a running total of $251,000. The same weekend, the film placed fifth on
Apple TV
Apple TV is a digital media player and a microconsole developed and marketed by Apple. It is a small piece of networking hardware that sends received media data such as video and audio to a TV or external display. Its media services include ...
's PVOD rental charts, sixth on
FandangoNow
Fandango at Home (formerly known as Vudu) is an American digital video store and streaming service owned by Fandango Media, a joint-venture between NBCUniversal and Warner Bros. Discovery. The company offers transactional video on demand renta ...
, and eighth on
Google Play
Google Play, also known as the Google Play Store, Play Store, or sometimes the Android Store (and was formerly Android Market), is a digital distribution service operated and developed by Google. It serves as the official app store for certifie ...
. It made $68,000 in its fourth weekend in the U.S. as well as $2.2 million in South Korea and $1 million in Australia and New Zealand, then $56,000 in its fifth weekend. The weekend following its six
Oscar
Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to:
People and fictional and mythical characters
* Oscar (given name), including lists of people and fictional characters named Oscar, Óscar or Oskar
* Oscar (footballer, born 1954), Brazilian footballer ...
nomination, the film made $306,000 from 786 theaters.
Critical response
On
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...
, of reviews were positive, with an average rating of . The site's critics consensus reads: "Led by arresting performances from Steven Yeun and Yeri Han, ''Minari'' offers an intimate and heart-wrenching portrait of family and assimilation in 1980s America."
Metacritic
Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...
assigned the film a weighted average score 89 out of 100, based on 49 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".
A. O. Scott
Anthony Oliver Scott (born July 10, 1966) is an American journalist and cultural critic, known for his film and literary criticism. After starting his career at ''The New York Review of Books'', '' Variety'', and ''Slate'', he began writing film ...
of ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' gave the film a positive review, writing: "''Minari'' is modest, specific and thrifty, like the lives it surveys. There's nothing small about it, though, because it operates at the true scale of life." Nicholas Barber at the
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
rated the film 5/5, writing, "Sensitively written and acted, beautifully shot, and with a charming, sparingly used score, ''Minari'' is so engaging that it's easy to forget how radical it is." Reviewing the film for the
Associated Press
The Associated Press (AP) is an American not-for-profit organization, not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City.
Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association, and produces news reports that are dist ...
, Lindsey Bahr gave the film 4/4 stars, reporting, "One of the great triumphs of ''Minari'' is its presentation of authentic childhood. These kids are not saints or stand-ins or mouthpieces. They are their own persons."
Robbie Collin
Robbie Collin is a British film critic.
Collin studied aesthetics and the philosophy of film at the University of St Andrews, Scotland. He edited the university's student newspaper, '' The Saint''.
Collin has been the chief film critic at ''The ...
of ''
The Telegraph
''The Telegraph'', ''Daily Telegraph'', ''Sunday Telegraph'' and other variant names are often names for newspapers. Newspapers with these titles include:
Australia
* The Telegraph (Adelaide), ''The Telegraph'' (Adelaide), a newspaper in Adelaid ...
'' rated the film 4/5, writing, "Lee Isaac Chung's tender story is a finely observed portrait of family relations and rural American values". Benjamin Lee at ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'' also rated the film 4/5, writing, "The autobiographical story of a Korean American family trying to sustain a farm in rural Arkansas has deservedly become the festival's most universally loved film".
Filmmaker
Bong Joon-ho
Bong Joon Ho (, ; born September 14, 1969) is a South Korean filmmaker. Bong Joon Ho filmography, His work is characterized by emphasis on social and class themes, genre fiction, genre-mixing, black comedy, dark comedy, and sudden tone shifts. ...
praised the film, saying, "I think it takes a lot of courage to shoot a film about yourself or your family, since it's autobiographical. But what I appreciated more about this film is that it doesn't wallow in nostalgia. It's a story about hung but there's a sense of distance too. So rather than it being about the history and story of a Korean immigrant family, the film can appeal to families all over the world or anyone who still carries the memories of their parents."
''Minari'' appeared on 68 critics' year-end top-ten lists, including first place on five year-end lists and second place on nine. In 2023, it ranked ninth on ''
Collider
A collider is a type of particle accelerator that brings two opposing particle beams together such that the particles collide. Compared to other particle accelerators in which the moving particles collide with a stationary matter target, collid ...
