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The Big Sick
Pakistan-born comedian Kumail Nanjiani and grad student Emily Gardner fall in love but struggle as their cultures clash. When Emily contracts a mysterious illness, Kumail finds himself forced to face her feisty parents, his family's expectations, and his true feelings.
2017 · Directed by Michael Showalter · 120 min · Comedy · Drama · Romance · Screenplay in the scene database · 18 frames
Tagline
An awkward true story.
Plot
Kumail is a struggling standup comedian, who hooks up with a UChicago grad student, Emily, after a performance at the local comedy club. Despite being from different races (Kumail is ethnically Pakistani while Emily is Caucasian), they start dating. After a few months, Emily confronts Kumail about photographs of other women she found in his apartment. Kumail says it's 'just a cultural thing' (these are women he has met for an arranged marriage), but Emily rejects the idea and breaks up with him. Deciding to focus on his career, Kumail targets a spot at the Montreal Comedy Festival. He is offered to audition, and hooks up with an audience member that same night.
Lying in bed, Kumail receives a distress call, informing him that Emily needs help after being admitted to the hospital. He goes to check on her, but doctors use his signature to place Emily in a medical coma, asking Kumail to inform her parents. The next day, Terry and Beth arrive from North Carolina. They are cold towards Kumail, but he continues checking in on Emily. Eventually, the three bond when doctors prepare Emily for surgery. Terry and Beth defend Kumail from racial hecklers at the comedy club, and spend the night with him at Emily's apartment, playing drinking games.
Kumail ignores his family's calls, as they attempt to set him up with other women for an arranged marriage. His parents show up at his apartment, leading to an argument in which they threaten to disown him. That evening, Emily's condition worsens, and Kumail bombs his Montreal audition as a result. Miraculously, Emily responds to anti-inflammatory treatment the next morning, and awakens from coma. She is diagnosed with a rare adult-onset Still's disease, but will fully recover. Unaware that Kumail was by her side throughout, she refuses to meet him and rejects his idea to get back together.
Plot summary from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA.
Crew
- Written by: Emily V. Gordon, Kumail Nanjiani
- Cinematography: Brian Burgoyne
- Edited by: Robert Nassau
- Music: Michael Andrews
- Production design: Brandon Tonner-Connolly
- Produced by: Judd Apatow, Barry Mendel
Cast
- Kumail Nanjiani as Kumail Nanjiani
- Zoe Kazan as Emily Gardner
- Holly Hunter as Beth Gardner
- Ray Romano as Terry Gardner
- Anupam Kher as Azmat Nanjiani
- Zenobia Shroff as Sharmeen Nanjiani
- Adeel Akhtar as Naveed Nanjiani
- Bo Burnham as CJ
- Aidy Bryant as Mary
- Kurt Braunohler as Chris
Production
- Country: United States of America
- Language: English, Urdu
- Studios: FilmNation Entertainment, Apatow Productions, Story Ink
- Budget: $5,000,000
- Box office: $56,303,596
- Themes: chicago, illinois, new york city, immigrant, muslim, roommates, sadness, sarcasm, comedian, based on true story, one-man show
More by Michael Showalter
On this film
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