The Big Sick - A Review
Based on the real-life courtship of Pakistan-born standup comic Kumail Nanjiani and grad student Emily Gardner, The Big Sick is a refreshingly original film. It explores relationships, commitment, cultural traditions and learning integrity.
The movie starts off as a Judd Apatow romcom, but it soon becomes more serious and realistic than it may appear at first. The story follows a white girl and a Pakistani guy who fall in love but have to deal with their families’ prejudices and expectations.
What is The Big Sick?
The Big Sick is a film that will have you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. In fact, it's one of our favorites of 2017. The movie is based on the real-life romance between Kumail Nanjiani and Emily Gardner and it's a definite must see for any fan of both comedy and movies. With a star-studded cast including Zoe Kazan, Ray Romano and Adeel Akhtar, it's no wonder it's such a crowd pleaser. While the storyline may be a bit clunky at times, its well-developed characters and engaging plotting make it an enjoyable romp. The best part is the movie has only a two-hour runtime. The only downside is you will have to leave the theater in the dark. This may be a good thing since it means you can actually relax and enjoy your dinner.
What is the Storyline of The Big Sick?
The Big Sick is a semi-autobiographical film that follows the rocky romance between Kumail Nanjiani (HBO’s Silicon Valley) and Emily Gordon, who co-wrote the screenplay with him. It also follows their struggle to deal with their parents when Emily becomes seriously ill and Kumail must spend time at the hospital with her.
Kumail, who lives in Los Angeles, meets Emily while he was working as a comedy club stand-up comedian. He quickly develops a friendship with her, though she isn’t interested in dating him because of his Pakistani heritage.
But Kumail can’t seem to shake his feelings for Emily, and he starts to fall in love with her. He can’t decide whether to tell her or not. Ultimately, he decides to keep his relationship with Emily a secret.
It’s not until Emily goes into a medically induced coma that Kumail realizes that she is the one he wants to spend the rest of his life with. They got married soon after she recovered from her illness.
Throughout the film, Kumail and Emily struggle to deal with their parents’ concerns over their relationship and religious beliefs. They try to reconcile with them, but they aren’t always successful.
The Big Sick has a likable and charming tone that makes it easy to connect with the characters. But it’s also a film that’s intelligent in the way it tackles complex cross-cultural issues without simplifying them.
As for the cast, they do a great job of conveying emotions that often feel overly simplistic or trite in other films. Both the family of Emily (Ray Romano and Holly Hunter) and the family of Kumail (Anupam Kher and Zenobia Shroff) are portrayed with empathy and depth, as well as a certain amount of sarcastic wit.
They also make a strong case for the importance of keeping things real. As Nanjiani and Gordon shared with us, it was very important for them to write the film as if it were an actual, honest representation of their own relationship and not an exaggerated version.
During the production process, Nanjiani and Gordon worked closely with Michael Showalter to ensure that the film would maintain a balance of comedy and drama while still addressing difficult subjects. These included religion, immigrant culture in America, relationships with in-laws, growing pains in parent/child relationships and the everyday bravery of human beings.
What is the Cast of The Big Sick?
The Big Sick is an incredibly funny film based on the true story of comedian Kumail Nanjiani and his then-girlfriend, now-wife Emily V. Gordon. This ain’t your usual Hollywood romance, with the movie focusing on cultural clashes and family dynamics.
The film opens with Pakistan-born comedian Kumail (Nanjiani) trying to make ends meet in Chicago, working as an Uber driver by day and attempting to hone his stand-up routine at night. He makes a quick, but not too fast, connection with grad student Emily (Zoe Kazan) after a well-timed heckle during a show. Their initial encounter turns into something more, and when she falls ill with a mystery illness, Kumail must navigate not only his feelings but also her parents’ plethora of medical issues.
As a first-time feature director, Michael Showalter does a great job of making his story and his actors feel both genuine and authentic. The cast is led by Kumail Nanjiani as the swoony suitor and Zoe Kazan as the smart-alecky girlfriend. The pair have a sizzling chemistry, and their moments of elation are often as funny as their more mundane ones.
There are many fun and memorable moments in this movie, but the most impressive of them all comes from the script. Using the film’s main character as his point of departure, Showalter mines the human psyche for jokes that resonate with audiences both domestic and foreign. The best part is, he does so without feeling the need to be snarky or self-important. As a result, The Big Sick is one of the year’s best comedy-drama hybrids. It’s an original and uplifting film that will linger in your mind long after you finish watching it.
What is the Rating of The Big Sick?
The Big Sick isn't your average romantic comedy, but it's certainly one of the most refreshing ones we've seen in a while. It's not about a struggling comic trying to make it in the biz or about a romance-challenged couple just finding each other; it's about cultural expectations and navigating relationships, and it's all done in a way that's honest, sincere, and just plain charming.
The movie starts with Pakistani-American comedian Kumail (Nanjiani) meeting and falling in love with Emily Gordon (Zoe Kazan). They meet after Kumail performs at a comedy club, but they quickly start spending time together and getting to know each other better, even though Kumail's traditional Muslim parents don't approve of their relationship.
When Emily becomes ill, Kumail must navigate the medical crisis and deal with the emotional tug of war between his family and his heart. Despite his best efforts, he ends up learning more about Emily than he had ever expected.
While he's at it, Kumail must also figure out how to handle Emily's parents, Beth and Terry (Holly Hunter and Ray Romano), who he's never met before. That might be the most difficult part of all, but it's also the most rewarding.
Throughout the film, we're given a series of touching scenes between Kumail and Emily's families, and the filmmakers never fail to find humor in each of these interactions. Whether it's about Emily's thumbprint identification system on her smartphone or Kumail's love of Hugh Grant, the film's sense of humor is always as sharp as it is empathetic, making the story feel more real than ever before.
It's a rare film that can be both thoughtful and funny, and The Big Sick is no exception to this rule. It's a well-written drama about love, culture, and relationships; it's about a comedian finding love in the most unexpected place; it's about commitment, and it's about learning how to be honest with yourself and others.
The film's main message is that love can conquer all, and that it's the most important thing in life. It's a sentiment that's repeated over and over again. The fact that it's based on true events makes it all the more powerful. It's also a heartwarming and uplifting tale that deserves to be seen by as many people as possible.
