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| Actress Youn Yuh-jung in a scene from the film "Minari" / Courtesy of PAN CINEMA |
By Kwak Yeon-soo
Youn Yuh-jung won the best supporting actress from the National Board of Review (NBR) for her work in "Minari," while writer-director Lee Isaac Chung earned the best original screenplay title. Established in 1909, NBR recognizes superlative filmmakers and actors, and acts as a strong indicator as to whether winners will garner Oscar nods.
Also winning the best supporting actress from the New York Film Critics Online on Tuesday (local time), the 73-year-old actress has nabbed a total of 20 trophies this season by far.
"Minari" follows a Korean immigrant family relocating and adjusting to life on a remote farm in Arkansas in the 1980s. The film title refers to a Korean herb that "comes in the pockets of immigrants, dies in the first year, thrives in the second and purifies the water and the soil around it."
The film, since premiering at the Sundance Film Festival January last year, has been acclaimed by critics in the country and overseas with its resonating story about the "American dream."
Winning multiple trophies from film critics associations and festivals, including the Sunset Film Circle Awards and Alliance of Women Film Journalists Award, Youn is considered to be frontrunner in the Oscar race. Anticipation is high for Youn on whether she could become the first Korean actor to receive an Academy Award.
Earlier this week, "Minari" was named one of the 10 movies of the year by the American Film Institute. The film has also been nominated in five categories, including best picture and best supporting actor, at the Film Independent Spirit Awards set for April.