''s list of "The 20 Best Drama Movies of the 2020s So Far". ''
Marie Claire
''Marie Claire'' (stylized in all lowercase; ) is a French international monthly magazine first published in France in 1937. Since then various editions are published in many countries and languages.
The feature editions focus on women aro ...
'' also included it on its list of "The 100 Best Movies of All Time."
The May 2021 issue of ''
New York Magazine
''New York'' is an American biweekly magazine concerned with life, culture, politics, and style generally, with a particular emphasis on New York City.
Founded by Clay Felker and Milton Glaser in 1968 as a competitor to ''The New Yorker'' a ...
'' lists ''Minari'' as among "The Best Movies That Lost Best Picture at the Oscars."
In 2024, the website Looper ranked it number 34 on its list of "50 Best PG-13 Movies of All Time", writing, "Everyone has got a story to tell and the quietly powerful filmmaking of ''Minari'' conveys this truth magnificently. That's not the only place Chung's directorial vision impresses, though, as subtly detailed instances of filming things through the points-of-view of other characters — as well as the specific details of each central family member — reflect what a masterfully conceived project this is."
Accolades
''Minari'' premiered at the 2020
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with 423,234 combined in-person and online viewership in 2023.
The festival has acted ...
, where it received the U.S. Dramatic Grand Jury Prize and the U.S. Dramatic Audience Award. It was named one of the ten best films of 2020 by the
American Film Institute
The American Film Institute (AFI) is an American nonprofit film organization that educates filmmakers and honors the heritage of the History of cinema in the United States, motion picture arts in the United States. AFI is supported by private fu ...
and the
National Board of Review
The National Board of Review of Motion Pictures is a non-profit organization of New York City area film enthusiasts. Its awards, which are announced in early December, are considered the first major harbinger of the film awards season that ...
, and received six Academy Award nominations. It also received three
Screen Actors Guild Award
Screen Actors Guild Awards (also known as SAG Awards) are accolades given by the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). The award was founded in 1995 to recognize outstanding performances in movie an ...
nominations, ten
Critics' Choice Movie Awards
The Critics' Choice Awards (formerly known as the Broadcast Film Critics Association Award) is an awards show presented annually by the American Critics Choice Association (CCA) to honor the finest in cinematic achievement. Written ballots are ...
nominations, and six
Independent Spirit Award
The Independent Spirit Awards, originally known as the FINDIE or Friends of Independents Awards, and later as the Film Independent Spirit Awards, are awards presented annually in Santa Monica, California, to independent filmmakers. Founded in ...
Hollywood Foreign Press Association
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) was a nonprofit organization of journalists and photographers who reported on the American entertainment industry for predominantly foreign media markets. It is best known for founding and conduc ...
), the film won for Best Foreign Language Film. The determination that the film would be eligible for this category rather than Best Motion Picture – Drama, based on the Globes' rule that any film with over 50% of its dialogue not in English would be considered a foreign-language film, invited controversy.Lulu Wang, whose film '' The Farewell'' was subject to the same rule the previous year, wrote: "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 really need to change these antiquated rules that characterize American as only English-speaking." Author Viet Thanh Nguyen wrote that the "decision speaks powerfully to the issue of what makes something—a language or a person or a culture—foreign". Many other filmmakers, actors, and authors, including
Daniel Dae Kim
Daniel Dae Kim (born August 4, 1968) is an American actor. He is known for his many roles in network television and theater. In 2025, ''Time'' magazine listed him as one of the world's 100 most influential people.
On television, he portray ...
,
Simu Liu
Simu Liu ( ; ; born 19 April 1989) is a Canadian actor. He rose to prominence by starring as Shang-Chi in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film ''Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings'' (2021).
Liu was born in Harbin and raised in Ontario. ...
Phil Lord
Philip Anderson Lord (born July 12, 1975) and Christopher Robert Miller (born September 23, 1975) are an American filmmaking and acting duo. Their films are known for subversion of genre and detailed visual sensation, spanning various styles of ...
Celeste Ng
Celeste Ng ( ; zh, s=伍绮诗) (born July 30, 1980) is an American writer and novelist. She has released many short stories that have been published in a variety of literary journals. Ng's first novel, '' Everything I Never Told You'', releas ...
Phillipa Soo
Phillipa Anne Soo ( ; born May 31, 1990) is an American actress and singer. Known for her leading roles on Broadway (theatre), Broadway primarily in musicals, she has received two Grammy Awards along with nominations for a Tony Awards, Tony Awar ...