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‘The Big Sick’
(Amazon Studios/Lionsgate)
By Lucas Allen
Usually, romantic comedies follow the same linear three-act structure. The first act sets up the relationship, the second explores the struggles and the third shows both the breakup and the rekindling.
But “The Big Sick” does something different with it, and it comes off as fresh and new compared to the old and tired of recent years. This should be interesting considering this is produced by Judd Apatow, who’s better known for his directing efforts, like “The 40-Year Old Virgin” and “Trainwreck.”
Comedian Kumail Nanjiani basically plays himself as a struggling stand-up performer in the Chicago comedy scene. One night after a performance, he meets a young woman named Emily (Zoe Kazan), who had heckled him during his show. Soon enough, their one-night stand blossoms into a serious romance. But his strict upbringing by his traditional Pakistani family makes it very difficult for him to reveal his new romance to them. When Emily finds pictures of women meant for an arranged marriage and that Kumail has lied about telling his family about her, she angrily breaks up with him right on the spot.
Just when he feels like moving on, Kumail gets a call that Emily is in the hospital and has been put into a medically induced coma because of a mysterious illness. He hangs out with her parents Beth (Holly Hunter) and Terry (Ray Romano) at the hospital for emotional support. But things become more difficult when he has to travel with his fellow comedians for a shot at the big time. This puts him at a greater crossroads between his family, Emily’s family and his career.
Essentially, the movie is a modern take on Spike Lee’s “Jungle Fever,” with an emphasis on cultures clashing. You have Kumail with his strict Pakistani upbringing, while Emily is white and goes by her own path. You understand how different they are, but they fact they hook up the first time they are together is also believable. That believability carries over throughout the movie, especially when problems arise.
Instead of the usual third act breakup, the breakup happens in the beginning of the second act before it follows its own story. That makes the movie feel fresher than what you would normally accustomed to the genre. It occasionally drags on in some scenes, which makes it feel unnecessarily long at two hours, especially when some awkward moments could’ve been excised. However, the scenes with Emily’s parents and scenes involving the cutthroat dog-eat-dog world of stand-up comedy keeps the levity very high.
You may not have heard of Nanjiani unless you’ve watched HBO’s “Silicon Valley,” but he delivers a gentle, humorous performance as himself early in his career. He does have great chemistry with Kazan, who also gives a pretty good performance. Both Romano and Hunter are delightful as Emily’s parents, showing some great courage throughout the film.
The Big Sick is an easy crowd-pleaser for both romance fans and fans of stand-up comedy. If you can find it in theaters or on home video, it’s worth a watch.
THE MOVIE’S RATING: R (for language including some sexual references)
THE CRITIC’S RATING: 3.25 Stars (Out of Four)
