Faith Plays a Meaningful Role in Oscar Contender 'Minari'

Cortney O'Brien | March 19, 2021 11:00 PM

Director Lee Isaac Chung's heartwarming "Minari" is already a Golden Globe-winning film, and it has six chances to become an Oscar-winning one as well. The film, which consists of a small but endearing cast, follows a Korean-American family as they start a new life on an Arkansas farm.

The film, Chung recently explained to Townhall, is semi-autobiographical. He grew up in the South and, as a Korean-American, he said that Christianity has always been a major part of his life. As such, he wanted to make sure he included a touch of spirituality in the film.

"I still come back to the idea of grace," Chung shared. "And a love and everything I feel I have in my life that is good I thank God for. It is an important part of my life, and that's why it's in the film."

When they move on to the farm, the Yi family meets a new friend and neighbor Paul, played by Will Patton, who is deeply religious. But Jacob is unsure about him and his God.

The following clip spotlights the role faith plays in the Yi family's life. The father of the family, Jacob, is "a man wrestling with God," explains actor Steven Yeun, who plays the skeptical patriarch exceptionally well. As the film continues, however, Jacob is the one who suggests his family attend church in their new community. And they are welcomed with open arms. In another scene, we learn that their son David (Alan S. Kim) is struggling with a heart condition, and his mother Monica (Han Ye-ri) encourages him to pray.