The Big Sick

For anyone who has ever complained about meeting your girlfriend’s parents, this movie has you beat. I’ll take an awkward dinner over your daughter is in a coma any day.

The Big Sick is a based on the real-life story of how the main character Kumail met his wife. Kumail starts dating Emily after she heckles him at a comedy show and they fall fast for each other. Kumail loves her from the jump but is worried that his Muslim family will not except this American white girl from NYC. He keeps her a secret from his family as his mother continues to try and arrange a marriage for him that she deems appropriate. When Emily finds this out they break up, and shortly after falls ill and they must induce a coma to save her life. Kumail meets Emily’s parents after breaking up with her and being witness to her horrible and quick decline into sickness.

This was a pretty standard drama, boy meets girl, they can’t be together for whatever reason, and they find a way to work through it in the end. What makes this movie work is the humor, this realistic look at a relationship doesn’t hide the ugly parts and chooses instead to show both the good and bad aspects of committing to a relationship no matter the cost.

On the negative side for this film, Kumail’s character is very unlikable. He does find a bit of redemption in the end, but he lies to everyone in his life, he acts selfishly, and is unsympathetic all the way through the film. I had a hard time rooting for him, and when the movie ended I felt unsatisfied by how far he had come.

This movie is overall a good time and although the story is predictable they present the basic plot points with humor and an edge that not all films dare to go to. I thought it was both funny and sad, this will for sure be one that I watch again on HBO Go or Netflix when it comes out.