Originally published on FilmInquiry
So often in film, a secret is a plot device that filmmakers can lean on to keep interest. It could be a twist that keeps us guessing what comes next or a hidden truth that keeps a character on edge until it’s ultimately revealed. In The Farewell from writer and director Lulu Wang, the secret is in plain site. It subverts, almost at every turn, what we’ve come to expect from a film built around the secret – it’s not a film about the secret itself, but rather how it impacts and reveals the dynamics of the family keeping it.
The Farewell bills itself as “based on an actual lie.” In fact, it’s more than that – it’s a story right from Wang‘s actual life. In 2013, while editing her first film (Posthumous), she learned that her Nai Nai in China was diagnosed with a quickly worsening terminal condition. Of course, Wang wanted to reach out, but learned that her family decided to keep the diagnosis from her grandmother.
This is the situation Billi (Awkwafina) finds herself in early on in The Farewell. She’s a bit lost and directionless in Brooklyn, and joins her family in China under the false pretense of a family wedding to say goodbye to her Nai Nai. Billi has to navigate family politics, personal identity and her grandmothers unbreakable spirit while fighting her own desires to tell her grandmother the truth.
It’s a story so deeply personal that it feels like we’re spying on someone’s real life. It feels so true to family dynamics and culture that it’s too real for the big screen. The Farewell finds a nearly impossible balance of being joyful and genuinely hilarious while being powerful enough to move any audience to tears. If you ever hear someone saying Hollywood can’t make great original stories anymore, show them The Farewell. It’s one of the year’s most compelling watches.
A breakout for all involved
To begin to discuss The Farewell without first giving credit to Wang, Awkwafina, Zhao Shuzhen and the rest of the cast and crew who so beautifully share the story with us would be a disservice. This is the first work from Wang that I’ve seen. You can tell it was a labor of love and extremely personal to her. She crafts her script and film with such delicate respect, being careful to be true to life. It’s always understated, rather than in your face to allow the audience to do some of the work in reading between the lines.
I need to say it – The Farewell completely changed my mind on Awkwafina. Despite recognizing her talents and appeal to many, her style of comedy and delivery in what I’ve seen of her didn’t do it for me. The Farewell gives her a chance to be funny, but in a way that serves the story and show a more dramatic side. Rather than be over-expressive as I think she’s been in the past, a subtle stare does the talking for her here. A lean of her head onto her mother’s shoulder. By being more subtle, Awkwafina shows a range few actors can.
Not to forget Nai Nai (Zhao Shuzhen) – an actress I’d never heard of or seen before. She delivers an absolutely mesmerizing performance that I’m afraid will go under the radar. Without her so perfectly nailing the role – its brashness balanced with warmth and love – the entire film falls apart. Surely, she should be in the discussion for best supporting actress come awards season.
As authentic a family dynamic as you’ll find
For much of the first two acts, the family is portrayed in such an expertly subdued, almost voyeuristic manner. It’s so sincere you could find yourself mistaking the film as something from Hirokazu Kore-eda. The family dynamics are never thrown in your face, instead it’s always understated. Even the cinematography brings this to the forefront.
DP Anna Franquesa Solano shoots much of the film with a degree of separation. There’s a cold blue hue, minimal camera movement and everything feels like it’s somewhat at a distance. It’s a somber sobriety that surrounds the family because of the circumstances that brought them together, despite the warmth and love shared between them.
The family never lets their disagreements or how they want to handle the secret they hold in an abrasive or truly argumentative manner. Rather, characters allow the undercurrent to carry and show their emotions, while on the surface, they go along with the plan.
The family feels almost too authentic – the grandmother, much like my own, is the matriarch who wants the best for everyone she loves so much, but can come off as rude or too blunt at times. Curt comments like “You’re not that skinny” directed at Billi cut those she loves, but with an affable nature that you still find her endearing.
Despite the divide in how family members want to handle Nai Nai’s diagnosis and the differences that divide them, The Farewell ultimately highlights that the love the family has for each other supersedes everything else. The family don’t outwardly show a ton of affection to each other, but a feeling of warmth permeates every scene anyways.
A crisis of identity
Billi, although a New Yorker when we meet her in the film, lived in China until she was six years old with her parents (Tzi Ma and Diana Lin). In their immediate family, they speak English and seem to generally follow Western customs. Back in China with their family (some of whom had relocated to Japan), they’re reminded of what they left behind, but it isn’t the same country they left. Her Chinese is worse, and her old neighborhood is demolished. She of course is a Chinese-American, but has she become more American than Chinese?
This comes to life most obviously when Billi is checking into her hotel. One of the staff members finds out she’s visiting from the States and asks her all about it. “What do you think is better? China or America?” he asks (even as she clearly is trying to end the conversation). She tells him they’re just different, but he insists America must be better. It’s one of many hilarious moments in the film that serve the story rather than just add some humor. The question really is the crux of what Billi has to face.
Her family, like so many, moved to America to find that better life. And while they’ve done well for themselves through the struggle, what cost does it come at? Billi has a relationship with her Nai Nai and the rest of her family, but is it enough when they’re on opposite sides of the world?
The Farewell: A cultural achievement worth celebrating
The Farewell starts with a lie, but is ultimately about the truths that we share. It’s a cultural triumph that everyone should see. While it brings the identity crisis that many immigrant families face to the big screen, it also is a true-to-life reflection of family dynamics that everyone can relate to. Lulu Wang has crafted a masterclass in telling a personal story that everyone can identify with. While Hollywood is focused on the big summer blockbusters, The Farewell may just be the most compelling watch of the summer.
What did you think of The Farewell? Let us know in the comments and on Twitter!
The Farewell hit select US theaters July 12 and expands July 19.