The Big Sick
/"What's my stance on 9/11? Oh um, anti. It was a tragedy, I mean we lost 19 of our best guys."
Filmology Rating: 3.67 out of 4
Love is one of the strongest emotions we can have as human beings. It can make us feel like we are on cloud nine with no worries in the world but then it can makes us feel like we are walking through the gates of Hell with our feet burning from the coals everyday. Like most people I have felt both sides of the spectrum and it makes you question every time why we bother to put ourselves through the emotional hurricane. I should state before I continue that just an hour before my screening of The Big Sick my five year relationship nearly ended, so my thoughts might hinge a little more on the emotional side with this review than they otherwise would; like I stated before we have all felt those two types of feelings and right now I’m in the category 5 emotional hurricane. I will still try to be as reasonable with my thoughts on this film and judge it as fairly as I can.
Kumail, played by the man himself Kumail Nanjiani, is a struggling stand up comedian in Chicago. While most don’t laugh at his jokes, Emily, played by Zoe Kazan, finds Kumail charming and funny. The two have instant chemistry and hit it off and start dating. Kumail however has to hide this fact from his family who is trying to set him up for an arranged marriage. His mother, played by Zenobia Shroff, and father, played by Anupam Kher, would be horrified to know that Kumail is no longer a practicing Muslim and that he wants to live the American life instead of the Pakistani life. The happy couple soon realize that the culture differences between the two might be stronger than the love that the they feel for each other so they decide it’s time to break up. Shortly after they break up Kumail gets a call saying that Emily is in the hospital and needs to be put into a coma so the doctors can operate safely.
The story of Kumail and Emily seems like a nightmare of a story but that is what makes it intriguing to watch. For those who don’t know The Big Sick is based off the courtship between Kumail and Emily, the extreme highs and extreme lows are laid bare for the entire world to watch. One of the reasons that this film works so well is because it’s written by Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon. When you have the two people who the situation is based on writing the film you get both sides of the story. You get the emotional point of view from Emily’s family that Kumail might not have even known until the process of writing this script started. You understand the reasons why Kumail’s family wants him to marry and carry on the Pakistani lifestyle that his family has carried on for generations. The realness in this film cannot be overstated and I wish every movie would hit with this much intimacy that you can be feeling a thousand feelings at once.
There's three scenes that have haunted me since I first saw this film and would argue that these scenes by themselves could be watched and have entire classes devoted to them by philosophy and film professors. I’ll start with the scenes in the order that they appear in the film. The first is one that just makes my heart pound and tears stream down my face; Kumail who has just recently met Emily’s family goes with them back to Emily’s apartment after she has been placed in the coma. At the apartment Kumail takes a few moments in Emily’s room where he sees pieces of clothing that reminds himself of Emily. He gets quick flashes of where he and Emily where when she was wearing the clothing and then he gets thrown against a brick wall when he realizes that those moments might never happen again. Everyone who has gone through a breakup and starts to decide what to do with their previous significant other’s items knows this is one of the hardest aspects of the breakup and watching those moments on the silver screen can be therapeutic knowing that you are not alone in this big universe. The second scene occurs that same night when Kumail and Emily’s mother Beth, played by Holly Hunter, are talking about Emily’s current situation. Kumail makes a comment that might seem like an afterthought, how he is content that Emily is in a coma because the doctors know what they are doing, but Beth seizes the moment and says “No they don’t, they're just winging it like the rest of us.” Just the boldness of the comment shook me, most people will do anything to act strong but this woman who might be losing one of the most important people in her life accepts that life is unpredictable and no matter what you try to do you will never be able to prepare for it. The last scene takes place towards the end of the film when Kumail and Emily’s father Terry, played by Ray Romano, are having an emotional open wound conversation about love. Terry makes a statement that in many ways makes no sense yet everyone who has been in love knows what he is talking about: “Love isn’t easy, that’s why it’s called love”. While this isn’t a revelation to anyone I just think the moment when it comes during the film is perfect and the way it captures the confusing and hurt that you can cause yourself and others because of love is fantastic. Every scene in this film speaks from the heart and gives this film a soul that will last for generations to come because of the truth that it brings to the conversation.
Another aspect of the film that has been turning in my head is something that I personally have no experience with and only know a slight handful of people who have had that experience: the American immigration. The Big Sick makes a claim that I have heard some of my friends talk about with their parents: why come to America if you don’t want the American lifestyle. I’m not the right person to elaborate more on this because I’m a white male who is twenty-five and lived in America my entire life. I personally feel that it’s a conversation that needs to be had, that we as a country still need to be the melting pot of the world, to take in every culture, race, and creed, and not only take in the best aspects of them, but to help improve our own society. Our country was formed on the back of immigrants who only wanted a better life for their families and themselves, we don’t have the right to say their culture isn’t right and that the upbringing they had is harmful to us. We need to understand where other people are coming from and this film slightly opens that door for me and I’m intrigued to now see where that doorway will go for me.
I have always been a fan of the films that show the intimate sides of life: Like Crazy, Blue Valentine, and 50/50, but when you add in this perfect blend of comedy to the mix you have a cinematic masterpiece. The Big Sick is a cinematic and emotional masterpiece. I doubt that any other film this year will make me cry and laugh more than this film; I urge everyone to rush out to see this film the second that you can because it is simply life changing.
Rating: See It
-Jonny G