Script Analysis: “Minari” — Scene-By-Scene Breakdown

Here is my take on this exercise from a previous series of posts — How To Read A Screenplay:

After a first pass, it’s time to crack open the script for a deeper analysis and you can do that by creating a scene-by-scene breakdown. It is precisely what it sounds like: A list of all the scenes in the script accompanied by a brief description of the events that transpire.

For purposes of this exercise, I have a slightly different take on scene. Here I am looking not just for individual scenes per se, but a scene or set of scenes that comprise one event or a continuous piece of action. Admittedly this is subjective and there is no right or wrong, the point is simply to break down the script into a series of parts which you then can use dig into the script’s structure and themes.

The value of this exercise:

• We pare down the story to its most constituent parts: Scenes.
• By doing this, we consciously explore the structure of the narrative.
• A scene-by-scene breakdown creates a foundation for even deeper analysis of the story.

Today: Minari (2020). You may download the screenplay here.

Screenplay written and directed by Lee Isaac Chung.

Plot summary: A Korean family starts a farm in 1980s Arkansas.

Minari
Scene-By-Scene Breakdown
By Aditya RauteGoIntoTheStory.com

Note: The script is much different than the actual movie. It has more scenes which I assume were edited out for length purposes. Even then, with the extra scenes, the screenplay is only 98 pages thus showing that it’s more action-based than dialogue-based.

Page 1: 1983, Arkansas. A Korean origin family arrives on a large patch of land much away from any township. JACOB Yi, the husband (37) is driving a pickup truck while his wife MONICA (35), daughter ANNE (11) and son DAVID (7) follow closely behind in a car. In the open land stands a mobile home — and nothing around it.

Monica is visibly upset. This is not why they had moved here from California. She finds this underwhelming. The kids love the home with wheels.

Page 2–3: The family is walking around. Jacob shows Monica ‘the best dirt in America’. He plans to build a garden in this place. Anne and David are running. David suddenly doubles up and everybody is scared thinking he is ill. But he picks up a snake from the ground.

Page 4: Monica is listening to David’s heartbeats and maintaining notes. The sounds are getting louder. She wants to move to a place near a hospital. Anne pulls up a picture of her mother and grandmother to hang. Monica asks her to put it back as she believes they are not going to be staying for long. Jacob wants everyone to sleep together on the floor for the first night, but the idea is strongly rejected. Monica asks David to keep praying for his heart.

Page 5–7: Jacob and Monica arrive at the hatchery for work, they are chicken sexing. She meets Mrs. Oh who is a Korean working in the same place. Jacob is very fast but Monica isn’t. She hints that they moved from California because of this. Mrs. Oh tells Monica that all Koreans around here live in a city called Rogers. Anne and David are reading an encyclopedia inside. David is bored, and Jacob takes him outside for a break.

Page 7–9: David notices a large tower outside the hatchery. It is where male chicks are discarded because they don’t taste good and are of no use. Jacob advises David that they both have to be useful to survive. His grandfather had a large farm but he didn’t realize its worth then. He wants David to tell Monica, that he loves the place. David agrees.

Page 9–10: Jacob is teaching chicken sexing to Anne and David. David thinks they look the same. Jacob thinks it’s his intuition that helps him differentiate so quickly between the chicks. He opines that only intuition can help in this job, thinking cannot.

Page 10–11: As they are going home in the car, the sky looks green. This cannot be good. Monica says they can move to Rogers, where he can get 5 acres of land. Jacob thinks that’s too less to be his dream. Monica is apprehensive as she needs a babysitter, in case something happens to David. Jacob ponders over it. David is bringing home two male chicks in a box.

Page 11–14: ‘Green skies mean tornado’. The winds are flowing wildly. Jacob tightens all loose objects under the mobile home. A ‘Tornado Warning’ is playing on television inside. The roof is leaking. David wants to feed some Mountain Dew to the chicks. Jacob says the car is ready, if the tornado hits this house will fly. Monica asks the children to rush to the car but Jacob wants to wait and check on the TV first. The power goes off and everyone is scared. When it comes back on, the TV says ‘Tornado Watch’. Tornado’s gone and Jacob sighs. Monica and Jacob get into an argument. David and Anne throw paper airplanes from the inner room, with ‘Don’t fight’ written on top. Monica thinks maybe there is no chance for them.

