The Big Sick Review

This Judd Apatow produced comedy star vehicle is everything a rom-com should aim to be

Oliver Smith
Aug 27, 2017 · 4 min read

There is a common trap that many emotionally charged romantic comedies fall into. Often, the film starts as a comedy but as the emotional investment and drama intensifies, the laughs are forgotten. Not so with Michael Showalter’s The Big Sick. Based on the real life relationship of its co-writers, this tale of love, culture and sickness manages to remain very funny throughout. This is the first screenplay by married couple Emily V Gordon and Kumail Nanjiani and it announces them as considerable talents. Equally as touching as it is hilarious, The Big Sick is a complete triumph.

Kumail Nanjiani is a stand-up comedian with a regular slot at a Chicago comedy club. After a show one night, he begins talking to a woman he noticed in the audience. This is Emily, played by Zoe Kazan. The pair hit it off and the night ends with what is meant to be a one night stand on Kumail’s inflatable mattress. Unable to resist each other’s company, however, they begin dating and everything seems perfect, until it becomes clear that Kumail’s culture as a Pakistani man and his family’s traditional adherence to Islam are obstacles too large for them to overcome. When Kumail receives a call that Emily has been admitted to hospital, though, he goes to make sure she isn’t alone. And when her infection gets worse and Emily is put into a medically induced coma, Kumail contacts her parents (a scene which ingeniously finds a way to inject dark comedy into the simple act of unlocking an iPhone) and over the course of her treatment, examines his true feelings, while also trying to deal with Emily’s parents. This is a film juggling a lot of things and yet manages to never be bogged down by any of it. With Emily incapacitated for much of the film, in many ways this is a rom-com about Kumail and Emily’s parents, played by Holly Hunter and Ray Romano. Alongside this, we also see Kumail struggle with his own family. Intent that Kumail should follow the Pakistani tradition of arranged marriage, his mother sets up a string of meetings with what she deems to be acceptable Pakistani women for Kumail to choose from.

What’s truly remarkable here is just how well every element of the film is handled. Kumail and Emily’s relationship is given a considerable amount of screen time before the core premise kicks in and the chemistry shared between the pair immediately endears us to them. This is important because Emily is more or less completely absent for much of the film’s two hour run-time, due to being comatose, but the strength of the writing and characters mean her presence is always felt. Similarly, Kumail’s relationship with Emily’s parents is believable and genuinely affecting. It’s nice to see a film in which “the in-laws” are well drawn, independent characters in and of themselves. The film isn’t afraid to split them up and give them their own scenes and as a result they feel like real people, whose respective relationships with Kumail feel personal and distinct. Kumail’s family are very much kept separate from his story with Emily — something done intentionally, no doubt, as this is how Kumail manages his life. It is the one instance in which these two worlds meet that causes real trouble for Kumail. Much of the themes explored here aren’t easy and The Big Sick doesn’t pretend to offer any easy answers. Kumail’s heritage and Pakistani customs are played for laughs, yes, but never in a way that feels disrespectful — something which goes to show the importance of understanding a culture before writing jokes about it. Kumail’s parents aren’t portrayed simply as the bad guys, either, something a less talented writing team would likely have done. We understand their perspective and sympathise them while also seeing the difficulties this causes Kumail. In fact, the only part of the film which doesn’t fully hit the mark is the backstage scenes of the comedy club with Kumail’s comedian friends. None of this is awful, but feels largely unnecessary and, despite being comedians, these actually prove to be some of the least funny characters.

The Big Sick doesn’t shy away from difficult moments and all of the emotional beats land. That the film manages to do this while being funny is no easy task. Many rom-coms feel like more like com-roms in that the first half is funny, the second is dramatic. This is a true romantic comedy. There is love, drama and emotion, and it is weaved masterfully throughout with genuinely hilarious comedy. The Big Sick is a wonderful achievement, and one of my favourite films of the year.

)

Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade