I have not seen a more American film this year, tweeted Lulu Wang, whose movie The Farewell (2019), about a Chinese-American woman visiting her family in Asia, was also entered into the Golden Globes as a foreign-language film. The family dynamics change when Soonja arrives in rural Arkansas to babysit the kids. * * * Currently in the mix amongst the plethora of critics awards being doled out in the US, Minari, Lee Isaac Chungs directly autobiographical film, is a slog.The acting is superb (including from young kids and an older grandmother) and the integrity of the story is not in question. Every year, there is one film that becomes the cause clbre of critics and activists. The American-made film is ineligible for the Best Picture (Drama) category at the Golden Globes on ", "Minari" is also up for the casting section, along with "Calm with Horses," "Judas and the Black Messiah," "Promising Young Woman" and "Rocks," while it was chosen as a contender for best original score with "Mank," "News of the World," "Promising Young Woman" and "Soul.". In other words, there is a discrepancy between the Oscars, which consider Minari an American film, and the Golden Globes, which see it as a foreign one. This year the biggest quarrel is over Minari, a film by Lee Isaac Chung based on his parents experience as Korean immigrants in Arkansas. ", The DGA award is one of the leading precursors to the upcoming Academy Awards along with the awards of two other film trades, the Producers Guild of America (PGA) and Screen Actors Guild (SAG), both of which have already given nods to "Minari.". (The rules state that at least 50% of a films dialogue must be in English.) Moreover, two of its actors scored BAFTA nods for acting. Steven Yeun and Yuh-Jung Youn added more notices on their road to [] And even before this furore, there was a good chance that the film would screen well among the Academys more diverse membership. (A24) Other foreign-language films from American directors, such as Mel Gibsons Apocalypto and Clint Eastwoods Letters from Iwo Jima, have also been prohibited from competing for Best Picture in years past; there was little controversy over those classifications. 2021 Oscar Predictions: 93rd Academy Awards David Fincher, Spike Lee, Regina King, Paul Greengrass, and more are expected to factor in the upcoming awards race. One hundred five songs were eligible in the category. All rights reserved. The nominees were announced on 9 March 2021. The optimistic view, then, is that the brouhaha could work to the advantage of Minari. For a smaller distributor, controversy can be a powerful advertising tool; a British release has been announced in the wake of the debate. "Minari" depicts first-generation immigrants from Korea in pursuit of their own American dream from the point of view of David and his parents, Jacob (Steven Yeun) and Monica (Han Yeri). Boosted by seven nominations in below-the-line categories, David Finchers drama set in 1930s Hollywood received 12 nominations, two more than the runner-up, Lee Isaac Chungs Minari. But that is not the end of the story. Source ( 1 ) Minari The culture of Hollywoodand particularly of awards seasonhas changed, and films such as Minari are in less danger of being ignored. It made news, however, when the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), which is responsible for the Golden Globes, announced that Minari would not be eligible for the Best Picture (Drama) category on the grounds that its dialogue is mostly in Korean. The American-made film is ineligible for the Best Picture (Drama) category at the Golden Globes on the basis of its dialogue. Lee Isaac Chungs Minari leads with six nods, including Best Picture, Director, and Screenplay. (ATTN: UPDATES with DGA announcements in paras 11-13; ADDS new photo) SEOUL, March 10 (Yonhap) -- "Minari," a drama film about a Korean American immigrant family, has been nominated in six categories at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) awards. 2021 Oscar Predictions: 93rd Academy Awards David Fincher, Spike Lee, Regina King, Paul Greengrass, and more are expected to factor in the upcoming awards race. Film Independent Spirit Awards: 'Never Rarely Sometimes Always,' 'Minari,' 'Ma Rainey's Black Bottom,' 'Nomadland' Top Nominations 7:25 AM PST 1/26/2021 by Hilary Lewis , Language barriers Minari sets off a debate about awards and foreign-language films. These artists are taking issue with the rule itself, rather than its application. Minari would instead be competing for Best Foreign Language Film. Unlike Apocalypto or Iwo Jima (which cost $50m and $19m to make, respectively) it is not being distributed by a major studio and was not the work of a well-known director.