‘The Big Sick’ is my big surprise of the year, I don’t often like the “Rom-Com” genre of film, which is how this was advertised, but I reluctantly went after hearing all the positive press. I have a soft spot for small indie films and so I decided to give it a chance. I’m glad I did as this was a fantastic film. This is the auto-biographical tale of Kumail Nanjiani, a Pakistani-American comedian whose life and loves as an American fall in direct conflict with his families desires for him to stay true to his Pakistani roots. This had all the potential of being a preachy, politically correct lecture which films like this sometimes are. To the contrary, I found this an honest exploration of Kumail’s struggle to reconcile his American perspective and desire to live his life on his terms, with that of his family’s expectation of him.
Kumail is at a crossroads in his life as he is a grad student trying to make a life as a comedian in Chicago, when he reluctantly falls in love with a caucasian girl named Emily (Zoe Kazan) he meets at his comedy show. He tries to lead two lives as he thinks he can have his girlfriend and comedy separate from his parents desperate attempts to arrange a marriage for him to a Pakistani girl and convince him to pursue Law School (they’ve given up on getting him into medical school). It's a difficult and honest moment to watch when Kumail is finally forced to decide between his family and Emily and he chooses his family’s approval. It’s a decision that causes Kumail much agony and one that he regrets when Emily suddenly falls prey to a mysterious illness and slips into a coma.
Enter Emily’s parents Beth and Terry (Holly Hunter and Ray Romano). The hospital scenes between Emily’s parents and her recently ex-boyfriend Kumail are predictably amusing, but what really stands out is the relationship struggles that Emily’s parents are going through while their daughter lies near death. If this was indeed based on a true story, then the amount of openness explored as Beth struggles with Terry’s prior infidelity is as engaging as Kumail's struggles. The second half of the film is Beth and Terry reluctantly accepting Kumail as part of their family despite the fact he emotionally damaged their daughter. Despite the trauma of Emily’s situation and being a witness to her parent's pain, he has found where he belongs.
The emotional climax to the film is when Kumail confronts his parents with the fact that, despite his gratitude for everything they have done for him, he is at heart American and not Pakistani. His wish is to live and love as he chooses and follow the path that is right for him. That path is not the one of a dutiful and traditional Pakistani son. The heartbreak in his parents is as touching to observe as it is painful for Kumail to tell them. This scene is where I feel the film rises above being a typical ‘Rom Com’. The feeling and empathy we feel for Kumail and his plight goes beyond the two dimensional cliches of the typical Hollywood scripts.
This story has no good guys or bad guys, merely people trying their best as they go through a personal crisis. We care about what happens to each one of them as well as want them all to end up together. As simple as that desire is, we all know that life doesn’t make it that easy. I highly recommend this film as the sleeper hit of the year. I hope this will be a great showcase for Kumail Nanjiani’s talents and also hope that the Academy will remember this at Oscar time.
I give this film **** stars