Page 14–15: Lights are flickering, the tornado is going to hit. Monica rushes everyone to the car, and sits in the backseat with the kids. They are listening to the radio. Jacob can’t find the place on a map. David sees Monica sobbing, but falls asleep in the warm car.

Page 16–17: David wakes up in his bed. He has wet the bed. He hides his underwear and asks Anne if the tornado was a dream. It wasn’t. David is drinking his favorite Mountain Dew. He asks Monica if they have to move from this house, he wants to live here till he dies. Monica says they had a talk and decided that they will stay, and Monica’s mother will come to stay with them.

Page 17–18: Anne hangs up the picture of her mom and grandma. She shows Monica her wedding picture. Monica says she’ll hang that up later.

Page 18–19: A man is using a Dowsing stick to find water in the farm. Jacob finds his services foolish and expensive and rejects it. He tells David that Korean people use their brains. He asks David if he can guess where most water will be? After a few questions, David answers correctly.

Page 20: Monica is making place for her mother SOONJA’s (60 bed in David’s room. Monica and Anne are burning their garbage in a trash can. Monica still thinks the city is better. Jacob is digging on the spot in the farm. After going too deep, he hits water.

Page 21: In the nearby town Holt, David and Anne are shopping with Monica. David goes to Jacob in the bank. The loan officer likes Jacob’s decision of buying the land that others did not want to. He advises Jacob to go big in his farming endeavors.

Page 22–23: PAUL (60) arrives with a pickup truck in the farm, hauling a beat-up tractor. Paul asks if he can drive the tractor around. Jacob says those are Korean foods. Paul holds out a 1950s Korean bill that he had gotten during the war. He gives it to David. Paul is overexcited about meeting Jacob. He prays to the Lord and hugs Jacob. Jacob doesn’t like this.

Page 24: Monica asks how much the tractor is for. Jacob says it’s an investment for the farm. Monica laughs — it’s a farm now, not a garden. Jacob notices that she is very happy, because her mother is coming. She looks very pretty. He goes on to kiss her, but an awkward moment is created.

Page 25–26: Jacob is driving his tractor in his field. Monica has made a wooden swing for the kids. Jacob washes himself after the work. Anne wonders if anyone would want Korean food in the US. Jacob says 30000 Koreans move to America every year. He is sure there is high demand.

Page 26–27: Monica is cleaning David’s ears. He is not pleased about Soonja coming to live here. Monica says she has no siblings or father, hers is the only family Soonja has. David doesn’t like Grandma because his parents fight because of her. Monica promises that there will be no fights once Soonja comes.

Page 27–31: The kids have dressed up for their Grandma’s arrival. Jacob and Soonja (60) enter the house. David is hiding under his mom’s skirt.

Monica is crying at the littlest things. She is unhappy about the house. Soonja brushes it off and gives her some money in an envelope. Monica is hesitant at first, but then accepts it and promises to keep the money safe somewhere. David runs into the room and whispers into his mother’s ears that she doesn’t look like a Grandma. Soonja takes it as a compliment and gives David some playing cards, but upon Monica’s frowning, gives him a chewed chestnut instead. David picks the cards and runs outside. Soonja wonders if David is happy about sharing rooms.

Page 31–32: Paul is working in the field with Jacob. He asks Jacob if he wants an exorcism, to nullify the tragedy happened in this place. Jacob rejects. Jacob has attended an agricultural university in California. Paul thinks they taught him farming wrong. Jacob thinks Paul is crazy. They start the water from the well.

Page 33–34: Soonja has brought some herbal medicine for David to drink. He hates it and asks Soonja not to bring it again.

At night, Soonja opens a small packet with some MINARI SEEDS. David is in Anne’s bedroom. He doesn’t want to share his room with Soonja. He says ‘Grandma smells like Korea’. Jacob scolds him for not behaving, and threatens to beat him with a stick. David meekly goes to his room. Monica finds this heartening. David plugs his ears because Soonja snores.

