The Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s guidelines sparked a rally on Tuesday when it was announced that “Minari” would be classified as a foreign language film for Golden Globe voters.
Directors, writers and actors, including Lulu Wang, Phil Lord, Celeste Ng and Daniel Dae Kim, condemned the organization’s long-term policy, saying it was time to change the rule.
HFPA stipulates that, unlike the Oscars, contestants in the best categories of drama or comedy / music of the Golden Globes must present at least 50% English dialogue.
Just a year ago, Wang’s “Goodbye” and Pedro Almodovar’s “Pain and Glory” won several Golden Globe nominations, but were excluded from the Top Globe Awards. And despite the Academy’s historic gain, Bong Joon Ho’s “Parasite” was excluded from the HFPA guidelines.
While “Parasite” and “Minari” feature both Korean-speaking characters, “Minari” focuses on a family of Korean immigrants moving to a small farm in Arkansas and coming from Korean-American director Lee Isaac Chung. The film, from A24 and Plan B, stars both Korean and American Korean actors, including Steven Yeun, Yeri Han, Youn Yuh Jung, Alan Kim and Noel Kate Cho. Yeun discussed the film in Variety cover released Wednesday.
In response to Variety Sharing a tweet that “Minari” will not compete in the best image categories, Wang spoke of “the outdated HFPA rules that characterize Americans as just English speakers.” “I haven’t seen a movie more American than ‘Minari’ this year,” she wrote. “It’s a story about an immigrant family in America who pursues the American dream.”
I’ve never seen a movie more American than #Minari this year. It is a story about an immigrant family in America, who pursues the American dream. We really need to change these old rules that characterize the American as just an English speaker. https://t.co/1NZbkJFE9v
– Lulu Wang (@thumbelulu) December 23, 2020
“Lost” star Kim also commented on how these guidelines ignore Asian American stories. “The equivalent of the movie telling you to go back to your country when that country is actually America,” he wrote.
The equivalent of the movie that you are told to return to your country when that country is actually America. https://t.co/kwEf8eO9v8
– Daniel Dae Kim (@danieldaekim) December 23, 2020
“Shang-Chi” star Simu Liu added that “Minari” is an American film written and directed by an American filmmaker based in America with an American lead actor and produced by an American production company. “
For recording only, Minari is an American film written and directed by an American filmmaker based in America with an American lead actor and produced by an American production company 👀 https://t.co/6fbI7ppBPB
– Simu Liu (@SimuLiu) December 23, 2020
“Glee” actor Harry Shum Jr. posted on Twitter that “Inglourious Basterds”, which features German, French and Italian dialogue, did not receive the same treatment.
Check the report “Inglorious Bastards” from English to German, French and Italian – about 30:70 😐 #Minari it’s an American movie. https://t.co/rO6bjpNHQO
– Harry Shum Jr (@HarryShumJr) December 23, 2020
Blacklist founder Franklin Leonard also wrote, “Let’s not forget that ‘Inglourious Basterds’ was not largely in English and was not classified in the same way.”
As for the bright look, I needed a motivation for what we were working on. https://t.co/HjMktWUV8F
– Franklin Leonard (@franklinleonard) December 23, 2020
Writer-director-producer Lord wrote on Twitter that HFPA will have no choice but to change its rules or risk a boycott of the Golden Globes.
HFPA will have no choice but to change this call #Minari . The filmmakers will boycott. It will be in every speech. Every interview. This is a stupid decision.
– Phil Lord #WinGA #BlackLivesMatter #WearAMask (@philiplord) December 23, 2020
Candyman director Nia DaCosta said that a first-generation American born and raised in New York City, “Minari,” a film about an American Korean family looking for the American dream full of facets in many parts of Arkansas, it made me feel like you were seen in a way that movies rarely happen.
I am a first generation American born and raised in New York and @MinariMovie, a film about a Korean-American family looking for the multifaceted and multifaceted American dream in rural Arkansas, made me feel seen in a way that movies rarely happen. pic.twitter.com/3983PUhtvX
– Nia DaCosta (@NiaDaCosta) December 23, 2020
The author of “Little Fires Everywhere”, Ng, wrote on Twitter: “This is a superb American film about Korean-speaking Americans in America, who would be a strong competitor for awards in any category. The idea that only English-language movies are called “American” is complete nonsense. “
This is a great American film about Korean-speaking Americans in America who would be a strong competitor for awards in ANY category. The idea that only English-language movies are called “American” is complete nonsense. https://t.co/tgKqGzMUn7
– Celeste Ng (@pronounced_ing) December 23, 2020
“Pachinko” author Min Jin Lee wrote: “Minari” is an American film about us Americans. Everyone in America, except the natives, came from elsewhere by choice or force. English is not an indigenous language. Quite nonsense about Asian Americans being permanently foreigners. I finished.”
#Minari is an American film about us Americans. Everyone in America, except the indigenous population, came from elsewhere by choice or force. English is not an indigenous language. Quite nonsense about Asian Americans being permanently foreigners. I finished. https://t.co/GEuXGDx85I
– Min Jin Lee (@ minjinlee11) December 23, 2020
See more reactions below.
A sad and disappointing reminder that a film about the American dream, set in America, with an American, directed by an American and produced by an American company, is somehow foreign. #Minari https://t.co/u8VVfp0Sf4
– Andrew Phung (@andrewphung) December 23, 2020
Parasite won the Oscar for BEST PICTURE last year. So … it doesn’t follow your logic #GoldenGlobes https://t.co/0LFU2n51Q2
– Phillipa Soo (@Phillipasoo) December 23, 2020