First – a HUGE thank you to @kumailn and @emilyvgordon for sharing their story with the world!
I am not sure what I was expecting, but this was not it. Don’t get me wrong – I freaking loved this movie. It just was not what I expected, or more so – I had no idea what it was about. I love a movie that makes me feel awkward for the leads. And this one did just that. I love that this is based on a true story AND is written by the people involved in that story. I feel that they were able to offer the best version of their own truth that way. And KUDOS for that.
Thoughts I had while watching the movie:
- “Fuck’s a funny word.” This one line makes me love the movie.
- “You’re a Pakistani Sammy Sosa” – Ok, that reinforced my love of the movie.
- “You gotta end it now or Mom will fucking ghost you.” – ha ha ha ha YES!
- In the background there is a Shawn of the Dead poster! YAS!
- “Peace in the Middle East”
- Everybody didn’t always Love Ray… Now, I kinda do. I can also TOTALLY see Holly Hunter and Ray in a relationship now. Can’t unsee it. Just two regular people….
- It is interesting to see how this couple fought both cultural and generational boundaries that neither set for themselves.
- I wish that the real Emily had played herself. I would love to have seen their interactions and chemistry on the screen. I can only imagine they are so stinking cute together!
- Let me add them on Twitter….
- This movie was all about the quotes for me!
I love it, would recommend it highly. Let me know if you saw it and what you thought in the comments below!
An interview read with Emily V Gordon from Deadline: HERE
IMDB Synopsis: Pakistan-born comedian Kumail Nanjiani and grad student Emily Gardner fall in love but struggle as their cultures clash. When Emily contracts a mysterious illness, Kumail finds himself forced to face her feisty parents, his family’s expectations, and his true feelings.
Starring:
Also, I liked this article by Variety on – Zenobia Shroff!
Trailer:
Additional Movie Info:
It received a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 98% Fresh. It received a Rotten Tomato audience rating of 88% liking it. Average Rating: 4.2/5 with a number of User Ratings: 30,470.
Movie Reviews:
Specs: Release date: 14 July 2017 (USA) / Runtime: 120 minutes / Budget: $5M
IMDB Trivia:
- Was released in the United States on Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon’s 10th wedding anniversary.
- The screenplay for The Big Sick is written by Emily V. Gordon and her husband Kumail Nanjiani, and is loosely based on the real-life courtship between them before their marriage in 2007. According to Nanjiani, the idea to make a script about them was first inspired by the film’s eventual co-producer Judd Apatow when the two met while appearing in a 2012 episode of the You Made It Weird podcast. Developed over the course of three years, the script has been called semi-autobiographical because, in addition to the two lead characters modeled after them, many of the events occurring during Gordon and Nanjiani’s relationship are noted as being portrayed to an extent in the film. Though not part of the original script, a real-life incident involving Holly Hunter heckling an unnamed player during a US Open tennis match inspired a similar scene in the film where Nanjiani’s character is heckled during one of his stand-up sets.
- In the film it’s mentioned more than once that Kumail is a fan of the TV series, The X-Files (1993). In reality, Kumail actually appeared in an episode of The X-Files in 2016.
- While writing the script, Kumail wanted his on-screen family to reflect the jokey and humorous traits of his real life family. He bemoaned that so many Muslim characters were so frequently depicted as overly serious and aimed to avoid that stereotype.
- Kumail personally contacted Anupam Kher about taking the role of his father, Azmat. Kher accepted the role after learning that Kumail’s real father personally expressed a desire for him to take the role.
- Emily and her mother wear the same necklace through most of the film: it’s a gold pendant that has a sun on one side and the word “love” engraved on the other side.
- While directing the film, Michael Showalter frequently collaborated with the cast and encouraged improvisation.
- Emily V. Gordon, co-writer and the “real” Emily, can be seen in the last scene of the film in the comedy club sitting near CJ and Mary.
Thoughts and Ponderances 