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| Courtesy of Amazon Studios |
It was an unfortunate development, but I can’t say I’m sorry it happened. Because those studios were no longer interested in the genre, independent film started picking up the slack. And because these indie studios are making them for tiny budgets, they can be more creative and original with the stories they’re telling. A movie like Zoe Lister-Jones’ Band Aid, which I raved about a few weeks ago, is far more emotionally raw and sexually honest than the romcoms of yesterday.
The Big Sick, another recent addition to the genre, opened wide last week and immediately cements its place as an instant classic. What’s more, this sweet, beautiful story – loosely based on the actual relationship of co-writers/spouses Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon – offers viewers a glimpse of characters, cultures and perspectives they might not be used to seeing on the big screen. I will be shocked if it doesn’t appear on my Top 10 list at the end of the year.
Nanjiani (who you may recognize from HBO’s Silicon Valley or his brief roles in Central Intelligence and Fist Fight) plays Kumail, a Pakistan-born comedian trying to make it big in Chicago. After one of his sets, he connects with grad student Emily (Zoe Kazan) and their one-night stand quickly blossoms into something more. However, their happiness complicates Kumail’s relationship with his traditional Muslim parents (Anupam Kher and Zenobia Shroff), who insist on choosing his spouse for him as their culture dictates.
When Emily is suddenly hit with a mysterious illness that leaves her in a medically-induced coma, Kumail is forced to get to know her mom (Holly Hunter) and dad (Ray Romano) in a scary and unusual situation. He also finds himself a crossroads: does he follow his heart or honor the sacrifices his own parents made for him? Is there a way he can do both?
I’ve been a fan of the real-life Nanjiani’s comedic voice for years, primarily because of his unique perspective on everyday situations. He’s also got a great gift for deadpan, which he utilizes brilliantly in The Big Sick. It made for some tremendous delayed reaction laughs in the screening I attended. (He even accomplishes the near-impossible: getting an entire theater to roar with laughter at a 9/11 joke.)
It’s that unconventional perspective, which he shares with his talented wife Gordon (a former therapist turned writer), that allows a fairly predictable narrative structure to unfold in refreshing ways. You still get the meet-cute, the obstacles getting in the way of Kumail and Emily’s relationship, and the inevitable happy ending. (Spoiler alert: they got married, so it’s safe to assume she wakes up from the coma.) Still, I’m astonished that the couple’s first screenplay turned out practically perfect; I can’t wait to see more of their work.
It must be weird to play a fictionalized version of yourself experiencing a terrifying event that you actually lived through – especially when someone else is playing your girlfriend – but Nanjiani proves himself to be a phenomenal leading man. He’s spent his entire career playing bit parts, so you can tell he’s taking full advantage of this opportunity to grab the spotlight. He’s hilarious, he’s romantic and he’s adept at the story’s dramatic aspects too.
Of course, it helps that Nanjiani’s got some tremendous costars that force him to step up his game. Kazan (who was also fantastic in the underrated romcom What If) is incredible as Emily, a fully-realized character who has her own life outside of just being Kumail’s girlfriend. Although her story is sort of a modernized spin on “Sleeping Beauty,” she’s not just waiting around for a man to come rescue her. She loves Kumail, but that doesn’t mean she’s going to be a doormat or allow him to take her focus away from her other life goals.
Hunter and Romano are also excellent. Viewers have come to expect that from Hunter, but Romano is going to surprise a lot of people who only know him from Everybody Loves Raymond. (He’s previously done strong dramatic work in Men of a Certain Age and Parenthood, but those television series didn’t do well in the ratings.)
The actors playing Kumail’s relatives – including Kher, Shroff and Adeel Akhtar as his brother – leave deep impressions despite a limited amount of screen time. They exhibit real chemistry and feel like an actual family. The same goes for comedians Kurt Braunohler, Bo Burnham and Aidy Bryant, who portray Kumail’s standup buddies.
I could spend several hundred more words gushing over The Big Sick, but I want to make my case without creating so much hype that the movie can’t live up to it. Honestly, it’s so great that I don’t think that would be a problem, but I’ll wrap it up nonetheless.
Those of you who complain that summer movies are nothing but sequels, remakes and explosions now have a chance to support a truly wonderful film. And, for once, you don’t have to drive all the way into Atlanta to do it. I don’t beg a lot, but I’m doing it now: go see The Big Sick and prove to the industry that there’s still a reason to make movies like this.
The Big Sick is rated R for language including some sexual references.
Grade: A
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