Page 34–36: Anne pours herself Mountain Dew. David has to drink the Herbal medicine. Soonja takes the Mountain Dew and Anne is annoyed. David asks Soonja if she can cook or bake cookies. She doesn’t. He asks her what can she do. She plays Hwatu cards with Anne and David, in a very crude and aggressive way, constantly cursing.

Page 36: Monica asks Mrs. Oh if there is a Korean church nearby. Mrs. Oh declines. Jacob watches as Monica’s smile fades.

Page 37–38: Anne and David are walking behind Soonja. She takes them deep into the woods. Anne warns them about snakes from above as David and Soonja go down near the creek. Soonja disregards this and decides to plant the Minari seeds there that she brought from Korea.

Page 38–39: A truckload of LUMBER is standing in the land. Monica asks Jacob if this is for the storm shelter. He says it’s for the barn.

Inside, Anne shows Monica a note of paper on which she has written all bad habits of Soonja. She says David is also getting those bad habits.

Page 39: During dinner, Soonja says she will be planting the Minari seeds down the creek. A Korean song is playing on the TV. Soonja says this was Monica and Jacob’s favourite love song when they were in Korea. The family watches intently.

Page 40–41: Monica asks David to pray, sharing a story about kids who prayed to God to see heaven, and were healed. David doesn’t want to pray it. Soonja mocks Monica for teaching kids such foolish things.

Page 41–42: Monica is trying to learn chicken sexing with old chickens. Jacob retorts saying this won’t help and that she is fast enough for Arkansas. He says it must be lonely for her here, without friends. Monica wonders why he is asking her this.

Page 42: Monica is annoyed that David hid the wet underwear from her. She tells David to pinch his cheeks and ask himself if he is in a dream, whenever he goes to the bathroom. Soonja mocks David saying ‘Broken Ding-Dong’.

Page 43–46: The family is dressed and at the local church. They seem to be the only Asians there. Monica puts $100 in the offering plate. Jacob is surprised. As Brother Roy asks the family to arise, the rest of the crowd stares at them.

During refreshments, a boy Johnnie makes fun of David’s face. Monica meets two women and tells them her English is not very good. They call her cute and assure her that they will teach her English. Some girls also tease Anne for her language. David wants to stay at Johnnie’s place, because he doesn’t like Grandma. Monica scolds him. Soonja says to Johnnie pointing at David ‘Ding-Dong broken’.

Page 46–47: In the car, Monica says she would rather work on Sundays. Jacob is unhappy with the amount she tithed. Soonja opens her palm to reveal the $100 to David.

On the road, they see Paul dragging a wooden cross. When asked, he tells Jacob ‘this is my church’. Jacob continues on as Paul keeps at it. Jacob finds this funny. Monica doesn’t.

Page 47–48: Anne is burning trash in the garbage can. Jacob shows Paul the plans for the barn. They check the irrigation pipes. They are dry.

Page 48–50: Soonja is watching a wrestling match. David tells her that she is not like a real grandma. She pinches him with her toes. David runs away.

At the well, Jacob is struggling with the water problem. He is screwing in an AUGER with Paul trying to hit ground water. He says he used his brains to find it. Paul asks Jacob if he has ever considered inviting one of those Dowsing guys. Jacob shrugs that way and wonders when will it rain.

Monica is working at the hatchery while Jacob’s station is empty. She is slow.

Page 51–52: David empties his bowl of herbal medicine in the toilet, pees in it, and gives it to Soonja as Mountain Dew. He then runs away as Soonja screams after taking a sip. He is walking through the woods; his heartbeats are getting louder.

Page 52–55: Jacob and Monica have punished David, and ask him to apologize. David says a hesitant apology but accuses Soonja of not being a real grandma. Jacob asks David to bring a stick. Soonja protests. While removing a stick from the top of the wall, David falls and the stick breaks. Jacob asks him to go outside and bring a stick.

He goes outside and picks two sticks, one thicker than the other. Monica is trying to assure Soonja that what they are trying to do is right, and she has already suffered enough in this ‘hillbilly’ place. Jacob is vexed at this remark.

David enters the house, his hands behind his back. When asked to reveal the stick, David raises a thin reed. Soonja claps and she dances with David calling him smart.

