The Big Sick

Director: Michael Showalter Michael Showalter

Overview

A Pakistani-American standup comedian (Kumail Nanjiani) falls for a white grad student (Zoe Kazan), and decides to keep their uncertain romance a secret from his traditionalist, Muslim family. However, their relationship gets more serious when she develops a mysterious illness, which in turn forces him to bond with her parents (Holly Hunter and Ray Romano). Emily V. Gordon and Nanjiani wrote this romantic comedy, which is based on their real-life courtship. The Big Sick made its world premiere at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival.

Product Details

Release Date:	09/19/2017
UPC:	0031398270331
Original Release:	2017
Rating:	R
Source:	LIONSGATE - 600000-AEC LGE
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Stereo, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround]
Language:	English
Time:	2:00:00
Sales rank:	53,630

Special Features

A personal journey: the making of The Big Sick; The real story; 2017 SXSW Film Festival panel; Cast & filmmaker commentary; The Big Sick: the other stuff; Deleted scenes; The bigger sick: stick around for more laughs

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Kumail Nanjiani	Kumail
Zoe Kazan	Emily
Holly Hunter	Beth
Ray Romano	Terry
Anupam Kher	Azmat
Zenobia Shroff	Sharmeen
Adeel Akhtar	Naveed
Bo Burnham	CJ
Aidy Bryant	Mary
Kurt Braunohler	Chris
Vella Lovell	Khadija
Myra Lucretia Taylor	Nurse Judy
Jeremy Shamos	Bob Dalavan
David Alan Grier	Andy Dodd
Ed Herbstman	Sam Highsmith
Shenaz Treasurywala	Fatima
Rebecca Naomi Jones	Jesse
Kuhoo Verma	Zubeida
Mitra Jouhari	Yazmin
Celeste Arias	Denise
Shana Solomon	Nurse Bette
Jeff Blumenkrantz	Dr. Wright
Linda Emond	Dr. Cunningham
Holly Chou	Dr. Whelan
Andrew Pang	Dr. Spellman
Alison Cimmet	Dr. Platt
Lawrence Ballard	Dr. Lewin
Shunori Ramanathan	Sumera
Spencer House	Racist Heckler
Susham Bedi	Tina (Khadija's Mother),Farhan (Khadija's Father)
Matty Cardarople	Fast Food Cashier
Myra Turley	Waiting Room Person 1
William Stephenson	Waiting Room Person 2
Marilyn Torres	Waiting Room Person 3
Isabel Shill	Party Goer 1
Lauren Patten	Party Goer 2
Keilly McQuail	Party Goer 3
Zach Cherry	Party Goer 4
Spike White	Naveed
Michael Andrews	Composer

Technical Credits

Kumail Nanjiani

Emily V. Gordon

Michael Showalter	Director
Kumail Nanjiani	Screenwriter,Executive Producer
Emily V. Gordon	Screenwriter,Executive Producer
Barry Mendel	Producer
Judd Apatow	Producer
Jeremy Kipp Walker	Executive Producer,Producer
Ben Browning	Executive Producer,Producer
Glen Basner	Executive Producer,Producer
Gayle Keller	Casting
Bobby Mackston	Sound Editor
Jeremy Sample	Stunts

Editorial Reviews

The Big Sick isn't your typical romantic comedy. First of all, it's based on a true story -- and while that isn't unusual by itself, the movie's main character is actually played by his real-life counterpart, Pakistani-American comedian Kumail Nanjiani. As a result, the film is filled with odd references to Nanjiani's life (such as his long-standing admiration for Hugh Grant), which makes its depiction of his cross-cultural romance with a white woman named Emily Gordon (Zoe Kazan) feel more genuine. However, the movie also stands out by taking Nanjiani's love interest out of the picture for much of its running time, as she is placed in a medically induced coma while being treated for a mysterious and potentially life-threatening illness. This allows Kumail to reflect on the meaning of their relationship, while also bonding with her parents (Ray Romano and Holly Hunter) as they go through this harrowing experience together. Director Michael Showalter (best known as a cast member of The State and Wet Hot American Summer) balances Nanjiani's natural sense of humor with more reflective moments -- neither of which undermines the other. Still, those expecting an all-out comedy are sure to be disappointed, as Nanjiani's struggle to pursue his own desires while navigating the expectations of his traditional Muslim family remains the central focus throughout the film, with his experiences as an up-and-coming standup comedian relegated to a subplot. In fact, the funniest moments come during the casual scenes between Emily and Kumail, when his knack for spontaneous humor is brought to the fore. The Big Sick has a tendency to be overwhelmingly sweet at times, unlike most of the films made in the mold of Judd Apatow (who also serves as a producer here). The fact that the script was written by the real-life Kumail and Emily (who are now married) might account for this tendency, although their lack of distance from the story's events also works to the movie's advantage, making even its smallest details feel fresh and immediate. There are times when the amount of nuance even starts to seem too personal, creating the feeling that we're being let in on a couple's most private moments and inside jokes. The end result is a romantic comedy that feels believable and honest, with all of the actors giving charming performances that keep the proceedings upbeat and humorous despite the often melancholy subject matter. Nothing helps a romantic comedy more than the belief that what we're seeing onscreen could actually happen; for this reason, The Big Sick is likely to be one of the more successful movies in this genre in recent memory, with Kumail Nanjiani's triumphant love story always feeling as personal as it does funny and sentimental.