The Big Sick
2017
***½
Director: Michael Showalter
Cast: Kumail Nanjiani, Zoe Kazan, Holly Hunter, Ray Romano, Anupam Kher, Zenobia Shroff, Adeel Akhtar, Bo Burnham, Aidy Bryant, Kurt Braunohler
Kumail's traditionalist Pakistani-American parents want him to go to college and marry a Pakistani woman. What Kumail wants is to make it as a stand-up comedian and date whomever he wants. Things come to a head when his white ex-girlfriend Emily falls seriously ill. This comedy was scripted by its star Kumail Nanjiani and his real-life wife Emily V. Gordon. Although their script is highly autobiographical, the romantic twists seem somewhat formulaic. The more original and interesting part of the story is Kumail's relationship with his own parents and those of Emily, warmly portrayed by Holly Hunter and Ray Romano.