Page 55–57: Jacob cannot remove his shirt because his arms are paining. He asks Monica to help. He also tells her he needs to wash his hair. Jacob is sitting in the bathtub as Monica shampoos his hair. Monica is concerned about the money they are losing. Jacob tells her that she can take the kids and leave him if the farm fails. As she rinses his hair, water streams down his face.

Monica wants Jacob to teach her chicken sexing. They sit on a table as Monica is deciding the gender of the chicks. Jacob thinks she is slow because she thinks, she should use her intuition, and go with the first idea she has. She needs to believe her intuition. Monica doesn’t think that’s her nature.

Page 58: Jacob goes in the land and joins a flexible pipe to the already flowing water in the water main box. He turns a cork and water begins to flow.

Page 58–60: Paul and Jacob are arranging crates in the barn. Jacob is in good spirits. Monica tells him there is a call from Dallas. As he returns to the barn, he asks Paul to take the crates back. The client is getting their produce from California. Paul tries to pacify him but Jacob is angry. He leaves for work.

Page 60–63: Monica is working very fast at the hatchery, Jacob not so much. He drops a crate of chicks while lifting. His arms still hurt. Mrs. Oh says that the chicks need to be discarded now as they might be injured. Mr. H watches from behind.

The water in the irrigation pipes in the field stops. Anne tries tap water in the house, nothing. She asks David to change his clothes for the church picnic. She also asks Soonja to help him. Soonja ignores. David goes inside to remove some clothes from the top drawer. He struggles and the drawer falls on him, hurting his feet.

David manages to put the drawer back in place somehow, while standing in a pool of blood. He calls everyone. Anne is frozen in her tracks. Soonja bandages his wound and sends Anne to her church picnic alone. Soonja calls David a strong boy for lifting the drawer by himself. Nobody has called David strong before.

Page 63–65: On the way to the creek, Soonja asks David if he wants to try to run. He wants to, but can’t because of his heart. Near the creek, the Minari is growing very well. David sings a song ‘Wonderful Minari’. He spots a snake on the branch of a tree and tries to hit it with a rook. Soonja says “with some things it’s better to see them than have them hide”.

Page 66–67: Jacob tries the tap at home, then says that he will check the pipes. Monica knows that he spent all the water in the farm. Soonja had brought some buckets of water from the creek, with David. Monica is shocked, and tells her that David is not supposed to do work like this. The doctors have said that he might need an operation any moment. David is eavesdropping on this conversation.

Page 68–69: The night is loud. David is unable to sleep. He tells Soonja that he prayed to see the heaven, but now he doesn’t want to go. Soonja tells him that nothing of that sort will happen. She holds him close to her as they sleep, and sings the Minari song before falling asleep.

Page 69–71: In the morning, the bed is wet. But this time, Soonja has wet the bed. Anne and David try to talk to her, she seems strange and aggressive. Anne decides to call Monica when they reach the church. Soonja is staring at the Dresser in front of her.

Page 71–72: Anne calls Monica from the church. David is staring at a HWATU card during the sermon.

On the way back, Anne and David are in the bus with other kids. Monica and Jacob have taken Soonja to the hospital. They see Paul dragging the cross on the road. One of the kids gives him the finger and others laugh. They also tease Paul for not having water at his house.

Monica asks the kids to stay at their friends’ place.

Page 73–74: Johnnie is wild. He is racing his bicycle on the streets, and makes David do so too. David tries hard to imitate him. In the house, they try some Skoal and play Hwatu cards. David has started cursing too.

Page 75: BILLY (late 20s, probably Johnnie’s mother’s boyfriend) is having breakfast with Johnnie and David. He wasn’t home the entire night. He enquires David about his father’s farm, telling the kids that the last person that had the farm had killed himself.

Page 76: Jacob takes the kids home. They found their friends’ home quite weird.

Page 76–77: Soonja is staring at the dresser saying strange things. She had suffered from a ‘stroke’ and needs rest. Monica thinks it’s her fault because she was selfish and had brought her here. Anne tries to calm her. Monica points out that Anne is acting like a grown up, and promises never to leave them alone.

Page 77–78: Water is back. Anne and David discuss that their parents may be getting a divorce. Anne suggests one kid should stay with one parent to be fair to both of them.

While sleeping, David whispers to a snoring Soonja — ‘it’s all your fault’. Soonja wakes up and remains still.

Page 78–82: Paul is the first guest at their home. He enjoys Korean food. Paul notices something off between Monica and Jacob. David is trying some exorcism in Soonja’s room. Jacob dislikes this ordeal. 
 Paul asks him if he wants him to pray for the couple. Jacob does not take this lightly. After Paul exits, Jacob fires off at Monica.

Page 82–83: Paul is packing the best produce in a box for Jacob to take at a Grocery store. The family is going to Oklahoma. Soonja is staying home. She tries to help Monica but breaks a cup. Monica wants her to stop helping.

Page 83–86: The family is going to Oklahoma by car. Jacob parks the car in a hot spot in the hospital’s parking. He takes the box of produce with him as the family is heading inside. Monica says they are here for David, and wants him to keep the box inside. Jacob says he’ll be back after he finds a good spot for the car.

Inside the hospital room, as David is being inspected, Jacob enters with the box.

Outside, Jacob wonders if his and Monica’s fights are the reason for David’s sickness. Monica tells him that she needs him in California. It will be better for the kids. Jacob says he is not the one who wants to leave. Even if the farm fails, he needs to finish what he started. Monica is unhappy at this remark.

Page 86–87: Doctor tells the family that the hole in David’s heart is getting smaller. They all are unable to comprehend at first. He says that this is a very good news, and tells them that this could be the Ozark water. Monica thanks him. David feels proud.

Page 87: Soonja is near the barn, cleaning discarded produce.

Page 88–90: At the Grocer’s, the owner is impressed with the produce and a deal is made. As they exit the shop, Jacob is elated. Monica asks him to come to a corner. She accuses him of choosing the farm over their family at the hospital. Jacob thinks that she is overreacting as everything is now working out. Monica thinks if things go south ever again, she cannot trust Jacob. She does not want to be united with money. In harsh words, they vaguely declare that the split is inevitable. 
 In the car, David tells Monica that he prayed and saw heaven. Monica is disinterested, and meekly thanks him.

Page 90–93: Soonja is burning the garbage in the trash can. A small burning bag falls out of the can. A small fire starts on the grass. The fire rages. Her face is blackened. A lot of debris catches fire. The barn starts to burn as the car pulls in near the house. Jacob gets out.

The back of the barn has caught fire. He tries to fight it but in vain. As Soonja returns from the smoke, Monica takes her near the car. She sees Jacob going inside the barn and runs behind him.
 They both try to save as much as they can. Soonja is standing still near the car, staring at the fire.

All crates in the barn start burning. Jacob wants Monica to leave and stay with the kids. A pillar falls and divides them. Jacob panics and starts searching for her. She is crawling on the ground. They hold each other and escape the barn, and stay on the ground.

Soonja sees them safe and together, leaves the car, and starts walking towards the road. David observes Monica and Jacob clinging to each other. Anne has started calling on Soonja, David goes with her. They yell at her back, but Soonja continues walking.

Page 94–95: Both are still calling Soonja, but her face is a strange combination of various feelings. She continues on her path. Not able to contain it, David starts running — for the first time in his life. With all his strength he reaches her and gets in her way, pleading her to come home. Soonja stops and the kids take her home by her hand.

Page 95: The barn has burned down. We see some photo frames of the family. The four of them are sleeping together on the floor as Soonja watches from a chair.

Page 95–96: One of those Dowser guys is back. Jacob, Monica, and David walk together behind him. Jacob puts down a large rock at the spot he says. It stands like a pillar.

Page 96–97: Soonja watches as Anne and David are playing on the swing. Monica asks them all to get inside for dinner. Jacob is going outside for some time. David accompanies him. They both go to the Minari creek. They slide down and pick some abundantly grown Minari. Jacob thinks Soonja has picked a good spot for the Minari.

They carry the bucket of Minari home, as the water flows behind.

THE END

Writing Exercise: I encourage you to read the script, but short of that, if you’ve seen the movie, go through this scene-by-scene breakdown. What stands out to you about it from a structural standpoint?

To download a PDF of the breakdown , go here.

Kudos to Aditya Raute for doing the scene-by-scene breakdown.

To see dozens more screenplay scene-by-scene breakdowns, go here.