Based on Kumail Nanjiani’s real life, comes the romantic comedy The Big Sick, billed as “An Awkward True Story.” Kumail, who co-wrote the story with Emily V. Gordon, stars as himself, a Pakistani-American who moved from Pakistan to Chicago when he was in his teens.
Kumail’s parents and older brother are very traditional, adhering to their Pakistani culture, including the belief that Pakistani men should marry Pakistani women. Subjected to numerous introductions of Pakistani women, Kumail, who genuinely loves his family, has a hard time telling them that arranged marriage is not for him.
When he meets the quirky but adorably lovable Emily, played by Zoe Kazan, Kumail slowly realizes he’s met his match. Unfortunately though, Kumail has to keep his relationship with Emily a secret from his family, and, in an equally tight-lipped fashion, cannot bring himself to tell Emily that his parents would never be willing to accept her as his soulmate.
As if things aren’t already stressful enough for Kumail, a struggling stand-up comedian, Emily suddenly becomes hospitalized, and he has to deal with her parents, played by Ray Romano and Holly Hunter.
I’d be doing you a disservice if I continued to elaborate any further about the plot so I’ll stop there. The movie is categorized as a comedy, but it definitely has a lot of dramatic moments as well, especially the hospital scenes where multiple doctors are trying to determine what’s wrong with Emily. The comedic moments are definitely there, but it’s not the type of comedy in which you’ll find yourself laughing so hard that your sides hurt. Instead, Kumail’s dry wit provides relief from some of the most awkward and emotional situations, making the audience fall in love with him.
Kumail is flawed for numerous reasons, and as he visits Emily daily at the hospital, he begins to reevaluate his life. How can he continue to be a good son without ripping out his parents’ hearts, and how can he be the man Emily wants him to be without hurting her?
This movie can be best be compared to food prepared in a Crock-Pot; the story is told at a very slow pace, but, in the end, my heart was completely warmed just like a meal that stewed for a few hours. I loved the cultural infusion of Kumail’s Pakistani heritage that gave this tale such a rich flavor.
The cast is exceptional! When people hear Ray Romano’s name, they associate him with the television series Everyone Loves Raymond, where he played goofy dad Ray Barone. In The Big Sick, Romano’s character Terry is a man who tries to help Kumail even though he himself is far from having his own life figured out. As the wife of a cancer survivor (that’s not a spoiler), I found myself emotionally connecting to Terry as he frantically tries to jot down notes as doctors throw out medical terminology he can’t even spell let alone recognize; I remember what that felt like when I was in that situation, and Romano captures that frustration and confusion perfectly.
Holly Hunter’s character Beth is understandably feisty and standoffish at first, and as the story line progresses, the audience will be blown away by her performance. She’s a mama bear for sure.
It is rare to see an actor play himself in a true story, and Kumail Nanjiani’s performance is simply as charming as his tale. The actors who play his family are endearing even when they are peer pressuring him or disagreeing with his life’s choices.
My sister Jodi attended the movie with me, and shared, “I really enjoyed this movie. I thought it was kind of slow in the beginning, but I kept getting drawn in as the movie continued. There were several laugh-out-loud moments, and as the story progressed, I fell in love with it.”
Jodi continued, “It’s a story everyone can relate to in terms of finding the balance between pleasing your family, following your heart, and pursuing your dreams. It was entertaining, and I would definitely recommend it.”
Make sure to stick around for the credits. You won’t be disappointed. Overall, this romantic comedy is definitely different than most romantic comedies, but that ultimately is what makes The Big Sick so good!
Movie times: click here
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Director: Michael Showalter
Actors: Kumail Nanjiani, Zoe Kazan, Holly Hunter, Ray Romano
Running Time: 2 hours
Rating: Rated R for language including some sexual references
